NYC Trip Report, Oct , 2006 (with 7-yr-old)
Oct 10th, 2006, 06:33 AM
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NYC Trip Report, Oct , 2006 (with 7-yr-old)
There were 4 of us: Me, my niece, her husband and their 7-year-old son. There are already so many trip reports. I'll concentrate on what "worked" with a young boy along.
Our first accomplishment was overcoming a bad omen upon arrival. The Liberty bus from Newark ran out of gas...right in the middle of 42nd Street! Surprisingly little grumbling from passengers, other than "Let us off!". So they did, unloading our luggage and cutting us loose 3 blocks from our Port Authority destination. No problem. We grabbed the 3 bags and hiked up to the Holiday Inn at 57th.
The hotel is a typical Holiday Inn, though I thought the 2-bed room (#927) was larger than expected in NYC. The dressing area was small and the bath had a little mold on the marble tub surround. Our biggest complaint was the lack of A/C (it goes off automatically when the temp drops). Though it was cool outside, the room was sweltering the first night. After that, they lent us a fan which helped a lot. The staff were very helpful. Restaurant is OK, but you'll do better at spots right up the street. The location is terrific, just 3 or 4 blocks from Central Park, Columbus Circle and the Lincoln Center. We never felt unsafe. Lots of restaurants nearby, though we didn't eat in the neighborhood. Good transportation options.
Highlights: When we bought our round trip Liberty bus tickets from Newark, we got the package that included 2 days on the Grey Line tour: $60 per adult. I'm not usually big on those hop on/hop off tours, but this was a great way to get around and get oriented with a tour guide to tell about the different neighborhoods. The weather was great, so sitting up top was very pleasant. Needless to say, the 7-year-old loved the bus.
His favorite thing was Slava's Snow Show. Now that was a happy little boy! For others, I would say 7 or 8 is about the upper age range for this show. Older youngsters were less likely to "get involved" in the action. But for his age and younger, it was real bliss.
Next on his list of favorites: "rock climbing" in Central Park. Thankfully, he was dressed in jeans that day, so the seat of his pants survived sliding down all the rock formations. This was 7-year-old Heaven. Rock climbing, tunnels, chasing pigeons, ice cream, etc.
Top of the Rock beats the ESB hands down. The building is beautiful and the presentation is much more interesting. Ice skating had just opened that day. We went at night and the view was spectacular, not to mention the full moon floating over Manhattan that night.
Toys-R-Us at Times Square was a big hit...more so than FAO Schwartz. Of course, the ferris wheel had a lot to do with it. But T-R-U was just more kid friendly.
I can't add much to what others have reported about food. It was all good and the choices are almost overwhelming. We didn't plan our days around meals, most days we ate a large lunch in the late afternoon. We did go to Patsy's one night for a fabulous Italian dinner. Mostly we just picked up sandwiches or pizza at one of the ubiquitous "delis" one finds on every block.
With only 3 days, we couldn't do all that we wanted to. But we did a lot and now look forward to taking his little sister in a couple of years. Let the planning begin....again!
Our first accomplishment was overcoming a bad omen upon arrival. The Liberty bus from Newark ran out of gas...right in the middle of 42nd Street! Surprisingly little grumbling from passengers, other than "Let us off!". So they did, unloading our luggage and cutting us loose 3 blocks from our Port Authority destination. No problem. We grabbed the 3 bags and hiked up to the Holiday Inn at 57th.
The hotel is a typical Holiday Inn, though I thought the 2-bed room (#927) was larger than expected in NYC. The dressing area was small and the bath had a little mold on the marble tub surround. Our biggest complaint was the lack of A/C (it goes off automatically when the temp drops). Though it was cool outside, the room was sweltering the first night. After that, they lent us a fan which helped a lot. The staff were very helpful. Restaurant is OK, but you'll do better at spots right up the street. The location is terrific, just 3 or 4 blocks from Central Park, Columbus Circle and the Lincoln Center. We never felt unsafe. Lots of restaurants nearby, though we didn't eat in the neighborhood. Good transportation options.
Highlights: When we bought our round trip Liberty bus tickets from Newark, we got the package that included 2 days on the Grey Line tour: $60 per adult. I'm not usually big on those hop on/hop off tours, but this was a great way to get around and get oriented with a tour guide to tell about the different neighborhoods. The weather was great, so sitting up top was very pleasant. Needless to say, the 7-year-old loved the bus.
His favorite thing was Slava's Snow Show. Now that was a happy little boy! For others, I would say 7 or 8 is about the upper age range for this show. Older youngsters were less likely to "get involved" in the action. But for his age and younger, it was real bliss.
Next on his list of favorites: "rock climbing" in Central Park. Thankfully, he was dressed in jeans that day, so the seat of his pants survived sliding down all the rock formations. This was 7-year-old Heaven. Rock climbing, tunnels, chasing pigeons, ice cream, etc.
Top of the Rock beats the ESB hands down. The building is beautiful and the presentation is much more interesting. Ice skating had just opened that day. We went at night and the view was spectacular, not to mention the full moon floating over Manhattan that night.
Toys-R-Us at Times Square was a big hit...more so than FAO Schwartz. Of course, the ferris wheel had a lot to do with it. But T-R-U was just more kid friendly.
I can't add much to what others have reported about food. It was all good and the choices are almost overwhelming. We didn't plan our days around meals, most days we ate a large lunch in the late afternoon. We did go to Patsy's one night for a fabulous Italian dinner. Mostly we just picked up sandwiches or pizza at one of the ubiquitous "delis" one finds on every block.
With only 3 days, we couldn't do all that we wanted to. But we did a lot and now look forward to taking his little sister in a couple of years. Let the planning begin....again!
Oct 10th, 2006, 06:50 AM
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BTW, I meant to mention the TKTS office at the South St. Seaport. We took the subway to the Fulton St. exit and found it easily. The line was MUCH shorter than at the uptown location. We were diappointed not to get Tarzan tickets, but have no way of knowing if we could have gotten them at the other site.
Oct 11th, 2006, 04:45 AM
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We were a little apprehensive when we first arrived at the show. There was "litter" all over the floor and the stage set looked somewhat battered.
Of course, it turned out the "litter" was there for a reason. And, once the lights went down, the sets didn't matter.
Hints to those attending:
Sit as far forward as possible, even if you're on the side, and try to be on an aisle (kids will want to approach the stage).
Keep and eye on the theater during "intermission"---there's fun to be had even then.
And don't rush out of the theater when the show's over. We stayed for at least half an hour watching a delighted little boy play to his heart's content.
Of course, it turned out the "litter" was there for a reason. And, once the lights went down, the sets didn't matter.
Hints to those attending:
Sit as far forward as possible, even if you're on the side, and try to be on an aisle (kids will want to approach the stage).
Keep and eye on the theater during "intermission"---there's fun to be had even then.
And don't rush out of the theater when the show's over. We stayed for at least half an hour watching a delighted little boy play to his heart's content.
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elberko
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