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UPDATED: New York City with kids?
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logella
Aug 14, 08 4:57
Post #1 of 19 (358 views)
UPDATED: New York City with kids?
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EDIT: Based on some comments on this thread and some PM's I received I've updated our plan.
My 8 year old son and I are leaving Texas and going to NYC this weekend. The primary purpose of the trip is a Yankees game on Sunday afternoon and the Statue of Liberty on Saturday. Our hotel is a few blocks from Times Square. Below is our general plan for our trip. Let me know if we've missed anything important that we should try and squeeze in to our already packed schedule. Except for the Statue of Liberty and Yankee Stadium the times are just a guide. We are not that rigid in our travel schedule.
Saturday:
11 am - land at Newark (shuttle bus drops us a Grand Central so lunch here and then drop bags at hotel and head to Lady Liberty)
2:30 pm - Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island with possible quick stop at WTC (we already have our tickets for this)
6 pm - Brooklyn Bridge and Heights with dinner at Grinaldies
Sunday:
8 am - Nothing planned yet. Maybe walk over to Bryant Park early.
11 am - Yankee Stadium
7 pm - Times Square (ESPN Zone, Toys R Us)
Monday:
8AM - Top of the Rock
AM - Central Park (boats and carousel)
Lunch - FAO Schwartz
PM - Natural History Museum
8 pm - Leave from La Guardia
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"Unless you have a ... GF who might put out that night and that night only ... skip it and race." - AndyPants 3-15-2007
(This post was
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by logella on Aug 14, 08 18:48)
DawnT
Aug 14, 08 7:18
Post #2 of 19 (343 views)
Re: New York City with kids? [logella]
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Wow! You sure are packing a lot in there for 3 days. We just spent 5 days in NYC with our 2 girls (ages 12 and 9) and we had a really great time. Make sure you check out the M&M store in Times Square. Three stories of M&M merchandise! It's pretty funny.
If you have time, you should check out the chocolate restaurant for dessert. It's just south of Union Square on Broadway. They have a huge dessert menu. My girls shared a chocolate fondue. They got 3 types of chocolate and a small 4" x 4" bbq to roast marshmallows. They had a blast with it!
You may want to think about going to Central Park on Sunday instead of Monday. Lots more things going on Sunday morning and the park is packed (in a good way). We got to see an adult kickball game going on (apparently there's a whole league!).
You don't have time for it this trip, I don't think, but we really enjoyed the Bronx Zoo.
Have a great time. NYC is one of my favorite places.
logella
Aug 14, 08 7:50
Post #3 of 19 (331 views)
Re: New York City with kids? [DawnT]
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Thanks. M&M store will definitely go on our list. CP on Sunday morning is a possibility but we need to be out of there by 10am to make it to Yankee Stadium when the gates open. It's Yankee lunch box day for the kids so we've got to get there early. We'll still have to go to CP on Monday as well because I don't think the carousel and boat rentals open until around 10am and that's something he'll really enjoy.
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"Unless you have a ... GF who might put out that night and that night only ... skip it and race." - AndyPants 3-15-2007
fredly
Aug 14, 08 9:48
Post #4 of 19 (308 views)
Re: New York City with kids? [logella]
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I would forego Central Park entirely, and give a whole day to the Natural History Museum. I went there for the first time at about the same age as your son, and they had to drag me out of there at closing time. At that age, Central Park is... just a big park. It doesn't even show up on the radar when an entire room full of dinosaurs is an option.
You can always bail across the street if he gets tired and needs some air, but I would go to the Museum in the AM, so you can allow more time there if he wants...
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iamchilli
Aug 14, 08 9:51
Post #5 of 19 (305 views)
Re: New York City with kids? [logella]
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How are you going to move about the city, bus, taxi, drive, walk or subway? The only way to make your schedule is subway. I hope you know the system well. If not, get a map off the website and study your route on the plane. I hope you kid likes to walk. Sound fun, wish I where going.
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logella
Aug 14, 08 10:29
Post #6 of 19 (296 views)
Re: New York City with kids? [iamchilli]
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It will be mostly cabs and walking with shuttle buses to and from the airport. Subway will be more of an experience rather than a primary mode of transportation. I've tried to group similar things together and the only "hard" times on the schedule are the Statue of Liberty and Yankee Stadium. Everything else is flexible and will be done when we get there. And yes, he's a very hardy walker.
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"Unless you have a ... GF who might put out that night and that night only ... skip it and race." - AndyPants 3-15-2007
KenyonTri
Aug 14, 08 10:36
Post #7 of 19 (295 views)
Re: New York City with kids? [logella]
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Sounds like a fun trip! Living in NYC, I can offer a few tips.
1. Saturday afternoon line to go to the SOL is going to be horrendous. Literally thousands of people. I bike by the ferry station every weekend, and it's a freakin' madhouse. Definitely buy tickets in advance, and get there early.
2. It will take a while to get from way downtown (WTC) all the way up to Yankee Stadium. I'm not 100% sure on this, but you may be better served taking the subway uptown to Grand Central (42nd & Lex) then taking the Metro North into the Bronx. Again, not positive on this, as there may be an express subway train that goes right to YS. On the subway, though, it will take a long time.
3. Use hopstop.com. It gives you the best/fastest subway route from point A to point B (by address or popular place), and you can plug in day/time too. It will also estimate time & fare in a cab.
4. The park is really nice, but you probably won't be able to spend multiple hrs there. It's fun, but the things you're looking to do in CP are relatively far from one another.
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iamchilli
Aug 14, 08 11:00
Post #8 of 19 (288 views)
Re: New York City with kids? [KenyonTri]
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I'm with KenyonTri, getting midtown to downtown where the WTC and SOL are, takes a long time using a bus or cab. Central Park is basically 53rd St I think, so your going 53 city blocks, plus the downtown streets too. Subway is much faster but scarier for an out of towner. Luckily I go with my wife who grew up riding the subways. I would be clueless otherwise.
But, a Yankee game, that is special. Enjoy.
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trio_jeepy
Aug 14, 08 11:41
Post #9 of 19 (283 views)
Re: New York City with kids? [logella]
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I concur mostly with what's been said. You're going to be hard pressed to squeeze all of that in. In terms of getting to Yankee Stadium, its quite easy on the subway, but you're going to need to budget probably 1:15 from the bottom tip of Manhattan to get there, plus whatever frictional time to get into the stadium, find your seats, food, etc. Seeing as you plan on a 11AM arrival, it seems you already have, and then some.
I would seriously advise against Mars for dinner. New York is a restaurant town, and going to Mars would likely waste that time. You can find any number of more interesting places that are kid-friendly and not chain restaurants. Opentable can get you reservations for particular places if necessary. Hell, I'd recommend hopping to Brooklyn Heights for Grimaldi's Pizza over any Times Square trap, and you get the view, plus a lovely walk back to Manhattan.
The park is nice, but there's nothing really to see per se, for tourists, and you're likely to get in my way if I'm doing loops. But seriously, unless you're planning on rowing on the pond or renting a toy sailboat for the boat pond, or going to the Central Park zoo, there's not much to do there. On the other hand, those sounded pretty good too.
You've got a tight schedule - not a lot of time for the meandering which is sort of the reason a lot of us like living here in the first place...
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"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security" - Benjamin Franklin
"Don't you see the rest of the country looks upon New York like we're left-wing, communist, Jewish, homosexual pornographers? I think of us that way sometimes and I live here." - Alvy Singer, "Annie Hall"
lilpups
Aug 14, 08 11:47
Post #10 of 19 (279 views)
Re: New York City with kids? [logella]
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If you are going to Central Park I would hit up the Central Park zoo. For being in the middle of the city it's great and the feeding area where you can handfeed the goats, alpacas, etc is just a blast
(then again, maybe I'm just incredibly immature - but seriously, I love it every time we go!)
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EDS
Aug 14, 08 14:49
Post #11 of 19 (260 views)
Re: New York City with kids? [logella]
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As a local, my advice would be to skip WTC (there really isn't much to see anymore) or hit it on your way back from lady liberty. Also skip anything that is a chain (i.e., restaurant, store, etc.) - you can go to those anywhere. Don't eat dinner anywhere near time square - it will be you and the other tourists. Do not try and take a cab to Yankee Stadium. Take the subway.
Ironmom1
Aug 15, 08 3:50
Post #12 of 19 (235 views)
Re: UPDATED: New York City with kids? [logella]
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I would go to Natural History in the morning - you can reserve tickets to any special shows at the museum ahead of time - check to see what they have. I think it would be more fun than Central Park. You could always walk down through the park after the museum to FAO Schwartz. I second avoiding the big chain restaurants - but I know the kids like them...
Funny - I'm having the opposite weekend with my kids. We are leaving New York today for Houston to visit friends. We have tix for the Astros on Saturday (an indoor stadium!!!) , are going to a waterpark and my teenage daughter wants to go to the Galleria!!
trio_jeepy
Aug 15, 08 6:56
Post #13 of 19 (210 views)
Re: UPDATED: New York City with kids? [logella]
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Having grown up here and living next door to it, I would say with the exception of the whale room and dinosaurs, large parts of the natural history museum might be incredibly boring, especially the anthropology areas. You might be well served by spending a lot more one inthe planetarium complex, which is pretty cool and bound to be more interesting for a little boy. Plus you can gaze across the street at Seinfeld's old place.
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"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security" - Benjamin Franklin
"Don't you see the rest of the country looks upon New York like we're left-wing, communist, Jewish, homosexual pornographers? I think of us that way sometimes and I live here." - Alvy Singer, "Annie Hall"
KenyonTri
Aug 15, 08 6:57
Post #14 of 19 (209 views)
Re: UPDATED: New York City with kids? [logella]
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x2 on skipping Mars. Go over to Restaurant Row in Hell's Kitchen (neighborhood) - at 40s and 50s & 9th Ave (2 blocks west of TS).
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If triathlon were easy, it would be called football
All this pain is an illusion
Ttown
Aug 15, 08 7:37
Post #15 of 19 (199 views)
Re: UPDATED: New York City with kids? [logella]
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As an expat NY'er with kids..this is much better. I am still not sure about natural history museum altho planetarium is ok. The met museum (metropolitan museum of art) is actually pretty cool for 8 year old if he is into knights and armor and stuff (my kids also like the temple of dendur and other antiquities). besides, easier to cab it to laguardia from east side. Not much at bryant park but depending on where you are staying (near grand central?) a walk around tudor city/UN/sutton place/east river is nice.
logella
Aug 15, 08 11:47
Post #16 of 19 (181 views)
Re: UPDATED: New York City with kids? [Ironmom1]
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How funny. We're in Houston so we're doing exactly the opposite weekend. By waterpark I assume you either mean Schliterbahn in galveston or Splashtown in Spring. Both are good but the first is better. We live about 10 minutes from Splashtown and the kids have season passes. The Galleria is always nice. Bring some money.
Except for ESPN Zone we've scratched any semblance of big chain restraunts from the schedule. He's a baseball and football freak so ESPN Zone will be right up his alley.
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"Unless you have a ... GF who might put out that night and that night only ... skip it and race." - AndyPants 3-15-2007
logella
Aug 15, 08 11:49
Post #17 of 19 (180 views)
Re: UPDATED: New York City with kids? [trio_jeepy]
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He's into dino's so thats one of the major reasons for the Natural History museum.
I'm not sure he would appreciate Seinfelds place but I sure would.
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"Unless you have a ... GF who might put out that night and that night only ... skip it and race." - AndyPants 3-15-2007
Ironmom1
Aug 19, 08 5:24
Post #18 of 19 (124 views)
Re: UPDATED: New York City with kids? [logella]
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We had a great time in Houston! We went to Splashtown, Astros game, the Galleria and I even got to swim at the Houstonian while the kids played in the kids pool! My kids want to move there!
logella
Aug 21, 08 16:55
Post #19 of 19 (83 views)
Re: UPDATED: New York City with kids? [Ironmom1]
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We had a great time in New York as well. The only thing from our plan above that we didn't get to do was the Natural History museum. We went by there on Monday but it was a cluster because they had the main lobby shutdown for a movie being filmed - Night at the Museum 2. We ended up hiking the trails in Central Park for most of the morning before heading to the NBA and NHL stores and then a return trip to Toys R Us and ESPN Zone.
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"Unless you have a ... GF who might put out that night and that night only ... skip it and race." - AndyPants 3-15-2007
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