NY City, here we come

[cdnmom]

For those of you who live in New York city or have visited, please send suggestions....

 

We are from Canada and are going to see Debbie McCabe on Dec 10 but we will be staying in New York for 2 days prior....decided that we might as well try to make some sort of family vacation out of this and thought maybe there is a little more to do in NY.

 

I've never been there but want to see BIG x-mas tree at Times Square and visit the large Toys R Us, and also the Statue of Liberty. DS8, DS5 and DD5 would appreciate any kid friendly things to see/do. Does anyone also have any suggestions as far as reasonably priced hotels go?

 

Thank You.

[LNN]

The Xmas Tree is in Rockefeller Center, not Times Square (http://www.rockefellercenter.com/tour-and-explore/the-tree-at-rockefeller-center/) 5th Ave & 50th St.

 

Personally, I'd skip the Statue of Liberty unless there happen to be no lines. It really isn't worth waiting hours to climb stairs and look out a window. Ellis Island was far more interesting (tho not sure how interesting to young kids). They may prefer a NY Harbor Cruise or a NYC Lights Tour http://newyorktours.onboardtours.com/holiday-lights-tour/?gclid=COCuhYnE27MCFcXb4AodU3oATA

 

Not sure how your kids feel about cities. Mine would quickly be overwhelmed by the noise and crowds. If they're not used to city pace, make sure you give them some time in Central Park just for the solitude aspect. Or the museums.

 

I don't have good hotel ideas for you - for us, it's a day trip in and out. I'd check out a site like Hotels.com to get reviews. Neighborhoods in NYC can change in a matter of a few blocks.

[landamom]

I'm from NY... Lived and worked in Manhattan many years. I wouldn't recommend any of the hotels there unless you can stay at the super ritzy ones because NYC has a huge problem with bed bugs! Central Park zoo is nice, but I echo LLM - the museums are your best bet. Maybe the Hayden Planetarium. Statue of Liberty really isn't worth the wait and hassle to get there. Downtown is still having issues from the hurricane. RockCenter tree is nice and you can ice skate there. Did you really mean Toys R Us or FAO Schwartz?? FAO is the big, famous toy store.

[DeterminedMomVA]

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are still closed due to damage from Hurricane Sandy -- I don't know when they'll re-open, but you should double check before trying to go to one. . Other suggestions sound great!

[philamom]

You'll want to factor in extra time for all activites due to the holiday crowds. FAO Schwartz is a good one for the kids- they can actually jump around on the keyboard like in the movie "Big" starring Tom Hanks. Dd would like American Girl (across from skating rink)- not so good for the boys though. There's a famous candy store - Dillards or Dillians?? There's also the Empire state bldg - but unless you purchase the ticket that allows you to bypass the lines, you will be waiting hours. We took advantage of a double-decker bus that stopped at all the famous attractions. You could get on/off at any of the stops, at your own convenience. Hope you have a great time!

[StillHopeful]

I agree with all of the above... I would just add that it gets very crowded in NYC this time of year (esp Rock Center) so you may want to consider that if your children have any issues with crowds. Maybe visit the tree in "off" hours. Bring snacks in case you have to wait for a table to eat, etc... Not trying to dissuade you. NYC is a wonderful city and very festive in Dec. Just don't want you to make the same mistakes I have made in the past. Check Tripadvisor.com for hotels in/out of NYC and restaurants.

[cdnmom]

My kids are ok with crowds and noise....isn't there a big toy store that is in the "Home Alone - Lost in NY" movie too? Wonder if it's the same as FAO Schwartz? Wow, I thought there would have been a bit more for the kids.......I know the shopping is great but maybe next time if I go solo. We are bringing our own air mattresses, blankets, etc...no way would we sleep in hotel beds.....germ fest. Maybe we should just stop in NY for the day and head over to Washington for sleeping accommodations.

 

I think we will look at going to a museum and the toy store for sure....and a quick visit to rock centre - I just have to see that tree. The skating sounds like fun too, but we'll see how busy it is.

 

Thanks for all your input.

 

Dinae

[NYCMom]

I'm a native New Yorker with three boys (8,8,10). Agree with what others say about the Statue of Liberty but a great cheat to seeing it from afar is to take the (free!) Staten Island Ferry on a round trip. Great view of the statue from the ferry and beautiful harbor views in general. Just took my boys to dim sum in china town, which they love! It's a traditional weekend event and we love this place (http://www.jingfongny.com/). Just get there early (before 12pm) to avoid a 30-45min wait. Tho you can kill time like we do by wandering around the China Town shops. The Planetarium is a good suggestion, it's at the Museum of Natural History. A bit crowded on the weekends but still fun and if you have patience check out the Children's Discovery room at the museum, great for your ages but sometimes there's a wait to get in. The xmas tree is a good one, not too far from FAO Shwartz, near St Patrick's Cathedral, the Museum of Modern Art (not terrific for kids, but great for adults), and I hate to say it but Nintendo World which will suck them right in. The candy store someone mentioned is Dylan's. The xmas window displays at Sak's are also fun and right nearby.

I have no hotel tips for you but friends have had great success with priceline.

Just a general tip, especially with three young ones. Keep it simple, don't try to do too much. The city can be overwhelming and too much traveling around can make for very cranky kids.

Hope you have a great time!

[airial95]

We were just there at X-mas about 2 years ago with family from Spain, did the tree at Rockefeller, FAO Schwartz - (although my 5 yo son liked the Toys R Us in Times Square better when we were there in June), the Hershey store in Times Square, and the Macy's Holiday windows in Herald Square are always amazing. Ellen's Stardust Diner is a fun place to eat on Broadway/51st - the wait staff are all aspiring boadway performers and all sing and dnace. There was a bit of a wait when we went, but it wasn't too bad if I remember correctly - it helps to go at an "off" time (not peak lunch or dinner rush).

 

In general, we had fun just walking from place to place through the city - everything is decorated and very festive at this time of year.

[MamaOnAMission]

Try Portland Square Hotel on 47th St.

[bsimon3]

We visited NYC in July (also as part of a medical trip) with DS's age 7 and 9. It was fabulous! We stayed in midtown at the Belvedere. http://www.belvederehotelnyc.com/. (DH found a great deal somewhere on the internet.)

 

There is a TON of stuff to do in NYC with kids. I suggest getting some books on visiting NYC with kids from your library (Frommers has a good one). Some highlights for our family: Central Park (huge playground at Columbus Circle, sailboat pond - you can rent your own miniature boats to sail - fun!), Statue of Liberty (we went early in the morning to avoid the long lines; kids enjoyed seeing it up close from the ground - it was closed for renovations - and there is a good free audio tour for kids and adults which they enjoyed), seeing the nighttime lights at Times Square (and taking a spin on the indoor ferris wheel at Toys R Us which is right there), the Empire State Building (go at night for short lines and a stunning view of the city!), the American Museum of Natural History, The Met ("pay as you will" - don't feel you need to pay full price if you're just going to breeze through quickly with the kiddos), and the LEGO store at Rockefeller Center plaza.

 

NYC does have a bed bug problem, but we were able to find a clean room by screening hotels using www.bedbugregistry.com before making a reservation ourselves. I also recommend just doing a google search of the hotel you are considering + bed bugs to see if anything comes up on any other travel sites such as Trip Adviosor. Then inspect your room yourself right when you get there to make sure it's clean. We do this no matter where we are traveling.

 

Enjoy!

[cdnmom]

Thank you for all the great ideas.....I will definitely need to put a plan of action in place prior to getting there. Sounds like the kiddos will have fun.

[KaraM]

I went last year with dd9 and ds11. Dd9's OCD was relatively under control, but not completely (i.e she had to carry her suitcase...couldn't roll it on the street.. and eventually needed to be carried herself). But her fears were germ contamination, so maybe not an issue for you kiddos.

 

The highlight for her and my son was BY FAR going to see Mary Poppins on Broadway. It was OUTSTANDING! My husband and I took turns standing in line for a few hours to get discount tickets. But if you have enought time, apply for a Disney Credit card and you get 50% off Mary Poppins tickets. (At least that was possible when we went).

 

The kids also loved the M&M store in Times Square. Toys R Us has an indoor ferris wheel which was fun as well.

[cobygurl]

I am travelling to NYC too in the next day to see a doctor for my son. Who is Debby McCabe? Is she a Pandas specialist? Does anyone know the doctor too in NJ. At the moment I have no idea if it is tics or pandas, can't seem to get an answer or help here with my Ped from Canada. Thx.