My son will be 9 when we visit New York in Feb/March. Ever since his second-grade teacher dropped a bomb on him on MLK day earlier this year (he'd never heard of Jim Crow, didn't know slaves in the US had been black...), he's been intensely interested in the African-American experience. He is mixed (a real Oreo, with zero contact with his dad, who is from Ghana), but had never thought of the difference between his skin color and mine as having any meaning to anyone. Living in the South, we have plenty of chances to talk about MLK.

Visiting New York, I'd like to have him learn about the Harlem Renaissance. Not just jazz music and paintings--we listen to the first and he's unlikely to be interested in the second. I really want him to hear about a thriving community at a time when Jim Crow was taking over much of our country (race riots occurred in the North as well as in the South) and people living full, satisfying lives. What tours and sites should we consider?

Here's what we're doing the rest of our trip, to give an idea of his interests:

Arrival Day: Play in Rockefeller Center, dinner and view upstairs, Broadway show

Day 1 Immigration Ellis Island, African Burial Ground, Tenement Museum, Pastries at Rocco's

Day 2 General New Yorkiness: Sony lab, lunch from a food cart, 59th St tram, tea or Serendipity ice cream depending on if it’s warm or cold out, Haecksher playground in Central Park, pizza supper

Day 3 Outdoors: Maple sugaring, skiing/sledding or hiking, hot chocolate (Thanks, MommyPoppins!)

Day 4 Harlem

Day 5 Watch a movie being made (as per MatadorNetwork), Highline Park, maybe a trapeze lesson

Saturday—Museums, hopefully with an overnight (another MP post). If there’s no museum overnight, take a water taxi to Brooklyn for dinner, spend the night, and go to Transit Museum or maybe Botanical Garden before Sunday flight out

These days aren't in any particular order, other than Top of the Rock and the show when he arrives (I will be there already for work). We have a day, maybe a day and a half, depending on what movies we can watch being filmed, to spend in Harlem. I know I'm asking early, but am hoping to get good deals if I start looking ahead of time. I want this to be a great trip, not encumbered terribly by budget constraints.

Thanks for your help!

I'm not sure what "play in Rock Cener" means. It's not a palyground - all cement surrounded by office buildings and foo foo stores - plus St Pat's across the street. Or do you mean "a play" - and am not awar of any theaters right there.

Day 3 - also have no ide what you mean. Maple sugaring is in upstate or VT (many hours from the city) when the sap rises. NYC doesn't get a lot of snow on a regular basis - and chances of being able to sled or ski there are very small. You can ice skate in one of several rinks.

As for Harlem Renaissance - that is only a very small part of the black experience in NYC. It certainly may be interesting - but most African Americans live in ther parts of the city - and have since forever - leading normal middle or working class lives. I realize that Jim Crow was true in the south until recently - but NYC was diffeent. (I'm 54 and my kindergardne teach was black - and about ready to retire - teaching in a slid middle class, primarily white school. My parents went to high school in NYC in the 1930s - with a bunch of black kids as well as some back teachers) - and nowhere near Harlem.

Also not sure what you mean about movies being filmed. Do you mean on the streets? Yes, this does happen ocassionally - but by no means most of the time. And fairly unlikely in winter.

You should have no budget problems - that is a super cheap time of year in NYC. If I were you I would stay in the upper west side - a family area, close to central park and many of the museums - esp Naturl History. Also check out the NY Historical Society and the Museum of the City of NY - to see what types of exhibits they have. Many times they are focused on the cities multi-culturlism.

Hi NY Traveler,

Thanks for your reply. Most of what I already have planned is based on the websites/blogs I mentioned. For example:

4-8 in http://mommypoppins.com/newyorkcityk...christmas-tree

http://mommypoppins.com/ny-kids/mapl...-from-new-york

"The Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre, and Broadcasting lists films and TV shows currently being filmed in the city, and if you follow @olv on Twitter, you can find out where and when filming is scheduled to occur." (http://matadornetwork.com/trips/what...new-york-city/)

Sorry you haven't found history to be inspiring in your life.

Cheers!

Day 2 General New Yorkiness: Sony lab, lunch from a food cart, 59th St tram, tea or Serendipity ice cream depending on if it’s warm or cold out,

It will be cold, not warm.

Lunch from a food cart - like a pushcart or a food truck? A cart, MEH, not me, not ever.

Then we will be drinking tea! Do you have any opinions on any places listed here, or can you tell me which is closer to the rest of the events for that day?
http://mommypoppins.com/newyorkcityk...-new-york-city

If you type "Harlem" in the box labeled "Search the Forums" it will bring up a number of posts specific to that location. Here's one posted last fall which I found interesting:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...lking-tour.cfm

I don't mean to be rude, but you have already found a website that seems to cater to exactly the kind of info you are looking for - why not post questions there or on their facebook page?

The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that included music, art, and influential writers expecially Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston. I suggest you read about the movement and their works so you can inform your son correctly.

Try Strivers Row in Harlem even thiugh the actual constuction predates the Harlem Renaissance.

Most filming on the streets of NYC is not done in the cold weather. And there are few things more boring than watching a shot and few people are as insufferable as the kids who tell others where they can and cannot walk.

And like the others I have no idea where you would maple sugaring or sledding unless there was a recent snow storm.

Maple sugaring is generally in mid-late March, and most of the places listed would not be easily reachable by public transportation. Some are a few hours away . Will you have or rent a car? You definitely don't want to use one while you're actually in the city.

Trapeze will not be an option at that time of the year. It sounds like the website you mention has some interesting ideas for city parents, but many won't really work for visitors here for a short time. For example, TV and movie shoots go on all year, but less in the winter. Much of the time it will be for a TV show your son won't recognize, and the streets are blocked off just so there are trailers for the actors who are actually filming indoors only. It certainly is not something you could put on a schedule for a certain day.

The overnight museums events are maybe once or twice a year, and spaces fill up almost immediately. Scatch that off your list.

Sounds like your best bets are the history aspects (no lack of sites here) and the "General New Yorkiness". February is pretty much the coldest month here and the one most likely to have snow, so that could be fun for you and your son or a real pain.

You shouldn't miss the Museum of Natural History/Planetarium. That is a must for any 9 year old.

I agree with comment re: movie filming, as far as it being boring. Not only is it boring, but the majority of the time they aren't actually filming and when they are filming, it's usually a 10 second shot over and over and over.

Also, you should be aware the the Highline is not a traditional park in the sense that there is open spaces to run around and playgrounds. It's a pedestrian Park. Don't get me wrong, it's lovely, but may not be so interesting to a 9 year old. On the other hand, Hudson River Park, has great views and several play areas. Also Central Park not only has the playgrounds, but also a zoo, carousal, and rock formations that are fun to climb on. If there is snow, there are some sledding hills where anything from a traditional sled to a big piece of cardboard can be used to slide down.

I don't know the order of activities for day # 1, but if they are as listed, Veniero's is also on the east side (Tenement museum is east side), and had excellent pastries. Rocco's, and I'm assuming the one on Bleecker st, is in the West Village (and not as good as Veniero's).

For pizza, John's, either Bleecker St (original location) or the midtown location, is a great place. If in the Village area, the Forbes Gallery, on 5th Av (near 13th st) is worth visiting (and free).

I think you've made some good choices by focusing on New York history. There are several museums in Harlem that might be of interest, including the Studio Museum (though it's an art museum, and that may not appeal to a 9-year-old). There are also walking tours of Harlem, which may interest your son if it's not too cold. Definitely make the trip up there. Perhaps go to a church service on a Sunday and eat at one of the excellent restaurants.

On the Lower East Side, your son might enjoy Economy Candy, which is near the Tenement Museum. Lunch at Katz's might also be fun; it's also nearby. I'm kind of with MFNYC regarding Rocco's. It's not as good for pastries as Veneiro's, but if you want a nice experience, Bouchon Bakery (in the Time-Warner Center) is even better, though not as historic. I like it MUCH better than Serendipity, which strikes me as a little more girly than what your son might enjoy. Junior's (in Brooklyn or Times Square) has good albeit expensive cheescake, and that might make a good destination for your Brooklyn trip, though there's not much else nearby the original Brooklyn location (but it's a great place for breakfast and has excellent hot dogs). The one in Grand Central, which unfortunately doesn't serve breakfast, is convenient but not as atmospheric.

As others have told you, it's going to be cold in late February and early March. The Highline may not appeal to you at all because of the wind up there.

Your son may like the hot chocolate at Max Brenner near Union Square. I'm not really a fan, but almost every kid who lives in or visits NYC is. I'm not as fond of Serendipity, but Chikalicious, a dessert-only restaurant in the East Village, may also be of interest to you.

I'm actually quite a fan of the food trucks and even some of the carts. But you may find it less than hospitable to eat from them in the middle of winter. If there is a particular food truck that interests you, most of them have web sites where you can find the location on a particular day. You'll want to do that if the weather is really cold.

However, there are some great places in NYC to get casual food and sandwiches. I especially Pret a Manger and Le Pain Quotidien (the latter is kind of expensive for lunch, though). Hamburgers are really good here (Five Napkin Burger, Five Guys, Goodburger, etc.), and those places will appeal to your son. Similarly, pizza is great. As others have suggested, I really like John's (especially the Times Square location). There are lots of great pizza places, and there are threads on that topic.

In general, I'd find more indoor options. Outdoors, Ice Skating in Bryant Park is free (though you have to rent expensive skates), but you can also skate in Central Park. But outdoor activities are few and far between in the winter. If there's snow, you can head to Central Park, where everyone will be sledding. But traveling outside the city in the snowy winter can be a daunting prospect, with few options for public transit and expensive rental cars (though much cheaper than in the summer ... particularly on weekdays).

The Museum of Natural History is always a favorite of kids. And the Museum of New York City often has interesting special exhibits.

Things that are missing in Harlem. Your first stop should be the Schomburg Library. Closer to the time check programs and exhibits.

http://www.nypl.org/locations/schomburg

You might want to eat in Miss Maude's
nearby.

http://www.spoonbreadinc.com/miss_maudes.htm

The New-York Historical Society will have reopened by then. Keep an eye out for what will be going on when you are here.

http://www.nyhistory.org/

Skip the Broadway show and take him to Amateur Night at the Apollo

http://www.apollotheater.org/ and/or take him to a production at TADA if something is playing while you are there.

http://www.tadatheater.com/default.asp

Keep an eye on what is happening at the Jazz Museum when you are here.

http://www.jazzmuseuminharlem.org/

You should also visit the main branch of the public library in midtown.

http://www.nypl.org/locations/schwarzman

Keep an eye out for children's programs or just go visit The Museum of Contemporary African Diaspora Art when you are in Brooklyn. My friend's daughter is the director. It is a wonderful place. www.mocada.org

Have fun!

thestarryeye.typepad.com/explorenyc

FWIW, my comment was more about food carts than Food trucks. That said, there are still some "roach coaches" that a tourist might mistake as a food truck. Just sayin'....

And, rather than standing in the cold watching movie light guys drink coffee, take a trip to the most culturally diverse county in the country and visit the American Museum of the Moving Image.

http://www.movingimage.us/
and while you are in Queens, visit the Louis Armstrong House

http://louisarmstronghouse.org/

and if you want a major field trip in Brooklyn, visit Weeksville

http://www.weeksvillesociety.org/

All of the above are more in line with your stated intentions than Maple sugaring (the blog you are reading is geared to dual income families with cars who escape NYC with their kids on weekends. They have the money to do all that junk in Rock Center. Do go to Top of the Rock though and visit the gift shop at MOMA or go to the museum if something interests you. There are a lot of family programs. www.moma.org

You realy do need to understand that you will be in NYC in winter. There may or may not be snow but it's liely it will be both cold and windy.

Central park is great on a nice day - if you get one. Or in snow - if we have any. Rockefeller Center is NOT a playground. (I'm a native. I grew up here. I've been to Rock Center many hundreds of times - used to work 3 block away - it's NOT a playground.)

Have looked at the web site you found. It has some interesting stuff - which is available some of the time, often at considerble cost - and the maple sugaring is usually a weekend in Vermont. In any case not near the city and you would need to rent a car to get there. And there is nothing New York about maple sugaring.

As for not being interested in history - I am (my degree is in history). It's fine for you and your son to understand a specific historical movement - but you also need perspective on everything that was part of that history. That's why I reco'd the NY Historical Society - they had a wonderful exhibit on the role of Black New Yorkers - both before and after the civil war. Not sure of the status when it reopens - but I beleive part of it at least was permanent.

Learning about a cultural renaissance that started 80 years ago is fine - but it's only a very small part of the picture.

Sue, you've lined up at least a whole day and a half for us! Thank you! I see that you have good info access to do so Is Weeksville, from a child's perspective, similar enough to the Tenement Museum that I should choose one or the other? The Jazz Museum sounds like a good place for both of us to be entertained after dark. That isn't always easy to do.

Debit, I haven't found info on this particular question on any of the websites I've used to research the trip thus far. If you know any, will you tell me what they are?

Aduchamp, if you go up 5 posts before your question, you will find the answer.

Thanks Nyer. It does indeed sound like springtime will arrive in NYC later than I realized. I'm not terribly concerned about the cold--DS was outside for 2 hrs every day throughout the winter when we lived in Germany--but it sounds as though things may be shut down because of it. Boo! However, if there are good indoor alternatives to looking down on the avenue from the outdoor pedestrian park or playgrounds, please let me know. The only indoor playground-type places I found were for preschoolers.
None of the museums in the list I posted above have their overnights scheduled past November, and most only through Sept. We are on lists to be informed as soon as dates are announced. Thanks to your warning, I will sign up immediately if I get a message that any of them will be having an overnight on the date we're looking for one. (Incidentally, they're much cheaper than a night in a hotel! Doing one on our last night will also force us to get all our packing done a day ahead of the flight, avoiding any last-minute scramble)

"a 10 second shot over and over and over" if it was in a place where we could see the shot would be absolutely perfect! My kiddo is a perfectionist who loves performing onstage (He's really looking forward to the Broadway show, having seen touring productions of several), and I think he'd benefit from seeing that it's normal to have to do things over and over, and that lots of people screw up, even if in such a small way that others can't see it.

Doug, your sweets recs agree with several I've gotten on TA. Sweet! What's the hot chocolate at M Brenner like? My son likes sweets, but not cloyingly sweet beverages.

NY traveler, on "playing" in Rockefeller Ctr, see my response to the first time you brought it up. I used that term as a kind of shorthand, since the Rockefeller Ctr is so peripheral to the question I'm asking. Most of those activities (ie, hanging out in the Lego store) don't cost any money. And of course you're right that the Harlem Renaissance is only 1 piece of a very complex puzzle, which is much too large for a anyone to learn on a brief vacation. It's only tangentially related to the peer-reviewed articles I've published on a couple black downtowns after the Civil War, but I do think it is an important piece in helping my son deal with the particular issue he's facing at this point in his personal development.

Thanks again, everybody, for your help! We are really looking forward to this trip (as you can tell from the very early start planning

P.S.
Would ppl here recommend the New Yorkler website?

Not sure what websites you are looking for - food trucks?

http://nyc.foodtruckmaps.com/

http://current.newsweek.com/budgettr...food_truc.html

Apps for phone -
http://mashable.com/2011/06/30/food-truck-apps/

can use smart phone to follow tweets
http://twitter.com/#!/MobileCravings...trucks/members

The hot chocolate at MaxBrenner is sweet to me but seems to be well within the nor'm for most kids (and adults). It will probably be a big hit.

Debit, thanks for the food truck sites. The question I was asking here was about Harlem, but we've got to eat

Thanks Doug! Can you suggest someplace where it isn't so sweet? In Boston, my son liked the hot cocoa at Burdick's, but not at the Appleton bakery, if that helps. He prefers to make lemonade with a whole lemon and maybe a teaspoon of sugar (not a tablespoon!) instead of drinking Sprite or the like. He also prefers croissants over muffins, doughnuts, or cream-filled pastries.