NYCity with 2 kids a few days...advice needed

1,261 Views | 16 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by VikingNik
SirGIGalot
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
1:27p, 9/14/19
AG
Advice needed....going to NYC in late October. Taking 2 kids ages 8 and 9 who have begging to go. Want to be tourists basically...Statue of Liberty is a given, maybe a show, World Trade Memorial.

Gonna use points to stay at a Marriott somewhere... Unsure where best location would be exactly. Have never done NYC. Any thoughts/advice on kid friendly itenerary/hotel?
Reply Quote
TXTransplant
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to SirGIGalot • 2:52p, 9/14/19
I took my son a few years ago. All the major attractions are kid-friendly. He loved Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, World Trade Center Memorial and Museum, and the Intrepid.

I did guided tours of SoL, Ellis Island, The World Trade Center area, and the Intrepid, and we both enjoyed the guides so much.

I also splurged and got tickets to The Lion King. That morning, we did a tour of the Broadway area that included a tour of The New Amsterdam Theater, which is owned by Disney. We got to try on costumes from a bunch of Disney Broadway shows, which was really cool.

All the tours were run by a company called Walks of New York, which has since rebranded itself as Take Walks (TakeWalks.com). The Intrepid tour was hosted by the museum.
Reply Quote
1
2 edits
Smokin Chisel
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:09p, 9/14/19
AG
We saw Aladdin on Broadway at spring break 2018. It was great! Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Rockefeller Center ice rink, World Trade Center museum and memorial are all good choices.

Some people like the view from Top of the Rock more than the Empire State Building. You can take the ferry that goes by the Statue of Liberty for a great view if you don't necessarily want to do the official tour.

We stayed at an embassy suites that had just opened in midtown just 2 blocks off Times Square. I know there is a Marriott Marquis on Times Square.

We liked Johns Pizza just off Times Square.
Reply Quote
1
TXTransplant
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:33p, 9/14/19
Oh, forgot to mention...the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria Queens has a large Jim Henson exhibit. Original Muppets and Fraggles and I think some Star Wars stuff, too.

I postponed our visit waiting for that exhibit to open, but it was delayed and we didn't get to see it. But if y'all have any interest in that stuff, it's supposed to be great.
Reply Quote
1
mustang90
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:13p, 9/14/19
Great ages!! We just went for 5 nights at the end of July with our 9 year old daughter,

As far as the 911 memorial. We were on our way to the the memorial with the fountains and stumbled across a 911 memorial that the first responders of NYC benefit from every paid admission. I was on the fence, thinking we were really wanting the ground zero memorial with the fountains. Until I was told how this one was 2 stories and the other was 7 stories and kinda rough on little ones. We decided to choose the one we accidentally found, We also paid for a tour, which was led by a retired NYPD police officer, that was there on that tragic day and his wife that lost an uncle during that attack. They gave you headsets and walked you to the ground zero fountains and all over. Hearing their stories was very emotional and moving and I feel my 9 year old daughter got a real lesson in what happened 8 years before she was born. This past week, on 9/11..she said to me that morning "mom, this is the day the twin towers fell, I am thinking about that officer and his wife"

Make sure you do hop on/hop off bus. We chose Cityview/Greyline after research.DO NOT BUY on street or Times square area..better deals online. Buy, your tickets online and they had a deal that included 3 attractions when I booked, We got 72 hours of hop on/off, and we chose Top of the Rock, One World Trade, and 911 memorial.You do not have to choose upfront. We got all that for $100 a person. Just for reference, an adult admission to TOR is $45. We utilized that hop on/off and saw SO much.

Make sure you go to Brooklyn. Right by the bridge is Julianno's pizza...if you ever have ate at Grimaldis. Grimaldis is the spin off of this place, Their is a Grimaldis right next door. But, why eat there when you can eat that here in Texas, And Julianno's was better.

Then walk back over the bridge and take cityview ferry around Statue of Liberty. That was also included in our hop on/off passes.

Central park...we did one of those pedicabs, They will negotiate w/u. We saw so much (including FRIENDS fountain) which I LOVED,,because 47
He showed us several spots that were in different movies,,like ELF,

Ya'll will have a great vacay. Ask me anything you have a question about. I feel like I have all of Manhattan down. It was a learning experience!! By the time you leave you will no how to get everyWHERE. Kinda like being on a cruise ship..you have it down by the last 2 nights..where to go
Reply Quote
3
mustang90
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:24p, 9/14/19
Oh and we stayed at Homewood suites with points at 37th and 8th. Perfect location!! Away from times square, but only a 5 min walk!! There was a Marriot brand,,forget which one. Right next door, or across the street. When we go back, I will definitely stay in same area!! I know everyone says eat New York food while there.. but, by day 4 our daughter was begging NOT to eat Italian or pizza. So, CFA is close!! And we felt safe walking around the whole trip!! The city is not scary, like a few people tried to tell me it was,
Reply Quote
1
mpl35
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
8:22a, 9/15/19
AG
Museum of natural history has a great dinosaur exhibit
Reply Quote
1
DannyDuberstein
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
10:02a, 9/15/19
AG
There's a Sheraton at the far north end of Times Square that is solid ( 53rd and 7th). It is north of all of the TS congestion and activity. Subway stop basically at the base of the hotel, steps from the lobby, which makes it very convenient to quickly get all around the city.

Buy 7 day subway passes and download the MTA app.
Reply Quote
1
2 edits
DannyDuberstein
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
10:06a, 9/15/19
AG
Also, depending on how fired up the family is about the Statue of Liberty, taking the Staten Island ferry for a close encounter vs actually visiting the island can save a big chunk of a day for other things. I recommend this unless you're set on going to the top of it.
Reply Quote
flown-the-coop
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
12:21p, 9/15/19
AG
We took our then 8yo a couple of years ago for spring break. Its a great age to visit. I agree with the other posts above with a special emphasis on Museum of Natural History. We stayed at the JW Marriott Essex but it was expensive (we splurged as it was a once in a lifetime visit for grandma who had never been). If you happen to have some days over a weekend, consider staying in lower Manhattan and getting a great rate at a business hotel. Subways to Times Square and Central Park area are super easy, then you are also walking distance to WTC and Statue of Liberty stuff.

One caution on the WTC memorial and museum and it was briefly mentioned above. It is intense. There is no horsing around or playing at the "fountains" on ground level and it is properly policed. It is meant to be a solemn experience that younger kids may not grasp. The museum itself is a very emotional experience for most. And while informative for younger ones, its meant to give you an experience at the terrible events and great loss of life that happened on that site. It likely will make you angry, probably will make you cry, and will definitely humble you. Your kids are likely to ask why you are so upset. Just keep that in mind if you choose to go.

On a lighter note, the Oculus station and One WTC are awesome experiences.
Reply Quote
1
DallasAggie89
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to SirGIGalot • 1:23p, 9/15/19
AG
Renaissance on 35th is in a great location and very modern.
Reply Quote
1
TXTransplant
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to flown-the-coop • 1:53p, 9/15/19
flown-the-coop said:
We took our then 8yo a couple of years ago for spring break. Its a great age to visit. I agree with the other posts above with a special emphasis on Museum of Natural History. We stayed at the JW Marriott Essex but it was expensive (we splurged as it was a once in a lifetime visit for grandma who had never been). If you happen to have some days over a weekend, consider staying in lower Manhattan and getting a great rate at a business hotel. Subways to Times Square and Central Park area are super easy, then you are also walking distance to WTC and Statue of Liberty stuff.

One caution on the WTC memorial and museum and it was briefly mentioned above. It is intense. There is no horsing around or playing at the "fountains" on ground level and it is properly policed. It is meant to be a solemn experience that younger kids may not grasp. The museum itself is a very emotional experience for most. And while informative for younger ones, its meant to give you an experience at the terrible events and great loss of life that happened on that site. It likely will make you angry, probably will make you cry, and will definitely humble you. Your kids are likely to ask why you are so upset. Just keep that in mind if you choose to go.

On a lighter note, the Oculus station and One WTC are awesome experiences.


This is good advice about the WTC Memorial and Museum, and I meant to add some comments along these lines to my post.

Also, there may be some things at the museum that you don't want your kids to see - specifically, there is a section about the people who jumped (with video). My son was almost 12 when we went, and I told him we were not going to visit this section. He did spend a lot of time in the part about Flight 93 (I did not because I felt I was pretty familiar with that part of the tragedy and there was so much else to see), but it makes sense he would be interested in that since he didn't live through it. For younger kids, though, that story may be too intense. You might want to do a little homework/pre-planning if you decide to go.

The Take Walks Lower Manhattan Tour takes you to the Oculus - which is definitely worth the time, as is the 11 Tears Memorial that pays tribute to the American Express employees who died. I actually thought that memorial was one of the most moving things we saw.
Reply Quote
1
1 edit
mustang90
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:30p, 9/15/19
In regards to the above post.. the people jumping off is honestly a part of what happened. I ALSO, have a 23 and 21 year old that were very aware and saw the news at that time. Don't helicopter your kids. Make them aware why we did what we did in recourse to their actions.
Make them see real life. It's horrible and absolutely tragic. But, if you protect them from the way LIFE is today. Your doing them injustice

Reply Quote
1
TXTransplant
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to mustang90 • 4:09p, 9/15/19
mustang90 said:
In regards to the above post.. the people jumping off is honestly a part of what happened. I ALSO, have a 23 and 21 year old that were very aware and saw the news at that time. Don't helicopter your kids. Make them aware why we did what we did in recourse to their actions.
Make them see real life. It's horrible and absolutely tragic. But, if you protect them from the way LIFE is today. Your doing them injustice



I don't want to get in an argument, but depending on the age and temperament of the child, parents should be able to use their discretion without criticism from others. I don't think there is one right answer here, and saying anyone is a helicopter parent because they wouldn't let a young child watch video of people jumping from a burning building just isn't fair.

This is generally a great forum; have some respect for other people's decisions. You can disagree without insulting. This is a very personal decision, and it's just not appropriate for you to be commenting on someone's parenting skills here.

I thought it was appropriate for the OP to know the full extent of what the museum covers so that he doesn't get in there with his kids and then have one of them suffering with nightmares for months afterwards. Kids can most definitely get the full impact of the tragedy without viewing that particular exhibit, if a parent thought it would be upsetting for them. For me personally, having lived through it when it happened, I didn't need to see that footage again.
Reply Quote
1
1 edit
DannyDuberstein
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
4:13p, 9/15/19
AG
Yeah, just depends on the kid. It's not that it doesn't need to happen at some point, but there is a time for it when it will resonate the most and have the impact that it should. And that's not the same age for all kids.
Reply Quote
2
3 edits
RafterAg223
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
5:00p, 9/15/19
AG
We've been to New York a number of times. Don't do both Top of the Rock and Empire State Building. Unnecessary waste of money. Do Top of the Rock. Better views of the city and a very nice unobstructed view of the Empire State Building. As someone else suggested, do a free round trip on the Staten Island Ferry for close unobstructed views of the Statue of Liberty. This ride is relatively quick and more than gets the job done. Do the 911 memorial and WTC museum if time permits. The museum is a powerful and moving experience. Most nicer food places in NYC can be equaled in other larger cities around the country like Houston and Dallas. Same with the whole shopping experience. If you feel the absolute need to do a nicer New York steakhouse, Wolfgang's and Keen's are both good. 2nd avenue deli is a great traditional NYC deli. JG Melon is really good for burgers. Bleecker Street Pizza and Di Fara are both good for pizza. Aladdin and wicked are both great shows. We didn't care too much for frozen. School of Rock was excellent, but unfortunately it is no longer running. If you decide to use the subway system and see an empty train car, do not board it. There is a reason(likely a gross one)why no one is on it. Marriott Marquis, Renaissance Midtown, Westin, Marriott Courtyard are all fine as far as Marriott properties go. I wouldn't rate any of them as exceptional, but you obviously won't spend very much time in the room.
Reply Quote
2
SirGIGalot
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
5:59p, 9/15/19
AG
Good stuff! Thanks for all the great responses!
Keep 'em coming!
Reply Quote
VikingNik
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
12:37a, 9/19/19
AG
There are lots of good play grounds around. That's all you need. And a good pizza.
Reply Quote
Refresh
Page 1 of 1
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.