Touring New York City, USA on a student's budget [closed]

I will be going to Manhattan for a presentation at Columbia and the flight (roundtrip Caltech/Burbank) will be reimbursed and accommodation will be paid for two days (duration of presentation). After that I will be free to tour on my own.

I won't be able to afford lodging around Manhattan and since I have no idea about NYC, I wanted to reach out and ask:

Where can I find affordable ($50 or less/day) lodging at NYC? It's just a place to rest at night and have my suitcase (it will contain expensive research equipment from school) safe during the day when I am out exploring the city.
I think staying in the suburbs around Jamaica might be inexpensive but if most of the attraction is an hour (or more) of commute, I will be wasting time I could otherwise have used for touring around.
Would buying a "7-Day pass" be financially smart? How is it different from the "7-Day Express pass"?
What are these "express" routes and would I ever need to use them for sight-seeing?
What will be a "good" way to travel to NJ (Harrison PATH station)?
What will be a "good" way to travel to MD (Baltimore Penn Station)?

Pictures about "Touring New York City, USA on a student's budget [closed]"

Touring New York City, USA on a student's budget [closed] - New Your City street with vast busy road between contemporary typical buildings on clear day

Touring New York City, USA on a student's budget [closed] - Aerial Photo of City Buildings

Touring New York City, USA on a student's budget [closed] - Statue of Liberty

Can I visit New York City right now?

As of November 8, 2021, international travelers may once again enter the country to visit New York City. All travelers over the age of 18 must be fully vaccinated.

How do I get around cheap in NYC?

Use public transportation to avoid the hefty cab prices. Take the AirTrain, the airport's public transit line to connect with New York City's subways, buses, and rails. Public transportation is the most affordable way to get to downtown and may be the fastest with traffic.

How much money do you need for 2 weeks in New York?

A vacation to New York City for one week usually costs around $1,668 for one person. So, a trip to New York City for two people costs around $3,336 for one week. A trip for two weeks for two people costs $6,672 in New York City.

How much is rent in New York for a student?

You can expect to pay roughly $3,000 a month for a studio apartment. Part of that is because of demand -- NYC is the most densely-populated cities in the country with about 28,000 residents per square mile. In fact, there are close to nine million residents in the city.

A Day In New York City || India To USA Student Travel VLOG

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Pixabay, Samson Katt, Dora Okos, Pixabay