Traveling to New York with kids? Here's an insider guide for what to do and where to go, tested by us and proven to be kid-friendly and cool.
Chelsea Market
I really try to avoid taking my twins out to eat. It is nothing short of torture for me. Seriously….it’s like the minute they see that dilapidated cup of crayons and sad coloring placemat coming at them they start to make a scene. Chelsea Market, on the other hand, is now a destination of mine to eat with the girls on sunny days with the stroller in tow. I can only describe it as an underground culinary fantasy land and one where I am at complete ease dining with two three-year-olds. There’s a huge selection of delicious gourmet places to eat – all in a cool and low key setting. Kids can choose from homeade soup, sandwhiches and pasta and then watch fresh bread being baked, visit a fish market and toss coins into an indoor waterfall. Even better are the places to grab dessert – Eleni’s cookies, Sarabeths and Fat Witch Brownies. On the weekends they oftentimes have musical performances for kids so check the schedule and make a morning of it. And while the weather is still nice grab a coffee and check out the new and ultra-swank Highline where you can sit and watch a parade of New York’s hipsters saunter by.
ALSO IN THE AREA:
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| Chelsea Piers | Billy’s Bakery. Diagnosis…Delicious | The Limelight Marketplace |
Horse & Buggy ride
Oh how I love playing tourist sometimes! And one of my favorite spots to visit is perhaps the crossroads of it all — the corner of 59th and 5th Avenue. Tiffany’s, The Plaza Hotel, FAO Schwartz, Bergdorf, Barneys, and the entrance to Central Park — to name a few of the highlights.
And I ask — is there anything more New York than taking a Horse and Buggy Ride through Central Park? So cheesy but oh so fun! Kids can often sit in the front with the driver if you ask very very nicely, and it’s a great way to see the park and take a break from the crowds. Ask to be dropped off at the old-fashioned Carosel which is great fun and a must visit (and at $2 dollars a ride it might just be the least expensive thing to do these days). And don’t forget Heckscher Playground – one of the biggest and best in the city.
ALSO IN THE AREA:
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| Central Park Zoo | Obaibi | The Eloise Store at the Plaza |
Art classes for wee ones
When it rains in NYC a day at home can seem like an eternity. Wee Arts drop-in classes at Children’s Museum of the Arts is a wonderful way to spend the morning doing something that everyone will be happy about. For $22 a family, children can rotate from play dough to paint to stickers to block building. Young and engaging teachers walk around to help the children explore various materials and the program ends with a fun and upbeat session of sing-a-longs, drumming and a farewell book.
Wee-Arts DROP IN (ages 10 months to 3½ years) Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10:45am-12pm.
ALSO IN THE AREA:
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| KISAN Concept Store | Pearl River Mart | Purl Soho |
Music Together in the city
I started going to Music Together when my girls were 6 months old. They sat on my lap like two blobs back then and we continued to go once a week until they started pre-school. While NYC offers a million “mommy and me” type classes I found that we enjoyed Music Together the most. Its grassroots, back to basics approach is the type of class that I love. No flash, no bubble machine, just good old catchy tunes sung by a teacher, in jeans, with a guitar. Take a trial class to see which teacher you like as some are better than others. I would say that it is mainly geared for the younger set but it’s a great way to start kids out on a life long love of music and they offer classes everywhere. It also gave me a wide repertoire of kid’s songs to sing at home freeing me from the shackles of what seemed like a never ending loop of “Wheels on the bus”.
