Visiting NYC just for fun

Parent Cafe
1

<p>I’ve read many of the previous threads but doesn’t everyone love to share NYC tips and advice? Please tell me what you enjoy. We’re staying at the Courtyard New York Manhattan/Midtown East at 53rd and 3rd for 4 days/3 nights in October. We have Wicked tickets for the 2nd night but no other specific plans. It will be me, H, S15, and D(almost 13). H and I have been to NYC before for very short trips but never with kids.</p>

<p>I can’t decide if we should plan everything out ahead of time or just see what we see… What are your favorite things to do there?</p>

2

<p>my family loves museums- the Natural History museum is amazing</p>

<p>something fun is to take a double decker bus tour, the hop on hop off type, they have different routes and they take you all over so you really get a sense of location, size, neighborhoods</p>

<p>we went through neighborhoods and areas we never would have gone to otherwise jsut because of time</p>

<p>well worth the $, which wasn’t that bad at all</p>

<p>times square., central park should be beautiful</p>

<p>and eat at places off the main drags- we found what I have to say was the most amazing chinese restaraunt I have ever eaten in, and coming from SF, that is saying something</p>

3

<p>Definitely take them to Serendipity 3, 2nd Ave. and 60th St. Its frozen hot chocolate is legendary. You can see the restaurant in One Fine Day and Serendipity (of course). We went for D’s 12th birthday after Beauty and the Beast, and it has remained a favorite (she’s 20 now.) If you need to wait, Dylan’s Candy Bar is on the corner – junky, but fun.</p>

<p>Boring, predictable, but yes, The Museum of Natural History. The primate dioramas are fabulous and dinosaur bones and the huge blue whale. The butterfly room is exciting, and I still love the Rose Planetarium, and I’ve been going there since I was a child.</p>

<p>If weather is good, I and kids love the Cloisters, way up town. Gothic branch of Metropolitan Museum of Art that has a lovely medieval garden, probably still in October, and original Unicorn tapestries.</p>

<p>Central Park and the Central Park Zoo because you probably won’t have time for Bronx Zoo.</p>

<p>The Circle Line is great for kids and you see the Statue of Liberty. You boat around Manhattan Island.</p>

<p>At the Metropolitan Museum of Art kids love the Temple of Dendur, Egyptian tombs.</p>

<p>FAO Schwartz, the Shiny Apple Store on Fifth Ave for S? Interests vary. </p>

<p>Watch Searching for Bobby Fisher and go to Washington Square Park (the Village and NYU.) Chinatown, down town, Wall Street and Stock Exchange?</p>

<p>These are all possibilities, depending on the interests of the kids.</p>

<p>Have a wonderful time!</p>

4

<p>Just walk around. I love just walking in the city–its so absorbing. </p>

<p>Go to any Ollie’s Restaurant. Surprisingly superb Chinese food.</p>

5

<p>Does your family sometimes like to do serious educational things? And are your kids studying American history? If so, I recommend the Tenement History Museum. It’s in the Lower East Side, with good tour guides (ours was a grad student in history). They’ll take you to a building that has 3 different apartments restored to 3 eras in immigrant history. Go when the tours are scheduled. There’s also a sweet small book shop there. After the tour, you’ll realize you’re in the same place and the immigrant groups are all there, but from Asia more than Europe; still living above small stores, selling, ready to haggle prices. We all got a lot out of this visit when our kids were in Jr. and early Sr. High.</p>

<p>My family also liked visiting Ellis Island. We sailed past the Statue rather than disembark on the island, so didn’t climb up to her toes. There are some exhibits inside Ellis Island now that are very interesting, but best of all, seeing people from all over the world remarking on their own past is a very moving and memorable day. If you take the very first ferry boat out in the morning, you won’t have to wait in line.</p>

<p>We also pick out an off-off-broadway production, so we can see something of live theater for the cost of a movie ticket. Read the reviews to pick right for your family.<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/pages/theater/offoffbroadway/index.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/pages/theater/offoffbroadway/index.html&lt;/a&gt;
That’s not INSTEAD of Broadway, but in addition to it. It’s truly exciting to see a show like Wicked and see all that Broadway can be! That’s really my favorite NYC activity, it just gets expensive. </p>

<p>I’m a fan of the Museum of Modern Art, but someone in the family has to love it and be ready to chat it up with the kids to teach them to engage with it, in case they’re skeptical at first. Next door is a very approachable Museum of AMerican Folk Art that I also seek out most visits.</p>

<p>Last year I discovered a wonderful, interactive Museum of Film and TV (name might be off…) in Brooklyn. You go there and learn how films are edited, do a voice track of yourself on top of The Wizard of Oz, play on the old cameras, and much more. Very hands-on.</p>

6

<p>CORRECTING my post above (last paragraph); that museum is in Queens, not Brooklyn:</p>

<p>American Museum of the Moving Image
36-01 35th Avenue (at 36th Street)
Astoria, Queens
(718) 784-0077</p>

<p>So it’s hard to get to if you’re mostly touring Manhattan, but unique. Didn’t you always want to see the false teeth Marlon Brando used to make his face look like that in The Godfather? Or sing with Judy Garland and hear your voice played back on the screen? Kids learn a lot when they find out how all those special effects are made on the movies and tv. They’ll become more media savvy and watch with a more critical eye, once they understand the technologies of film editing, makeup, sound, lighting and more. The hands-on interaction is top-shelf there!</p>

7

<p>It takes forever to get to Ellis Island because of the security lines, but it really is well done. (Edit: I see someone suggested getting there early, I’ve never managed that!) Skip the Statue of Liberty it looks better from the ferry anyway. My favorite museum is probably the Frick, small mansion with all the paintings hung the way Mr. Frick did, I also like the Cooper Hewitt another old mansion. The shows there are variable though. (Tends to be furniture, fabric and the like.) We just saw the Louise Nevelson show at the Jewish Museum. It was fabulous, but just closed. If the weather is nice Central Park is fabulous. I like the formal gardens in the northeast corner and the boat basin at around 65th St on the East side on weekends where boys (ages 6-90) sail radio powered boats. Off Broadway my kids loved Stomp. On Broadway they loved Spamalot. (And they hate musicals.)</p>

<p>I like eating at really top notch restaurants, but I realize that’s not everyone’s taste or budget. </p>

<p>I think the Museum of Modern Art is overpriced. Yes, it takes all day to see everything, but do you really want to spend all day there? I actually like the Craft Museum across the street better.</p>

<p>And since you’re on CC you could always explore Columbina. ;)</p>

8

<p>Wax museum is a huge hit if you have never done that. Mama mia was also good.</p>

<p>Agree with tenement tour on lower east side. And the Frick is great!</p>

9

<p>If your kids are curious about business, I think you can go and watch the floor trading at the New York Stock Exchange (correct name??) on Wall Street for a few minutes, on your way down to Battery Park if you’re off to see the Statue and Ellis Island. </p>

<p>While you’re in that neighborhood, they might be interested to walk a few blocks to see the work occurring at the former World Trade Center. It’s sad, but sometimes kids that age want to experience history, then go home and have something important to talk about. Mileage may vary, depending on the family of course.</p>

10

<p>Ellis Island is worth it and then some. Also a stroll across 42nd Street is just fun as can be. Lots to see and do with no educational value at all! The museum of photography is at 43rd and Sixth. Very nice and a short walk from Rockefeller Center and Bryant Park. Often something going on there. The Frick is quite wonderful as is the Astor. I love the Metropolitan, but it is a lot to do in one day. The Cloisters is my absolute favorite and it’s like stepping into another world. I second the idea of just walking and seeing what you see. I hope you come!</p>

<p>If you haven’t seen the World Trade Center site, perhaps a trip would be meaningful. Construction is underway and it will soon be difficult to get a sense of the scope and monstrosity of the destruction. Of course, it’s a hard thing, so not necessarily part of a fun trip.</p>

11

<p>When we were in NYC in late August, we contracted for a bicycle tour led by Bike the Big Apple tours. It was an easy tour (riders were NOT expected to be athletes, and their clients are both young and old), the guide and sweep were super, we saw some great areas and had just a wonderful time. Highly recommended if you have the time and want to do something a little active and learn some cool trivia about the City in the process. (Note: I’d lived in NYC for almost 3 years after college and grew up in NJ, but we went to places I had NO IDEA existed!) I would do it again in a heartbeat. (And PS: Our tour went right past the site of the World Trade Center, and we stopped and went into the display area and stayed there for a while.)</p>

<p>Note that if you’re interested in the NYC museums, check whether your employer has a free admission agreement. I’d completely forgotten about that, but my husband suggested it as we walked in to pay at MOMA, and I asked and they said, “Oh yes, as long as you have your ID badge, go over there,” and sure enough, entrance was free. It’s worth checking on anyway. (We only spent about 2 hours there, but it was fabulous.)</p>

12

<p>I highly recommend this website to preview any specific interests that your family may have. <a href=“Time Out New York Kids | Things to Do with Kids & Family in NYC”>Time Out New York Kids | Things to Do with Kids & Family in NYC; You can also check the regular Time Out New York website as well <a href=“http://www.timeout.com/newyork/[/url]”>http://www.timeout.com/newyork/&lt;/a&gt; I happen to subscribe to the magazine, because I’m always in the city, and I find it, along with the Sunday New York Times, to be very useful in finding out what’s happening on a day by day basis.</p>

13

<p>check out the TKTS booth for discounted Broadway tickets; you can decide that day (as you reach the window) what you want to see.</p>

14

<p>We used to go to the city frequently when the kids were young, staying mainly in either the Times Square area or the upper west side, but now I realize that what they really enjoy the most is Greenwich Village, including the East and West Village, as well. Also, in the East Village is St. Mark’s Place, a street with lots of character - it’s very young and hip, and it attracts a lot of young people to its wonderful (and mostly reasonably priced) restaurants (Yaffa Cafe, etc.).</p>

15

<p>The TKTS booth is a nice option, but if you’d rather not wait in line, you can order tickets before you go after checking playbill on line or broadwaybox.com for availability.</p>

16

<p>My Mom and her friend liked the Harlem Walking Tour. I think they went on a Sunday morning Gospel tour, but there are many kinds offered:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.harlemheritage.com/walking_tours.shtml[/url]”>http://www.harlemheritage.com/walking_tours.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

17

<p>Another vote for the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Hard to imagine in these days of 2000+sf houses with bedrooms for all and 1.5 baths as a minimal standard that families actually lived for years in two room apartments with the outhouse in the yard. When I think about it – I have never stayed in a hotel room as small as the apartments on this tour. It’s a real eyeopener.</p>

18

<p>I’m hoping to get to NYC at least once this year, so I’m saving these suggestions. However, if you’re going to be in NYC on Thursday Oct 11, I highly recommend the free Juilliard Orchestra concert. (I heard there is a pretty good horn player playing principal on the first half :wink: ). But seriously, check out the Juilliard calendar for free concerts if you’re at all interested in classical music. <a href=“http://juilliard.edu/asp/calendar/calendar.asp[/url]”>http://juilliard.edu/asp/calendar/calendar.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

19

<p>A few tips:
(1) The Museum of Natural History is great, but if you’ve been to the one in DC, probably not the top of the list. Plus, it costs money, can have lines, and is on the upper West Side.
(2) If you want to try a fancy restaurant, try going at lunch. It’s cheaper, and you may be able to get in without a reservation.
(3) Walking around neighborhoods is great–Chinatown, Greenwich Village, Soho, etc.
(4) Get a hot dog at Gray’s Papaya or Papaya King.
(5) TKTS is a great way to get discounted Broadway and Off-Broadway tickets. The line moves faster than you might think. Bring cash, and lots of it–they don’t take credit cards, and even half-price tickets are still expensive. I can recommend The Drowsy Chaperone, which is the last thing we saw.
(6) If you’re thinking of going up in the Empire State Building, you might have less of a wait if you go up in Rockefeller Center instead (I think the tall building is 30 Rockefeller).
(7) LONG waits for Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Only do this if you have somebody who REALLY wants to see them. If you want some history, you can go to Teddy Roosevelt’s birthplace in the 20’s, or Federal Hall in Wall Street.
(8) For food, do some quintessentially New York things–go to the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station (have raw oysters, cooked fish not so much), go down to 6th Street on the east side and have Indian food, go to Cafe Reggio on MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village (a scene in Shaft was shot there). Go to John’s in Greenwich Village for pizza (you may have to wait outside).
(9) If you want to shop, there are the huge department stores like Macy’s and Bloomingdales, but there are also lots of funky stores elsewhere. We particularly like Soho (try Brooklyn Industries)
(10) One last suggestion: try not to do anything that you can do elsewhere–i.e., don’t go see a movie that’s playing in your home multiplex, don’t eat at McDonald’s, don’t shop in a chain store (unless the NY store is a huge flagship). You’ll have a richer experience.</p>

20

<p>Good advice here, although personally I think Serendipity is overrated and overpriced and often has long lines to get in. Take a long walk in Central Park, ride the carousel. If you like art, walk around Chelsea 8th-9th avenues 16-23rd St and drop in on the art galleries and browse contemporary creative stuff. Visit Chinatown and have a Chinese meal better than in most US cities. Another inexpensive place to eat–Veselka, featuring Ukranian specialties on 2nd Ave and 9th Street --informal coffee shop atmosphere. Maybe take the tour of NBC studios near Rockefeller Center or CNN in theTime Warner Building at Columbus Circle–big and varied food court in the basement. Another quirky New Yorkish eating place --coffee shop in the Hotel Edison on w 47th Street just off Broadway–try the Matzoh Ball soup!</p>