thordarson

Hi, I am going to NYC with my husband and 7 year old daughter at the end of August/07. I wanted to do some consignment shopping (Beacons Closet, Ina,century 21) and stay close to where we are staying as I will problably shop early am while my husband and daughter sleep in. We wanted to take my daughter to a show, tour some museums and experience the city.Any sugestions on where to stay( $200to$300 or higher) , which area, where to eat..where to shop, subway hints etc. I am very unfamiliar with NYC so any ideas will be much appreciated, Thank you, Kelly

missypie

We were just in NYC with our kids. If you click my screen name, you will find my trip report that may give you some ideas. (I also asked tons of questions about NYC before our trip, including about museums and shows; you'll see those under my screen name and some may be of interest to you.)

Shows for a 7 year old. Probably Mary Poppins. Check broadwaybox.com and theatermania.com for discounts. I couldn't find a discount for Mary Poppins, so I bought $50 tickets in the back of the mezannine. It's hard to get tickets for Lion King and Wicked. I think Beauty and the Beast just closed. Little Mermaid won't have opened. You might also want to consider Legally Blonde - it's very pink and girlie and I'm pretty sure the sexual references will go over the head of a 7 year old.

The theaters showing the Disney musicals have booster cushions for kids to sit on. Just ask an usher where to get one if your DD ends up behind a tall person.

Get a good map and study it. When I started planning the trip I was so confused about the different parts of town. Manhattan is big. You can't just walk, for example, from Century 21 to the stores on 5th Avenue, unless you want to devote an hour and a half or so to it. If you have certain stores you want to hit, find them on a map and see if they are anywhere near each other.

GoTravel

You need to be very careful with consignment shops.

mclaurie has an excellent post on who to visit and who to avoid.

Century 21 is an absolute zoo and stuff isn't cheap. I love Century 21 but you really need to block a couple of hours out of your day to do it justice. Also, you can't be squeemish about fighting crowds, poor customer service, and bad dressing rooms.

missypie

We were staying at the Embassy Suites, so Century 21 was just a few blocks away. We went there right at the 7:45 am opening time and it was not crowded at all. But with the way they have their things arranged, etc., I can see how shopping there in a crowd would be a nightmare. Their dressing rooms are the narrowest things I'd ever seen! A communal dressing room would be more comfortable.

marymacnp

Try to get your theatre tickets at TKTS, its now located just off time square at the Mariott Marquis and downtown at South Street Seaport. You can get tickets for the same night. In summer usually a line, get there early. Tickets are half price plus $2 fee. A friend recently got tickets for Spamalot without difficulty. I live nearby, unless its a gift, I usually get my tickets at TKTS. It is hit or miss, but there is always something on the board. Of course if you have your heart set on one particular show, best to book ahead.

missypie

I'd hate to rely on TKTS with a 7 year old, as so many of the shows would be either dull or inappropriate for a child of that age.

Is she into American Girl at all? They do a show at their store; don't know if it's any good.

thordarson

Thank you soo much for your great ideas everyone..I will get a map and plan well.I am Canadian so my daughter doesn't know about American girl ( neither do I for that matter). However I think I will surprise her with a trip to the store and perhap lunch and a new doll during the trip. I will check out the hotel in the area and the Embassy Suites.I will get tickets today for Mary poppins ..she loves her.Thanks again for all of your help1

lovetolaugh

travelzoo.com just posted discounts for both Mary Poppins and Lion King.

nytraveler

With a 7 yeaar old in Manhattan in August I would want to stay on the upper west side. You're right near Central Park (zoo, carousel, lake with rental boats and kots of playgrounds). You 're also right near the Museum of Natural History (with great dino exhibits and several IMAX movies that all kids love). This is a mid/upscale residential area that's busy - but not frantic like Times Square - or dead like the financial district. And since it's a family area there are a ton of inexpensive/moderate restaurants, many with outdoor cafes, that actually welcome kids. And 2 subway lines and lots of buses give you easy access to the rest of the city.

For your daughter I would reco

Top of the Rock

At least one boat ride (either Circle line, or the Beast speed boat or the free Staten Island ferry)

Also the Barnes & Noble on B'way & 83 has a great kids department that has lots of activities, as well as a cafe

missypie

Although we stayed there, I would not recommend the Embassy Suites for your trip. We stayed there because we are a family of five and I wanted us all to be in one suite, and that was what was available when I booked. It IS convenient to get to Ellis Island/Statue of Libery and Century 21. Just about everything else you'll want to do will be further north. There aren't a lot of easy to find restaurants in the area (there are some in the office buildings, of course). And face it - the area is one huge construction zone - a very sobering construction zone.

doug_stallings

The Millennium Hilton is almost next door to Century 21 if you really want a convenient base from which to shop, and it an easy walk to the Statue of Liberty ferry and the South Street Seaport from there. The hotel often offers good weekend rates. But staying far downtown with a small child can be hard because you have to travel to get almost everywhere else.

I think you need to find hotels within your price range and stick to hotels that are in Midtown between 9th Ave on the west and 3rd avenue on the east (so this is basically anywhere from 23rd Street on the south to 60th Street on the north). I say this because you're not going to want to spend a lot of time commuting with your daughter.

That way you can just jump into a cab if you are tired and not worry so much about the cost since you can get to Midtown for $10 or less from almost anywhere in Manhattan.

bugswife1

Canadian? with the dollar being what it is you are going to be in shock at what American Girl is going to set you back. I suggest you visit their website first and take a looksee at the pricing before you bring your daughter in there and get stuck spending a lot more than you bargained for. It is a great store, tons of fun, and little girls love it, just be prepared to drop a few hundred US before you get out of there.

missypie

We took our daughters to American Girl in Chicago (back when it was the only store) a few years back when they were very into it. I feared a multi-thousand dollar experience, so I set the ground rules before we went. They had each picked out from the catalogue the doll and outfit they wanted. I also allowed one Bitty Baby outfit each, plus one "impulse buy" (an outfit-not another doll). It still added up, but they each knew what their "budget" was and there were no tears or fits.

thordarson

Thanks again for all the help ,I will spend more on the hotel a($400-500) and get closer to Midtown.I am going to get my daughter to pick out the American girl stuff first before we go there as well.Even though i am interested in deals for clothing I am happy to spend $ on the New York experience ( hotel,food and entertainment).Thanks again for the advice.

travelbuff

A couple of suggestions I can make first take a look at www.hotels.com and www.hotwire.com for ideas on hotels.

Manhattan is pretty spread out so pick an area you would like to explore and find a hotel in that area, everywhere else will be a train/bus/cab ride away, as the bus and subway system are pretty good in the city.

I'd suggest looking at the Millenium Downtown, which is right next to Century 21 and close to the shopping mall at the Financial Center across the highway, just ask the consierge. The Millenium was offering $199 a night deals for the summer.

There is also an Embasy Suites there as well.

Also the Travel Inn on W. 42nd. might be another idea as they have a pool, which is welcome relief in August here. Staying there you are not close to shopping, but are close to Times Square and LOTS of restaurants on 9th Ave.

If you stay on the upper west side the Beacon on Broadway would be a good choice, and from there lots of shopping and sites are close by (Loehman's and Filene's at 79th ST) and the Museum of Natural History is within walking distance.

Hope this helps a bit.

LeeLeeLee

I think I have a few good suggestions for your 7 yrs old daughter. I take my friends to these places when they visit, and although they're much older, they still enjoyed it a lot. Hope it'll do the same for your daughter.

Toys R' Us (Times Square). They have a huge ferris wheel inside, and each car is designed in a different toy character . A two floor Barbie doll house. An interactive Jurassic Park featuring a moving/roaring dinosaur. Lots of other goodies...definitely not to be missed in my opinion!

M&M World Store (Times Square). You don't have to be a M&M fan to enjoy this place, yes, it's a bit tacky, but I think a 7 years old would enjoy it. There are no rides inside, but there's a big area where you can customize and pick your own color M&M's. Lots of cute stuff inside, useless maybe, but cute.

Dylan's Candy Bar (Upper East Side) http://www.dylanscandybar.com/ Simply a kid's paradise!

Serendipity 3 (Upper East Side) http://www.serendipity3.com/ It's a whimsically decorated cafe with Tiffany-style lighting, very warm and inviting. It's mostly a dessert place, with things like frozen hot chocolates (made from 14 different kinds of chocolates) and fancy, huge sundaes. They serve hot dogs and sandwiches too, however, they don't take reservations. And normally, I wouldn't suggest this restaurant unless you're going to visit Dylan's Candy Bar, which is nearby.

Good luck!