Cheap New York: Cheap walks and tours

RECOMMENDED: Full guide to Gowanus, Brooklyn Start: 540 President St between Third and Fourth Aves End: 149 7th St between Second and Third Aves Time: 2.5 hours Distance: 1.5 miles 1 Kick off your exploration of this industrial 'hood (often overshadowed by its more refined—and pricey—neighbors Carroll Gardens and Park Slope) by learning about its history. At multipurpose space Proteus Gowanus(543 Union St between Bond and Nevins Sts; 718-243-1572, proteusgowanus.org), you can duck into "The Hall of Gowanus," a permanent exhibit detailing the Gowanus Canal's past as a shipping center (in the 1920s, 6 million tons of cargo passed through the waterway each year). Peruse old photos and detritus found at now-defunct factories lining the water. 2 Make a pit stop at the nonprofit Film Biz Prop Shop(540 President St between Third and Fourth Aves; 347-384-2336, filmbizrecycling.org). You'll find a slew of cool items used in commercials, films and plays that would otherwise be trashed after a shoot (acquisitions include set pieces from Julie Taymor's The Tempest). Recently, we've spotted a five-foot-tall illuminated Chinese restaurant sign ($475), a Tiffany hanging lamp from Roundabout Theatre Company ($450) and a gorgeous baby-blue brocade Victorian-era couch ($350). The shop also rents out its more bizarre goodies—check out the electric chair, which goes for $150 per week. 3 You'll see longtime neighborhood residents lingering outside Glory Social Club(282 Third Ave between...

Enjoy stunning views of upstate New York—as well as some high quality Instagram opps of fall foliage—with a walk 212 feet above the Hudson River at the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park in Poughkeepsie, New York. Just Just two hours north of the by train or by car, visitors can walk, bike or run on the pet-friendly bridge that connects Dutchess and Ulster counties. A great day of exploring—and the ultimate sightseeing adventure—awaits. For more information and various entry points on either side of the river, visit walkway.org.

Are you trying to host visitors on a budget? Yeah? Then consult this roundup often. We detail free tours of the Brooklyn Bridge, Grand Central, Union Square and other NYC attractions—as well as freebie day trips just outside New York City. RECOMMENDED: Full list of free things to do in NYC 

In a city of seemingly endless noise and motion, the Guggenheim’s series “stillspotting nyc” highlights havens of calm and quiet. The borough-hopping project launched in June 2011 with a stress-busting sanatorium in Downtown Brooklyn (a team of artists treated visitors’ mental-health ailments by channeling healing energy into dolls, and giving blessings in the form of paintings). For its second project last September, architecture firm Snøhetta and composer Arvo Pärt transformed areas in lower Manhattan into a series of soundscapes. Now the third installment, “Transhistoria,” takes over Jackson Heights, Queens, for four consecutive weekends beginning Saturday 14 and Sunday 15. While public space played a major role in the two previous editions, this one has a different focus. “You can’t speak about stillness or finding a quiet moment in the city without speaking about domestic space,” says David van der Leer, the museum’s assistant curator of architecture and urban studies. “This project is focused on issues of the home: creating a home, experiencing a home—or leaving a home, for that matter.” “Transhistoria” features 10 writers with strong ties to the borough—some are lifelong residents, while others are transplants who put down roots. They, along with additional speakers, will present both autobiographical and fictional narratives in locations throughout the neighborhood. After receiving a map at the starting point, visitors can drop by four spaces of their choice for an...