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I'd start with a good set of binoculars (10x50 or higher, such as 11x70, 15x70) and a camera tripod (you'll also most likely need a tripod adapter if it's not built into the binos).
You'd be amazed what you can see with binoculars.. on a clear night and a dark sky, there's nothing better than just scanning the milky way with binoculars.. globular clusters, open clusters, nebulas, they all just jump out at you.
It helps you to learn the constellations and what objects you're looking at (get a star chart, books etc).
If, after your binos, you're still interested in the hobby, then it's time to get a telescope! What telescope you get, will depend on many things such as:
1. How much you have to spend
2. How portable do you need it to be? Do you have somewhere to set it up permanently, or will you be carrying it inside and out each night? Will you be taking it out to dark sky locations if you live in a populated area?
3. Do you want to do pure visual observing or do you have plans of doing any astrophotography in the future?
4. Are you going to be happy to star-hop, or do you want a telescope that tracks objects across the sky, and has a goto database?
In the end, cost might be the driving factor, but for most people just starting out, a 6", 8" or 10" dobsonian would suit most purposes - it's portable, cheap, easy to use and setup and you get good aperture for your dollar.
If you want a telescope that tracks objects across the sky and has a goto database, then expect to pay a lot more (at least 2-3 times as much). They are obviously better for photography though, and will enable you to do deepspace photography, not just planets and the moon (like I am limited to).
I'd expect to spend at least $600 for a dobsonian reflector, and at least $1200 for a EQ-mounted reflector. You'd probably get around 6" of aperture for that money.
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