*


The New York Metro is awesome. It goes everywhere, it is everywhere, and it opens up the entire city to the interested tourist. The problem is, the Metro can be pricey (at $2.25 for a single ride), especially if you're traveling with more than one person. Which is why the Metro Unlimited Ride passes are such a fantastic deal. They might be pricier in the short-term, but they make a fabulous investment and I promise they will give you the opportunity to experience New York in a whole new way.

The most basic option is your 1-day fun pass, which allows for unlimited rides on the metro from first use until midnight that night, and costs $8.25 a card. There are also 3-day, 7-day, 14-day, and 30-day options for those staying on a longer basis.

The beauty of these passes to me is that they allow you to explore New York at your leisure, and to see parts of the city you might not otherwise have been to because you were trying to be economical in planning your route. With a pass you can easily go down to the lower East Side to have a classic pastrami sandwich, stop off at Central Park to walk it off, then continue to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The best part is, if you get tired, you can go back to your hotel, take a nap, and head back out again without feeling guilty that you spent X dollars getting here so now we're going to get our money's worth. The freedom from this attitude can only make for a more pleasant travel, and besides, the city quite literally becomes your oyster. Added bonus: riding the metro everywhere has the added advantage of giving you the insider's glimpse into the how millions of New Yorkers get around every day.

So what are you waiting for? Try an unlimited pass the next time you're in New York and marvel at how radically your experience changes. I promise you, you'll never look back.

*Image courtesy of The Village Voice