NYC: Cheapo guides to SoHo and the East Village

Enjoy late-night Ukrainian comfort food at Veselka in the East Village. Photo: Marc Flores

Let’s face it: Keeping it cheap in New York City can be a real challenge for many visitors. With so many neighborhoods to navigate, unlimited dining options, and shops open day and night, it can be overwhelming.

That’s why we’re happy to introduce a new series: EuroCheapo’s Budget Neighborhood Guides to New York, starting with cheapo guides to SoHo and the East Village.

Because even if you’ve managed to sort your Uptown from your Downtown and your East Side from your West Side, do you know where to sip in Cheapo-style in Chelsea? Find non-tourist traps in Tribeca? Hunt down local hangouts in Hell’s Kitchen? (And we’re only talking Manhattan here!)

Pull up to the bar at the International Bar in the East Village. Photo: Zagatbuzz

Cheapo essentials, neighborhood by neighborhood

Luckily, New York-based writer Jessica Colley is an expert on all things budget in the Big Apple. We asked her to give us a rundown of the Cheapo essentials in New York’s priciest and most popular neighborhoods.

With her help, you’ll be able to find Cheapo-approved places to rest your head, grab a bite to eat or go out for a drink, no matter which neighborhood you choose.

East Village and Soho on the Cheapo

Highlights in Jessica’s guide to the East Village include the neighborly East Village Bed & Coffee, which makes a welcoming home base in the otherwise frenetic neighborhood. For those looking to get in on the excitement, though, Jessica has plenty of nighlife recommendations. At the hole-in-the-wall International Bar, for example, you can mingle with locals and get a glimpse of the East Village’s gritty past.

If you’re craving a late-night pierogi after an evening spent indulging in the neighborhood’s rowdy scene (and who wouldn’t be?), Jessica recommends Veselka, a 24-hour Ukrainian restaurant with two locations in the East Village.

Cheapo-friendly shopping at the Pearl River Mart in Soho. Photo: Mariaalana

Meanwhile, in nearby SoHo, Jessica takes us shopping at the Pearl River Mart, a Broadway superstore that offers surprisingly affordable (and unique) souvenir opportunities in the heart of the chic neighborhood. Spend a few hours browsing here and you may work up enough of an appetite to wait out the lines at Alidoro, an Italian deli offering famously huge sandwiches.

To cap it off in Cheapo style, Jessica recommends dropping in on the Cupping Room Café during happy hour, when the SoHo watering hole offers discounted drinks and free bar food.

For more neighborhood-by-neighborhood recommendations, keep checking back to our New York city guide, where we’ll publish each new installment in the series.