I stumbled across this story about New York City that discusses the best free or inexpensive attractions. Absolutely terrific advice! I plan on printing it out and taking it with me the next time I travel there. I'll summarize it here if you don't want to read the whole thing there:

The subway is $2, Central Park is still free, Times Square at night, Rockefeller Center (Ice Skating, Christmas Tree), Grand Central Terminal, Staten Island Ferry (free), Governors Island Ferry (also free),  walking across Brooklyn Bridge, parades, street fairs, some museums with "free hours", and more, more, more.

Not mentioned in the CNN article but worthwhile: Saint Patrick's Cathedral, New York Public Library (3rd largest in the world), and for a small fee - Ellis Island, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, American Museum of Natural History, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

But when you get to the biggest ticket item, accommodations, the discounted options diminish.

My suggestion, no surprise, would be to stay in a timeshare - rent it!  The only real choice there is the Manhattan Club. The size may be smaller than what you are used to if you've rented a timeshare before, but, this is Manhattan! And again, the best bet would be to rent from an owner through www.rentvacations.com. You can probably pick up a weekly or weekend rental there for less than $350 a night and be located at the corner of 56th and 7th Ave. Carnegie Hall is across the street and the theatre district is a few blocks away.

Many of us have had the experience of buying a used car: Shopping the ads, going to used car lots, checking the interenet ads.  But once you arrive on the used car lot, logic often goes out the window, and emotions take over. That's what the car salesman is hoping for. Not to say anything bad about the profession of auto sales, but, they are hoping you will overlook the negative aspects of their product and drive one of their cars home that day. 

It is wise indeed to do your "due diligence" and check out all aspects of this purchase and make a buying decision based on the right information.  In the process, you will, in fact, save a lot of your hard earned money.

Buying a timeshare on the secondary market has some of the same issues:

• Are all the maintenance fees and taxes up to date?
• Are all the "extras" (points, rounds of golf, spa usage, tennis lessons, etc) transferable?
• Is there a big assessment looming in the future for the owners?
• Does the resort or resort management company have a history of exponentially rasing fees, avoiding owners' complaints, or neglecting the maintenance of the facility?
• Will you, in fact, get the next year's usuage?

These questions, and others, will need to be answered before you can say you have done your homework and then move ahead with confidence. You will get what you want at a price that will make you happy: you got a great deal on a timeshare you will use and enjoy. Resale beats Retail!

For example, consider buying a timeshare in Oahu Hawaii, Sedona Arizona, Branson, Key West, Virginia, New York, or Las Vegas at a serious discount!

If you want to move ahead with confidence, check out these deals at www.rpmls.com.

For buyers: First you should determine if owning a timeshare would suit your lifestyle. Do you like to take spontaneous vacations or plan ahead?  Can you schedule your vacations six months in advance?  Once those questions are settled, then you have a myriad of choices in timeshare ownership at the Manhattan Club.  If you want a penthouse unit, the only way to buy it is on the resales market.  Other choices include Junior suites (approx 450 sq ft), a 1br - 2 bath unit, Metropolitan suites (smaller than Jr), "full flex", Platinum (2 weekends), Gold (1 weekend), Silver, and more.  Just make sure you know exactly what you are getting when you sign a contract to purchase a Manhattan Club timeshare!

Also, be sure to check whether any rights, privileges, or benefits (ie - parking privileges, club memberships, etc) that are initially purchased by an owner are transferrable to the new owner on a resale.

For sellers: Be aware that the Manhattan Club will not sell your timeshare for you.  You would be wise to use a timeshare broker to make certain that all the details are covered.

The Manhattan Club is located near the intersection of 56th Street and 7th Ave:

In a study recently published by Stroman Realty, Inc, they listed the top ten best timeshare resorts.  The results of the study are published on www.rpmls.com. 

So, here's the list: