Be wary of one-star and two-star hotels in the outer boroughs right now; many have become refugee centers due to the migrant crisis, so be sure to read the review because sometimes hotels continue accepting reservations despite being de facto homeless or migrant shelters

The Long Island City neighborhood in Queens is right across the East River from Manhattan (only one or two stops away on the subway) and has affordable hotels, but try to stay in Manhattan if you can swing it

The subway is safe but somewhat complex; use Google Maps to help with wayfinding. If you have a contactless credit or debit card or have Apply Pay or Google Pay set up on your phone, you can use it to pay for transit. If you use the same card/method to pay 12 times, all additional rides are free within a seven-day period

Cheap eats are easy to find in NYC. Chinatown has tons of very affordable food, and pizza slice shops will be your friend, too

The best thing to do in NYC is walking around and soaking in the vibe. Check out some parks and do some people-watching; visit the High Line (free!) and walk the full length, go to Central Park, head downtown to the Financial District, and check out the World Trade Center. Walking the Brooklyn Bridge is chaotic but fun, and Brooklyn Bridge Park has amazing views of lower Manhattan

You'll have a good time; accommodations are expensive, but getting around and activities and food can be extremely affordable