New York with 8 yr old
 

Hi. Used this site loads, never failed me yet, now I need help again!!
Coming from the UK to NYC in Feb. with our 8 yr old daughter. Hubby and I have both been before in Feb so know what to expect weather wise, but have little idea of what New York holds for kids.
She loves animals, museums and climbing to great heights, and is used to being taken to see 'the sights'. As we grown ups have been before, we'd like to make this trip special for her. We'll be staying in Comfort Inn Manhattan from Sat - Tues.
Any ideas gratefully received. Thanks.

If your daughter loves animals and museums, then you must put the American Museum of Natural History at the top of your list! It's one of New York's great treasures....and a special delight for children (and adults, too, for that matter).

Our 3 girls loved the air sea space museum!

Richard

There is a restaurant called Mars. It is an expensive hamburger type place. You get in a space ship and it rocks you around than you exit into the restaurant. The walls are red rocks and they have dancing martians walking around. The kids loved it. We went twice-once when they were around 8 or 9 and than again when they were 10 or 11.It is not far from the area of the Waldorf/Radio City, etc.. We walked there. I can't remember the exact name it is like Mars 151 or something like that. We also saw the Museum of Natural History...fantastic. I would go to the Empire State building. I would check into what shows are in town and take her to a matinee. If you don't think that she would like it, try a game at Madison Sq. Garden or an event there.(Ice capades, circus, etc...)If she likes the American Girl stuff, there is a new American Girl place in NY. You can bring your doll, see a show, have tea, lunch, etc... She is at a great age to start reading those books. My girls loved them. Take a carriage ride in Central Park. Have dinner in Little Italy. Sometimes they sing!
NY is a great place!

Good morning AR. Being a little lazy this morning (it is Saturday), I found a few other threads on this subject. They aren't specific to Feb. so some outdoor activities may be a bit chilly, but there's a wide variety of stuff.

The few biggies I'll mention...if you want discount theater tickets go to playbill.com or theatermania.com or one of the others and order them before you get here so you don't have to stand on line in the cold. The Lion King might appeal to her but won't be available at a discount. The playbill website should link you to purchase.

American Girl is a brand of very popular dolls here and has opened a huge store in Rockefeller Center. You must go. She'll love it (but it may cost you :)

Make sure to see the polar bears in the Central Park Zoo. Go to Dylan's candy bar near Bloomingdales. Go to Serendipity. Rent some videos on Eloise at the Plaza and take her to the Plaza hotel for a look or maybe tea. Alice's Tea Cup is another fun place. OK. Here's the other threads.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34513990

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34509892

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...mp;tid=1278929

Thanks for all the replies, especially the links.
I've been to NYC twice before but it will be my daughter's first time.
Just two points:
1. By booking ahead on-line for the Empire State Building, would we get priority over the lines?
2. We've booked the Comfort Inn Manhattan. Does anyone have any strong views (either way) of this hotel?
Thanks.

By booking ahead online, you avoid the line to buy tickets (and having to go downstairs to the basement I think to do it) but you still have to wait in line to go up in the elevator. Reports are it tends to be less crowded at night (esp. during the week). I think first thing in the morning (9:15am) would also be good. The esb website also says 3:15pm is not a busy time. However, if you're thinking about taking the Greyline hop on hop off tour, I <i>think</i> if you buy the package that includes tickets to the Empire State building and other things,it entitles you to go to the front of the line. You should get this confirmed though. There is something called the Skyride at the esb which most people say is a waste of time and money. I notice they also now offer some kind of audio &quot;tour&quot; too. There haven't been any reports on that so can't comment.

As to the Comfort Inn, I can only comment on location (very good and convenient) and others seem to like it and say it's good value. There are something like 70 odd reviews on tripadvisor at this URL

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR..._New_York.html

I started to read some of them and the only complaints I heard were a slowish elevator (and only one or only one working) and towels that are not so thick. But overall, people loved the place.

I noticed no one addressed the &quot;climbing to great heights&quot; part of your daughter's likes. Unfortunately the Statue of Liberty, while reopened is only open to the base, no higher. Walking the Brooklyn bridge is quite a popular thing to do but it could be pretty cold and windy in Feb!

If she literally wants to try some vertical rock climbing, there's a place called the ExtraVertical climbing center where she can give it a go for $9. Here's the info
http://www.extravertical.com/centers_nyc.html

Chelsea Piers is another place that has rock climbing.
http://www.chelseapiers.com/age2.htm

Try to avoid the Natural History Museum, the Intrepid Air, Sea and Space Museum, etc on weekends, as they are jammed and doubly so in the winter when there are few outdoor activities for kids. I don?t believe you can reserve tickets in advance for the Natural History or other museums, but check the websites. You can reserve tickets for the shows at the Hayden Planetarium (which is part of the Natural History Museum), which are very good. If you go to a museum on a weekend, either get there very early or consider going as late as possible, as people from outside Manhattan begin to depart by 3-4 pm or so (never tried this way, but look at websites to see when the last admission is and maybe try for that.) The website for the American Museum of Natural History is http://www.amnh.org/. Website for the Intrepid Air, Sea and Space Museum is http://www.intrepidmuseum.com/

See what exhibits are on at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, there may be special children's exhibits, plus their permanent collections are good as well. The museum is always crowded but except for special exhibits (which you can often reserve tickets for) the crowds are usually manageable and get dispersed throughout the museum. Take a look at www.metmuseum.org. The Met is closed on Mondays.

The Tenement Museum is a very interesting museum offering a guided tour of a tenement house &quot;restored&quot; to its early 19th century condition. You can reserve tickets for a tour. If it is not too cold, consider the walking tour they offer as well. Take a look at http://www.tenement.org/. The lower east side abuts China Town, Little Italy, Soho, etc and is good for exploring, shopping and restaurants.

A Circle Line or NY Waterway boat trip around Manhattan would be fun, esp around dusk as the lights are coming up, and there are enclosed cabins which are good for the winter. Take a look at http://www.circleline42.com/index.ihtml and www.nywaterway.com

The Forbes Museum on Fifth Ave at 12th Street is small and has some great collections, including Faberge eggs and a toy collection. They are open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.. Admission is free. I could not find a website.

A UN tour might be fun. English tours begin every 15 - 30 minutes daily, between 9:15am - 4:45pm on Monday through Friday, Saturday and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tours last about 45 minutes. Take a look at un.org./tours

Consider skating in Central Park or Rocerkfeller center. Go early in the morning to either, although I believe you can also skate till 9 pm or so at Rockefeller Center.

Thanks again.
We've decided to change the hotel to the Hotel Warwick after reading reviews on Tripadvisor. Has anyone any real reason why we shouldn't choose this hotel?

The Warwick will probably be a bit more luxurious. It's an older hotel. It is about 10 blocks north of the Comfort Inn. It will be a bit longer walk to some theaters but otherwise should be great.

Regarding those weekend crowds at the museum, it's been a while, but when we'd take our kids to the Museum of Natural history on a weekend and the line looked horrible, we went to the membership line. The basic family membership cost about the same as admission for 4. The best part is no lines were involved. We purchased the membership and walked right in.

ALso, many museums are closed on Monday. Check the museums websites for hours and plan accordingly. I find the on evenings when thet are opened late, it's the best time to go.

SOunds like your daughter will love NYC.

Thanks for the advice re. museums may be closed on Mondays, MFNYC.
It's things like this that we need to be prepared for, having spent President's Day in Washington DC hoping to tour all the federal buildings!!!!
Changed plans and car hire pretty rapidly and went to Mount Vernon instead as it was guarenteed to be open!
Daughter will be 8 on Friday and is going to a climbibg wall for her party treat, so those links are excellent.Thanks mclaurie.
Hubby and I climbed to the top of the Statue of Liberty in Feb '01, also to the top of the twin towers. Difficult to imagine not doing that again.

just one [good] heads up--while many /most museums are closed Mondays, The Museum of Natural History IS OPEN!(open 7 days/week, just closed Thanksgiving and Christmas )

Hello again. Sorry this post's been dormant, but we're almost there now, so time to sort out itinerary :)
Will be arriving late Sat. afternoon (Feb 12th) and checking in to the Warwick Hotel on W54th street.

Checked out Mars 2112 as a possible eating place, but cannot book on-line. I guess it would be too risky to turn up on Sat evening without a reservation? We need something to keep the jet-lag at bay; bearing in mind that there could be delays in flights/transfer etc. we’re hoping to do something that does not require a reservation??

Does Reeves Bakery exist in NYC? We had heads up on this for our trip to Washington DC and it was fab. (Never eating grits again) Anything similar for breakfast around the hotel? (Don’t mind travelling a bit if it’s worth it)

Central Park for the zoo and then onto The Met (not Monday, right?) Can’t decide about tea at the Plaza? Are these all ok for a Sunday? The Met.'s got lots of family activities for that day, plus an exhibition &quot;The Gates&quot; opening the day before in Central Park

Great link for playbill, thanks. Waiting for discounted Beauty and the Beast to become available for Sun. evening, hopefully. $100 tickets for $55 seems a great deal, especially with the current $/&pound; exchange rate.


We have tickets for the Empire State Building : Best time of day or day (sun-tues) for least lines – read early morning, or 3/4pm?
Shelbourne Suites Hotel – recommended for good Manhatten views. As we’re planning on doing ESB in the daytime, is this a possibility for a nightime view, or does anybody have better ideas?

Heard that the Statue of Liberty is open again. Is this true? AR wants to take daughter to the top. Me? Seen it, done it, been there and cannot face those steps again. I’ll wait at the bottom with a coffee!

Choosing to skate at the Rockerfeller centre on Monday(Daughter’s taking skating lessons, so mum and dad will hang onto the sides and follow slowly.) Plan to go to ‘Americn Girl’ (? not heard of in uk) afterwards.

What have I missed out for an 8yr old girl? We don't fly back until Tues night. Thanks for all amazing responses so far.
(P.S. Hope the punctuation's ok - sorry, otherwise?: wrote in different program)

Wow, you're gonna make my brain work hard today :) I have a real negative attitude about these theme restaurant places and think Mars 2112 is a real tourist rip off. I guarantee the food's awful and you'll wait in line for a table.

If you must go to a theme place, there's also Jekyll &amp; Hyde also nearby as is Ellen's Stardust Diner where the wait staff sing and dance. The best of the bunch sounds like Johnny Rockets for burgers, but that's downtown.

Here's a list of kid friendly restaurants (inlcuding those them places) from NY Magzine that you can read about.

http://newyorkmetro.com/urban/guides...manhattan1.htm

The places they list that are not themed places but near your hotel are the Beacon, Carnegie Deli, and Osteria Del Circo (expensive).

I would also suggest Trattoria Dell 'Arte if you all like Italian and/or pizza. It's on 7th ave. &amp; 56 st. It's fun (there's a big nose in the window). It's known for it's antipasto bar. There are also tables in the front area. So if you don't want a full meal, a few antipasto and a pizza (very thing crust) would work.

Another casual place in the neighborhood is La Bonne Soupe on 55 st b/w Fifth &amp; 6th. It's French, casual, good food and not expensive. They have soups, salads, crepes, omelettes etc.

Your other option for that first night is take a walk south to Times Square to show her the lights and grab a bite there. Ruby Foos is a large Asian on Broadway. Virgil's BBQ is great for ribs.

For breakfast, we do have several chains like like Cosi and Au Bonne Pain that are good for sandwiches, morning pastries etc. for serve yourself there or take away. No Reeves. Here's a list of places in the area for breakfast or casual lunches

http://menupages.com/restaurants.asp...dResturantIds=

Art Cafe and Astro Rest. sound the best and they're close. I'd also suggest that you try Bubby's one morning which is downtown. Maybe go on the way to the ferry or South St. Seaport. If she likes peanut butter, Peanut Butter &amp; co. is popular with kids.

The Met is closed on Mons. and yes those things sound fine for Sun. I've read the Met Museum will open their roof specially to see the gates (it's normally closed in winter) so don't miss that view from up there.

Whether to do tea at the Plaza is really up to you and whether your daughter is &quot;into&quot; Eloise and/or the Home Alone movies. If not, I think she might like the American Girl Cafe better. This is the one theme type place that seems to make a big hit.

When you say waiting for Sun. discounts tickets for Beauty... are you sure they're available? Sometimes discounts are not available for certain performances ever. I also think Beauty...has a Sun. night performance which most other shows do not.

One idea for a night time view is to hit the ESB at an hour around 4:30 so you get both daylight and dusk. I haven't been to the Shelburne but have heard there are nice views. The Beekman Towers Hotel near the UN also has a rooftop bar/rest. with nice views but the Shelburne is more conveniently located and their burgers are supposed to be great.

People are absolutely awed by the views at the Rainbow Grill which is at Rockefeller Center. That's another option but drinks are VERY pricey.

Yes the SOL is open but you can only go as far as the base and you MUST book ahead to get that far. I hear security checks are quite time consuming.

Skating is far better in Central Park at Wollman than at Rock Ctr. The rink is much bigger and it's just generally a better skating experience. Why not do that and go to the Boat House in Central Park for tea or hot chocolate.

In terms of &quot;what else&quot;...have a look here

http://www.newyorkmetro.com/urban/guides/family/

I don't think anyone has mentioned either the zoo (the real zoo in the Bronx - the one in Central Park is very small) or the aquarium, in Coney Island. Neither of these is appropriate if its really cold. But we've been having some days in the 50's )el nino influence) and if you get one or more of those - either is a great place for kids.

sounds as though you've gotten some great recommendations. We took our older teens to NYC in early Dec. We saw Blue Man Group - off Broadway - there were a fair # of kids your daughter's age there and all seemed to absolutely LOVE the show as it is very fast-paced, physical and interactive. Could you manage that one evening or matinee in addition to Beauty and the Beast? Also there is a HUGE Toys R'Us on Broadway that she might enjoy a walk through.

The Bronx Zoo, The Children's Musuem in Manhattan which has all hands-on exhibits, and most definitely the Museum of Natural History. Have fun!

For you daughter if she loves animals go to the FAO toy store on fifth ave across from the Plaza hotel they have every animal toy stuffed then go for a carriage ride in the park also ice skating in central park ice rink you will pass it on the carriage ride.

Two comments:

(1) There are at least two Comfort Inns in midtown Mahnattan. Confusingly, one is called Comfort Inn Manhattan (on W 35), the other is Comfort Inn Midtown, on W 46. The latter is part of the Apple Core group and has received good reviews on this board, including one from me. It claims to be the only all-nonsmoking hotel in Manhattan; when I stayed, I got the impression that all their rooms had only one bed, so inquire before booking for a family.

(2) The American Girl dolls and related phenomena are justifiably popular -- it is quality merchandise, intelligently marketed. But it all comes at a steep price, so if your daughter is unfamiliar with them, this mght not be the time to start. Spend some time on their web site before deciding whether to visiting the store and trying to escape without spending at least $200. You might be better-off sticking to the Times Square Toys-R-Us (it has a Ferris wheel inside that she can ride) and the newly-opened FAO Schwarz up the street.