New York + Baby
Mar 23rd, 2004, 04:15 AM
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New York + Baby
My wife and I travelling to New York for a few days. We will be bringing our 3 month old son.
Any ideas what we should think about doing?
Anybody know any baby friendly restaurants?
Any ideas what we should think about doing?
Anybody know any baby friendly restaurants?
Mar 23rd, 2004, 05:10 AM
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NYC is not big on baby/kid-friendly restaurants but they do exist. CHinese places tend to be very kid-friendly in general. Most Italian too. Any very upscale place would not work. We used to push our stroller around and as soon as my daughter fell asleep in it, we'd find a restaurant to have dinner while she slept in the stroller. I've had many meals like that! A big, very kid-friendly place is America on 18th ST (between B'way and 5th av). I can't think of any that are particularly baby-friendly. If you wander around neighborhoods like the Village area, where there are many low key restaurants, you would definitely find places where your son would be welcome.
Mar 23rd, 2004, 07:01 AM
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NY is plenty baby friendly. Would I show up at Le Cirque on a Saturday night with a child, no. But, there are plenty of predominantly residential neighborhoods in NY seeing people with strollers isn't all that uncommon.
IF you are in mid-town, head over towards 2nd Avenue and the mid to low east 50's. Plenty of families and you'll see other with kids.
As we have two toddlers and have been going to restuarants with them since they were a few weeks old, my suggestion is to think about eating a bit earlier than you normally would. If you go in most places around 6, it won't be so crowded and the baby will be fine in the stroller. Given how much a 3 month old sleeps, you'll probably be able to get through the meal with a problem.
IF you are in mid-town, head over towards 2nd Avenue and the mid to low east 50's. Plenty of families and you'll see other with kids.
As we have two toddlers and have been going to restuarants with them since they were a few weeks old, my suggestion is to think about eating a bit earlier than you normally would. If you go in most places around 6, it won't be so crowded and the baby will be fine in the stroller. Given how much a 3 month old sleeps, you'll probably be able to get through the meal with a problem.
Mar 23rd, 2004, 06:02 PM
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I have only one baby-in-NYC tip: Please take along a FOLDING stroller. When you ride the subway, carry your baby and fold up the stroller. That way you can avoid people glaring daggers at the back of your heads. 
Mar 24th, 2004, 06:24 AM
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I'm sorry to disagree with MFNYC, but my experience as a parent is that New York is very baby friendly. I do agree with Ryan, that I wouldn't go to the very high-end places, but there are lots of good to very good places which welcome babies.
When my (now 9 year-old) son was an infant - particularly under 9 months old - we went out to good restaurants frequently. Staff was uniformly friendly and accomodating - but we also made a special effort to be considerate of other diners (always going for a short walk if he got fussy). We would try to time eating around his sleeping, if we could - but I also remember discretely breastfeeding in a swanky midtown Chinese restaurant - and no one noticed! We always brought a front baby carrier (Baby Bjorn) - and it was easy enough to eat while holding him. Later we would have him in the city type, folding stroller. This was always easy when he was less than a year old - it was after that we had to curtail restaurants for a couple of years - mobile toddlesr are just too much work!
Our experience was that depending on your baby, noisier restaurants could work well - nobody cares if a a baby cries a bit - or quieter restaurants can be fine, because the quiet lets the baby sleep. Suggestions -
Nice Matin on the Upper west side - good FrenchMediterranean and extremely family friendly. Nobu, Next Door in Tribeca - I've seen tons of families and kids there. Inside in the West Village; Blue Water Grill in Union Square; Serafina, Our Place, and Pig Heaven on the Upper east Side. If you're coming in nice weather, places with sidewalk cafes are ideal, too.
When my (now 9 year-old) son was an infant - particularly under 9 months old - we went out to good restaurants frequently. Staff was uniformly friendly and accomodating - but we also made a special effort to be considerate of other diners (always going for a short walk if he got fussy). We would try to time eating around his sleeping, if we could - but I also remember discretely breastfeeding in a swanky midtown Chinese restaurant - and no one noticed! We always brought a front baby carrier (Baby Bjorn) - and it was easy enough to eat while holding him. Later we would have him in the city type, folding stroller. This was always easy when he was less than a year old - it was after that we had to curtail restaurants for a couple of years - mobile toddlesr are just too much work!
Our experience was that depending on your baby, noisier restaurants could work well - nobody cares if a a baby cries a bit - or quieter restaurants can be fine, because the quiet lets the baby sleep. Suggestions -
Nice Matin on the Upper west side - good FrenchMediterranean and extremely family friendly. Nobu, Next Door in Tribeca - I've seen tons of families and kids there. Inside in the West Village; Blue Water Grill in Union Square; Serafina, Our Place, and Pig Heaven on the Upper east Side. If you're coming in nice weather, places with sidewalk cafes are ideal, too.
Mar 24th, 2004, 06:33 AM
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Maybe it's easier with 1 kid than 2 (my 2 are 2 years apart, now 13&15). We found very few places had high chairs, sassy seats and a toddler friendly menu. With only 1 infant, it's probably easier.
Mar 24th, 2004, 06:36 AM
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Yes - definitely easier 1 infant that 2 toddlers - also - in the last 10 years the explosion of families in Manhattan has caught the attention of restaurants - a market not to be ignored, particularly in this economy. I've noticed how restaurants have really made efforts to attract families . . .
