(FORTUNE Small Business) – New Yorkers, hardly immune to the prohibitive costs of their native isle, make a sport of ranting about the city's overpriced this and that. At the top of the list, especially when in-laws are coming to town: the skyscraper rates at Manhattan hotels. Witness, for instance, the $585 tariff for a "standard" (read plebe) weekday double at the Four Seasons. But shallow pockets don't doom you to dungeon digs. Dining is even easier, given New York's 17,000 eating establishments. And that doesn't include the food sold from carts in Midtown or around Wall Street. The aroma of that $2.50 falafel sandwich will overwhelm your concerns about vendor hygiene.

--SHELLY BRANCH

Stay

--Hotel Beacon: Big rooms have two double beds and fully equipped kitchenettes--rare at these rates. Just ten blocks from Lincoln Center; $165 and up for a single. (800-572-4969)

--Time Hotel: File under "hip." Ride the glass elevator to your '50s minimalist room, or head to the bar for martinis. Standard doubles start at $250. In the theater district. (212-246-5252)

--Quality Hotel: You'll forgive the name when you see the library-inspired lobby. A gym and business center (no room service). Bonus for the intrepid: a priceless skyline view from the roof. Near the U.N. Rates as low as $100. (212-545-1800)

Eat

--Becco: No ghastly "all you can eat" signs. But the specialty at this magnificent Italian eatery is a bottomless plate of fresh pasta--appetizer included--for $22. Wash it down with an $18 bottle of wine from the excellent list. In the theater district. (212-397-7595)

--21 Club: Feel the power, at a discount. The elite may show up later in the evening, but from 5:30 to 6:30, the $33 prix fixe dinner includes three upscale courses, such as roasted onion risotto. Gents: If you arrive without a jacket, the Club will gladly loan you patrician threads--free of charge. (212-582-7200)