Sure, New York is home to many a great art museum (some even free on certain days of the week), but when summer comes nothing beats enjoying free out-of-doors art in bustling parks. Here is the best of the bunch. And, because everyone loves a good art hotel, I’ve thrown in a few picks where you can sleep near interesting art for less.

Union Square

See: Jaehyo Lee’s naturally elegant works currently grace the southeast triangle of Union Square Park. The artist highlights “beauty in what is seen but not noticed.” Quite apropos for this oft-frenetic Manhattan hub, full of locals pushing through to the subways and teenagers rolling by on skateboards.

Tip: Head over on a Farmer’s Market afternoon (Saturday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday) to pick up a cheap and yummy lunch and enjoy it, and the art, in the park.

Sleep: Not far from Union Square’s bustle is one of our most interesting hotel picks. Ye Olde Carlton Arms Hotel is part hostel, part hotel and all art. What it lacks in amenities (no TV or air conditioning here), it makes up for in flair (each room is decorated floor to ceiling by a different artist). Rooms are available with or without private baths.

The High Line

See: The popular elevated park features a number of interesting art works, including Busted, a series of figurative sculptures by various artists. Based on sculptures found in the streets of ancient Rome, the series examines the nature of heroes, democracy, the self and more.

Sleep with art at the quirky Ye Olde Carlton Arms.

Additionally, Carol Bove’s Caterpillar highlights the magical quality of the Rail Yards, the park’s final section, still untouched wilderness for one more year.

Tip: The High Line is populated with a number of street vendors. Pick up a snack and take a stroll. Also, since the Rail Yards are closed to the public, reserve ahead to get on a free public walk, offered Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. (Reservations are sold out until August 3. Tickets for August 3-September 28 will become available on June 18.)

Sleep: It’s the art of the Silver Screen that graces the walls of the Chelsea Pines Inn,  located a block east of the southern entrance to the High Line. Each of the inn’s rooms is devoted to a different Old Hollywood star, but this is far from your elitist Hollywood scene. In fact, it may just be the friendliest hotel in Manhattan.

Madison Square Park

See: Orly Genger’s undulating “Red, Yellow and Blue” weaves its way through the park, much as its nautical-knot composition gives the work itself a woven look. The work is monumental. It’s made from 1.4 million feet of rope (that’s nearly 20 times the length of Manhattan) collected along the Eastern Seaboard. Weighing in at 100,000 pounds, it changes the landscape of the park, creating nooks, crevices and open spaces like an urban version of the corn maze.

Tip: Wait in the long line for the Shake Shack, then find one of those private “chambers” to sit and enjoy burgers and Concretes.

Sleep: Situated two blocks north of the park, the Gershwin Hotel is bright, funky and artistic, so much so that it’s got its own “style guide,” a local artist associated with Warhol’s Factory. Rooms range from dorms to apartment-style, and all are decked out with quirky art pieces.

Riverside Park South

See: Meanwhile, on the Upper West Side… The Art Students League of New York brings back its “Model to Monument” program, showcasing seven sculptures by student artists, all addressing (in myriad ways) the theme of flux.

Now you can take a passeggiata on the High Line. Photo: Timothy Schenck, Courtesy of Friends of the High Line

Sleep: While it’s not exactly an art hotel, there is no shortage of pretty at the Harlem Flophouse, a truly special B&B about a 10-minute walk from Riverside Park. Each of the four guest rooms is named for a different Harlem personality, and décor is a grab bag of beautiful finds from all around the world.

Where else to get your art fix

Art abounds in many more New York parks, and there are even a number of not-so-cheapo hotels where you can view amazing art gratis. Here, a small sampling…

1. Take a stroll along the Park Avenue Malls to enjoy No Limits, Alexandre Arrechea’s series of sculptures representing iconic New York buildings from the Chrysler Building to the US Courthouse.

2. Wander through The James Hotel, a swanky Soho spot where the rooms are pricey but the art (in the entry, lobby, sky lobby and even elevator) is free to enjoy.

3. Take a trip out to the Rockaway Beach Boardwalk, where Heartwalk, commemorates both the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy (it’s constructed from the boardwalk the storm destroyed) and that fabulous New York resilience and love witnessed in the aftermath.

4. After taking in some museums on Museum Mile, take a peek in The Surrey Hotel, a schmancy spot with original modern art sprinkled throughout its public spaces. 5. Contemplate the confluence of humans and nature with Tomorrow, Akihiro Ito’s sculpture of a baby (the future) made from laminated wood (nature) in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene Park.

The post New York: Our favorite free outdoor art and budget art hotels appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Steps from the Station: Santa Maria Novella

I know a guy who always insists on picking hotels near train stations to save money on transport. In Florence, that would be the Santa Maria Novella area. It’s not a bad hood, just noisy, packed, and goes from super clean to dirty. Florence is a small walkable city. No need to stay strapped to the station.

The Other Side: Oltrarno

Florence is sliced in half by the Arno. The south side opposite the train station is called Oltrarno – which literally means “beyond the Arno.” Think narrow streets with artisans in their workshops, working away like they did hundreds of years ago. Makes for good window peeking and quiet evening walks with a gelato in your hand. There are lots of little bars and restaurants in nearby Piazza Santo Spirito. Oltrarno is where I go when I want to slow down. Well, slow down even more.

Rental Road: Ognissanti

Also near the station is the Ognissanti neighborhood. This one’s a little tricky. I call the main street “rental road” on account of the legions of car rental agencies, internet cafes and long-distance phone cabooses. There are plenty of hotels – which I’m sure are okay, just know that Via dell’Arbero can get pretty chaotic in the evenings.

Santa Croce

And now for choosing a hotel in Santa Croce – big fan over here. Aside from its piazza and mighty basilica at the center, this zone is within walking distance to all the major sites minus the vortex of tourists that forever swirls around the Duomo. There are also leather shops galore, restaurants and souvenir stores. And the Arno is only a few blocks away to be strolled down and admired.

Actually, a word on river strolls: Make sure to watch the sun setting over Ponte Vecchio. Bellissimo!

Duomo-ing

So you want the vortex do you? Okay, welcome to the center of the Renaissance universe: the Duomo district. Tons of hotels, museums, fountains, restaurants, souvenir shops, outdoor markets and every other Florence tourist amenity taking up half the guidebook in your pocket. Enjoy!

To see a list of all the neighborhood’s covered by EuroCheapo’s hotel picks, click here.

The post Florence: Which neighborhood is right for your trip? appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Hotel de Filosoof
What: Three-star hotel near the Vondelpark
Doubles: From € 80
Theme: Enlightenment

Each room here is dedicated to a philosopher. You could stay in “Clouds” and pay homage to Aristophanes and Socrates, drifting to sleep in a bed with a blue, velveteen comforter. Or, opt for Confucius, which lifts up the ideals of Taoism and showcases an array of strong, ancient-looking (intentionally) purple décor. Neitche’s room just plain scared us. (Not surprising, considering the whole “God is dead” thing. Sweet dreams!) Thankfully, the hotel has 38 rooms to choose from, a spacious outdoor garden, and an art gallery.

Hemp Hotel
What: One-star hotel in the southern canal ring
Doubles: € 65 – 70
Theme: Baked not fried

Proclaiming itself “a unique specialty hotel for the hemp-aware traveler,” the Hemp Hotel is on our top ten list of favorite hotel visits (for purely professional reasons, natch). We were awed and amused and became one of the hotel’s managers!)

Winston Hotel
What: Two-star hotel in the Red Light District
Doubles: € 60-105
Theme: Artist madhouse

After spending a couple nights at the Winston, we labeled it “The Winston Museum of Contemporary Art,” as each room was designed by a different artist. Décors range from simple opaque canvases to large-format paintings that resemble Spirograph creations. Many rooms also have their own distinct genres. For instance, the Heineken room enjoys a green, bottled-up effect (Note: See also Smirnoff Button room.).  Maria’s Room is furnished entirely in white, producing an immaculate, yet oddly Clockwork Orange feel. We bunked in a dominatrix-themed space. And liked it.

The Greenhouse Effect
What: Two-star hotel in the Red Light District
Doubles: € 95-130
Theme: Out of this world

At this diamond in the snuff (it’s situated in the heart of the red-light district), themed rooms run the gamut from the plain and proper (“City Oasis” suite) to the downright surreal (“Turkish Delight” and “1001 Arabian Nights”).  A trance-inducing club downstairs features live music each weekend and looks sure to provide oodles of Kerouac-ky observations for postcards and personal diaries.

Lloyd Hotel
What: One-star to five-star hotel in the Eastern Docklands
Doubles: From €90 (see Website for special offers)
Theme: Pick a star (rating)

Offering its guests a range of rooms from a one-star to a five-star rating, the Lloyd really knows how to shake up hotel classification systems! This sophisticated and chic hotel, located in a fashionable area, displays architectural majesty—1920’s art deco mixed with modern flair, and lets you pick a room, any room, via various star ratings. However all rooms provide the same amenities (free WiFi and satellite television) and all guests (even the Cheapos) enjoy the same 24-hour service. Furthermore, all have access to the fancy “Cultural Embassy,” a space that serves as an art gallery, entertainment space, and lounge.

A 1-star room offers less space and shared bathrooms, while a 3-star, for example, has noteworthy 1920s furniture designed by De Bazel. We’d likely opt for a 2-star, deemed “surprising” by the hotel on its Website, as you get your own bathroom with “plenty of room to take a shower” (insert joke here), and some even provide water views. On a search we did for February, we found double rooms from €90 (one star) to €210 (five stars). What a range!

We’d say all of these hotels are worth the trip.

Did we miss a themed hotel in Amsterdam that you know about or would recommend? Tell us below!

Check out more great hotels in our Amsterdam guide!

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