Use these free/cheap ferries!
Feel the wind in your hair instead of boiling in a subway stop! You can hop a ferry to lots of prime destinations, and most of the time it is more than affordable (read: free to incredibly cheap). Need some new furniture, or just want to check out Red Hook? Catch the free ferry from Pier 11. Wanna snag a killer view of Lady Liberty without enduring hoards of museum goers? Get on the free Staten Island Ferry at South Ferry. Plus, throughout the summer, the Trust for Governors Island has ferries coming from Brooklyn and Manhattan straight to the island. And there's wayyy more options, so consult this full list of ferries offered in NYC.
[Photo via @melilloolivia]