A visit to New York City offers almost unlimited possibilities for any traveler, so suffice it to say - it's New York. There is something for everyone. Here is our selective guide to visiting New York on a savvy budget.

With a wealth of options - the famous sights, art, history, architecture, shopping, dining - it would be impossible to give visitors more than a cursory glance at all of New York's attractions. Kind of a spiritual home for much of the world, New York is also a bit of an enigma - densely packed in places and quiet in others, extremely diverse in its population but segregated by area, holding some of the world's architectural treasures as well as some of the worst architecture ever wrought. People teem into New York from around the world to find jobs, go to school or just experience it firsthand. That gives the city a perpetual buzz that is contagious. But as easy as New York is to love, it can be a demanding relationship to maintain over the long run due to everything from overpriced accommodations to horrific traffic to the relentless pace of life.

For years New York was all about Manhattan, the island at the center of it all. But the city's recent boom times have diversified its offerings, now spread to the outer boroughs (what New York calls its counties) of Brooklyn, Queens and, somewhat surprisingly, the Bronx. Staten Island remains the quiet island to the south that is famous mostly because people take its free eponymous ferry to get views of the Statue of Liberty and New York harbor.