Vacation Ideas

New York City

There are so many fun things to do as a family in this incredible city! It can be a wonderful destination any time of year, but we personally most enjoy it when the weather is warmer (April – October). It is also magical to go around Christmas, just pack a coat and be prepared for larger crowds the last two weeks of the year.

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While you CAN do New York City at any age, I think it’s most enjoyable when you’re out of the stroller phase so you’re not pushing a stroller through the streets and restricted to only using the subway and not being able to use cabs and Ubers. It’s also nice when you have kids old enough to enjoy a show or a museum.

  • Explore famous sites in Midtown Manhattan
  • Visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
  • Explore Central Park and play in all the playgrounds
  • Central Park Zoo, Brooklyn Zoo, Bronx Zoo
  • Vist the top of a building – Empire State, Rockefeller Center, or our personal favorite, Summit One Vanderbilt.
  • Walk the Brooklyn Bridge
  • Walk the Highline
  • Explore Chinatown
  • 9/11 Memorial
  • American Museum of Natural History
  • See a Broadway show
  • Visit one of the many art museums
  • Shop! The stores in Manhattan are an attraction themselves!
  • Alternative museums like the Museum of Ice Cream, Rise NY, or the Color Factory
  • There’s so much more I could list here! Tell us your favorite NYC activities with kids!
We recommend staying in midtown Manhattan so you’re in walking distance to some of the touristy areas. There are so many to choose from. For our fellow Marriott-Bonvoy point collectors, here are a few of our favorite Marriott properties based on location and price: Hilton point collectors: Other options with good location and decent-size rooms:
  • Flights: Shop around at the 3 different airports within driving distance to the city – JFK, LaGuardia (LGA), and Newark (EWR).
  • Hotels: If you’re not finding a price point that fits your budget in Midtown, look for something further away but close to a subway station so you can easily get where you want to go. We have found great deals in Brooklyn that are an easy subway ride to Manhattan. We have also stayed in New Jersey and utilized the ferry to get across the river to the city.
  • Getting around: Don’t be afraid of the Subway! A lot of tourists get intimidated and just use taxis or Ubers, but the Subway is always the cheapest option. I have never felt unsafe on the subway, but do be aware of your surroundings and keep your kids close. The subway is also great if you still have kids in car seats or boosters since taxis won’t have those available. Use the New York Subway MTA Map app to plan your routes. The map and routes are not as user-friendly as other cities (like Washington DC) but with an app you can navigate just fine. You can use Apple/Samsung pay to pay for rides, so just scan your phone to enter the subway. The only tricky thing is getting your kids through when they don’t have their own phone, so you have to stand close by and scan your phone as each kid goes through and occasionally it doesn’t work well.  The last time we visited we ended up getting physical cards to scan for the kids and that made it a lot faster. You can get physical cards at the vending machines at most subway stations.
  • Free activities: There are a lot of expensive activities in the city, but you can still have a lot of fun without tickets to everything. Central park is free and so fun to explore with kids! Walk around the city and marvel at buildings, walk the Highline, check out Times Square, walk the Brooklyn bridge, etc.
I have to slightly cringe as I write these because there is so much better food in the city, but nevertheless, my kid’s favorites are:
  • Ellen’s Stardust Diner – a touristy but fun 50s-themed diner with singing servers and a kid-friendly menu.
  • Bill’s Burger Bar on 51st Street near Rockefeller Center. It’s a classic burgers and milkshakes place with a New York vibe and it has TONS of seating and takes online reservations in an area that doesn’t have a ton of kid-friendly restaurants.
  • Serendipity 3 – a fun spot for families and has fun desserts.
  • American Girl Doll Cafe  – the lunch is lovely and well-priced and your doll gets to sit and eat with you.
  • Teach your kids some street-smarts before you arrive if you aren’t used to big-city life. They need to stick close by you when walking down crowded streets, stop and wait at street crossings, don’t talk to strangers, etc.
  • Reading some books or watching some movies or shows based in New York City can help get your kids excited to see the city!
  • If you want to do a Broadway show with kids, you can’t go wrong with Aladdin or the Lion King! Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is also good if you have older kids who have read the Harry Potter books (I think it’s confusing and moves too fast if you’re unfamiliar with the wizarding world).
  • The most entertaining for kids (and adults!) top-of-a-buidling attraction is Summit One Vanderbilt. Yes, better than Empire State. Trust us and try it!
  • Don’t be afraid of the Subway! I’ve heard some parents say they walk or take cabs everywhere because the Subway isn’t safe, but it’s perfectly safe if you keep an eye on your kids (like any public space). It’s cheap, efficient, and kids think it’s fun!

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