What would you do for 5 days in NYC with kids in January?

[Anonymous]

We have a random long weekend in January in FCPS (1/20-24) and we're thinking of taking our kids to NYC for the first time (we've both been a handful of times). Where would you stay and what would you prioritize doing? Kids are 12 and 9 and we just want to give them a taste of the city.

[Anonymous]

It depends. How much are you paying me to be with my kids in NYC for five days in January?

[Anonymous]

That’s our favorite time to go. The city is affordable and largely free of tourists. We play the lotteries for musicals and win, though I don’t know how things will be this year. Walk around Central Park. We like the Tenement Museum. Restaurants. Ellis Island. We usually use Priceline or unnamed Hotwire hotels and find great deals (under $100 for 4 star) in Midtown.

[Anonymous]

The Met (& Cloisters if you can, they’re wonderful!), a Broadway show if kids are vaccinated and you’re comfortable with that, Museum of Math (it’s super fun, I promise, near Madison Square Park for the original Shake Shack or Eataly for lunch/dinner) or Tenement Museum, High Line and Chelsea Market, Chinatown for dim sum brunch, walk the Brooklyn Bridge if weather allows and dinner in Dumbo at one of the pizza places there. Also a walk through Central Park if weather is ok, or rent bikes for the kids (adults use citibike) and bike around the park. Take the subway down to battery park and see the statue or do Staten Island ferry.

[Anonymous]

I would only go if the crime subsides and the weather is mild. Cities in the snow/slush/frigid cold aren’t fun.

I would get theater tickets and make reservations pre or post show for a nice meal. Dress up.

I would hit a museum or two, shop (based on kids’ interests), and try fun restaurants. Serendipity is overrated and you’ll be waiting for a table, but the frozen hot chocolate is fun.

Ice skating if your family is skilled (skip if you are worried).

I prefer NYC in the Fall and Spring.

[Anonymous]

If the weather is OK/mild, it could be fun, but I wouldn't do it if the weather is really cold/windy/snowy/wet. Part of the fun of NY is walking around and seeing street life, and when it's miserable, or your shoes are soaked from a puddle, you miss out on a lot of the joy of the experience. It's not the kind of trip where you are inside most of the time and just get in the (heated) car to go to the next thing. You'll be outside a lot.

With the weather so unpredictable you might get lucky, though, and have an uncrowded, mild weekend.

[Anonymous]

Also, I would shorten it. Five days is too many IMO at that time of year. Plus, you will go broke

[Anonymous]

I would do 2. The weather will be so bad there that month that your kids are going to be done after a couple days. January is cold and slushy.

[Anonymous]

Depending on your kids interests, I would recommend the Tenenment Museum, the Math Museum, the Met, the Children's Art Museum in Chelsea, the MOMA, Ellis Island.

We always do a Broadway show and a walking food tour.

[Anonymous]

Stay in Times Square.

Science museum in Brooklyn (it’s free on one day of the week of you get there before a certain time)
Broadway tickets.
Ice skating at either Rockefeller center or Bryant park
Tenement museum
National Geographic in Times Square
MOMA
Empire State Building
Travel via subway and Amtrak
If weather is good, a bus tour
If weather is good Statue of Liberty.
Bring warm clothes.

Skip the children’s museum in Manhattan. It was bad.
I love nyc but so much is outside or walking, so in January I’d probably shorten it to 3-4 days. I don’t think 2 is enough.

[Anonymous]

Yes, although 3-4 days might be better. At least for our kids, the math museum and the natural history museum each took a full day. With a good winter jacket, you can still do outdoor things too.

[Anonymous]

What science museum in Bk? I’ve lived here 15 years and never heard of one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stay in Times Square.

Yuck. Stay somewhere that isn’t Times Square. There are plenty of hotels in midtown or closer to the park that you don’t have to subject yourself to Times Square.