last-minute trip to NYC with kids. What to see/do?

[Anonymous]

The Tenement Museum is excellent for kids that age. It is also within easy walking distance of Chinatown and Little Italy, so you can have a meal before or after. Also within walking distance of Economy candy.

For shows, I've taken my kids to see STOMP! It's been around for so long, it's not tough to get tickets. And my kids loved it. It's in a slightly "gritty" part of town (the East Village) which I actually LOVE. There are a lot of great dining options in that area, but my favorite is a Ukranian place called Veselka. It's open 24/7 http://veselka.com/

You won't get tickets to get to the crown of the Statue of Liberty this late. They sell out months in advance. I think Ellis Island is still worth going to (especially if you will be visiting the tenement museum.) Your kids might enjoy earning their junior ranger badge there. https://www.nps.gov/elis/learn/kidsyouth/beajuniorranger.htm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:go get a travel book from the library. Top 25 NYC or something.
There are tkts stands for broadway shows around- there's one right in times square for same-day tickets. Anastasia is playing now on broadway, which is nice. There are other tween friendly shows. Check out advance tickets now for Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Top of the Rock or Empire state building. Familiarize yourself with the subway map and how it works. After looking at a book from the library or something, let the kids pick 2 or 3 things each that interest them.
Central park, natural history museum, grand central station, FAO shwartz, statue of liberty, wtc memorials (museum is excellent if you want your kids to learn more about that at their age)
My younger relative recently enjoyed hanging around NYU, near Washington Square. Plenty of fun little eateries on MacDougal/Bleecker near there.

FAO Schwarz in New York is no more, PP.

We are also going to NYC over spring break. Are there any cool toy stores in Time Square or did they all shut down? Is the Toys R Us with a Ferris Wheel inside still there?

Last year I took my 6 year old to M&M world while his younger siblings napped. We liked it.

Aw, shucks, you took my suggestion. Our kids loved going to the M&M store on Times Square. We went at night, after dinner, which added to the fun factor. It was a zoo, as you can imagine. We left the little one (6) at the hotel with Grandma and Grandpa, and we were very glad we did because it would have been way too much for him. It has been a few years, though, so make sure it is still there!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised no one mentioned the Intrepid: http://www.intrepidmuseum.org

You can buy tickets online. We parked in a parking garage a few blocks away. Even with tix, there's a bit of waiting in line. Even if you're not a military history buff, there's so much to see; it's quite impressive. They have a food court, but there are some good restaurants within walking distance, which is what we did.

Oh, the Intrepid is fabulous. Our kids still talk about it and it has been 5 years. Definitely do the simulators, too!

[Anonymous]

Does anyone see stomp anymore?

[Anonymous]

Whitney Museum was wonderful!

[Anonymous]

High Line, Governor's Island, Ellis Island, Coney Island, Circle Line (or Staten Island Ferry).

New York Hall of Science

Mets vs Nats at Citifield

[Anonymous]

To the person going to GroundHog Day-- I went this week and it is cute, but has a fair amount of sexual induendo that you should just be prepared for. have fun!

[Anonymous]

Agree with PPs about Central Park. A wealth of interesting activity. Alice in Wonderland play area, street performers, hot dog from street vendor - can't beat it. The zoo is depressing - skip that.

Lego store - lame

Do you have boys/girl/one each? We did the Eloise tea @ the Plaza. Very touristy, but still a special treat.

Museum of Natural History was a big hit with our group. Larger than our Nat Hist museum, and better exhibits. Eat lunch at the cafeteria. The Met if you have a kid that's interested in Egypt.

One of my other favorite 'hidden' lunch spots are the restaurants within Bloomingdales - the train car, and the juice bar.

Dylan's Candy Bar (original location) on the east side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the person going to GroundHog Day-- I went this week and it is cute, but has a fair amount of sexual induendo that you should just be prepared for. have fun!

That was me. Was it more/less than the movie? They've seen that. Were there other kids there? Mine are 11 and a few weeks shy of 9.

[Anonymous]

Hi, re groundhog day, I don't remember the movie that much. I didn't see any kids. I don't think your kids will be scarred for life and they may not pick up on it, but there are probably 20 sexual references peppered throughout the musicial.

[Anonymous]

Another vote for the tenement museum.

If your kids enjoyed "The Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler", a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art could be fun. Or if they haven't read/didn't care for that book, the Egyptian rooms and the Costume Institute may still be interesting.

Strand Bookstore, just for the crazy vastness of it.

And while you won't be able to get cheap Hamilton tickets, unless you miraculously win the lottery, you could visit some Hamilton-related sites in NYC. Especially if you have a Hamilton-crazed tween. (Trinity Church, his last house, the Battery ...)

[Anonymous]

Museum of math!

[Anonymous]

In no particular order...

Weather permitting, walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. You can either walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn or take the subway into Brooklyn and walk back to Manhattan.

If Smorgasburg is open for the season, it looks like fun. Not sure when it opens for the season

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Yankee Stadium tour or game

Madison Square Park -- you can eat at the original Shake Shack. Someone always chimes in and says that Shake Shack is in DC. Yes, I know, but it is fun to have a burger in MSP under the lights and to see where the idea began.

Eataly -- right across the street from MSP and there is a Lego store right nearby as well

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island -- Ellis Island was more interesting to me than I thought it would be and kids LOVED going to the Statue of Liberty. We climbed up to the first level we were allowed to.

You can go to the TKTS booth in Times Square and get reduced priced tickets for a show. Also, you might check out Travelzoo. I have gotten some great deals on shows and admission prices to attractions in NYC.

Intrepid Museum

Central Park -- on the East side, you can see the children's literature statues and on the West side, you can see the memorial to John Lennon

I actually don't recommend the World Trade Center site with kids. We went on one trip and I was a mess. I did not have any reason to be a mess, but I was a blubbering crying mess and my emotions took me (and my husband) very much by surprise.

[Anonymous]

NYC is really quite boring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In no particular order...

Weather permitting, walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. You can either walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn or take the subway into Brooklyn and walk back to Manhattan.

If Smorgasburg is open for the season, it looks like fun. Not sure when it opens for the season

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Yankee Stadium tour or game

Madison Square Park -- you can eat at the original Shake Shack. Someone always chimes in and says that Shake Shack is in DC. Yes, I know, but it is fun to have a burger in MSP under the lights and to see where the idea began.

Eataly -- right across the street from MSP and there is a Lego store right nearby as well

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island -- Ellis Island was more interesting to me than I thought it would be and kids LOVED going to the Statue of Liberty. We climbed up to the first level we were allowed to.

You can go to the TKTS booth in Times Square and get reduced priced tickets for a show. Also, you might check out Travelzoo. I have gotten some great deals on shows and admission prices to attractions in NYC.

Intrepid Museum

Central Park -- on the East side, you can see the children's literature statues and on the West side, you can see the memorial to John Lennon

I actually don't recommend the World Trade Center site with kids. We went on one trip and I was a mess. I did not have any reason to be a mess, but I was a blubbering crying mess and my emotions took me (and my husband) very much by surprise.

Another poster agreeing about the WTC. Your kids will be in excitement mode and it is very hard to soften that down in a spot that needs to be treated much more reverently. There are a lot of folks who get there and become extremely emotional, as the PP expresses, and excited children may not get that. When we got there we had 12 kids aged 5 to 17 and I very quickly realized that we had not done enough prep with the kids (think about the stuff you do ahead of time before going to someplace solemn like the Holocaust Museum) and ended up having to reign it all in and give a mini-lesson on WTC, history, hate, etc. At the end of it we had a crowd around us and a couple people asked when the next tour and lecture was going to begin so I guess I got it done but, boy, I wish we had thought about it ahead of time and done some pre-work or just not gone. Love all the other suggestions and the Intrepid is just great!