vabarone

I tried this on the general post and hopefully you'll have some more advice. I'll be entertaining a friend and her 8 year old from Utah. My daughter and I are supposed to be the cool ones from the big city but frankly I have no idea whats "cool New York" stuff. We're the museum, concert in park, tea at a coffe shop types, all the things they don't want to do. They are only here for two days in August, and I want them to leave with a WOW from the city I grew up in and love. Hotel suggestions, cool saturday night dinner spot, sunday activity?? Thanks for all your help!!!

GoTravel

Kids love the Egyptian Mummy exhibit part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, Serendipity for deserts and if the eight year old is a girl, go to Sephora.

Gekko

Just entertained an out-of-town 9 year old and 6 year old (boys). Both loved the American Museum of Natural History, particularly the dinosaurs and blue whale (and of course the gift shop). Both loved the observatory deck of the Empire State Building, as well as the trip to the Statue of Liberty and Belvedere Castle in Central Park.

For dinner, you can't beat ESPNZone in Times Square -- great atmosphere for children and they go wild in the huge game room.

djkbooks

Also, the Intrepid.

hotdogz

We went to NYC as tourists, and my daughters loved dinner at Jekyll and Hyde Club. They were also very impressed by a short walk through Times Square at night. Also, to my surprise, riding in a taxi cab (and the process of hailing one). I guess I had never thought about it, but they had never ridden in a cab before. For whatever reason, this was a big deal to them and they thought it was great. I guess it was just part of the "big city" scene that they liked experiencing.

BAK

First, the kid needs to read James and the Giant Peach, and second, the mom needs to decide if the kid is old enough to see Sleepless in Seattle.

And, if so, see the movie.

Then go to the top of the Empire State Building.

Boat cruise; could be as simple as the Staten island Ferry. If the girl does not apprecite the Statue of Liberty yet, she will, and she'll remember.

Subway ride. They ain't got them out there in Utah, I suspect.

I've never met a kid yet who was as uninterested in good museums as grownups think. But the museum needs kids stuff, like dinosaurs, or the helicopter and some otehr things at the Museum of Modern Art. Unless there's kid-related stuff I don't know about at the Metropolitan, skip that, except if you can get her dressed up to go on Friday night, and listen to the music and get a sense of the city at its swankiest. Kids catch on.

BAK

lmjb

TOYS R US!!

Yeah it's lame for us adults, especially since Toys 'R' Us stores are all over the country, but my kids insisted on going EVERY DAY during our recent 10-day visit in July. Of course, we didn't go that often, but they still begged. My kids are 5, 8 & 11... plus we had a few cousins of the same ages visiting in the city as well while we were there, and they all also begged to go repeatedly. The 4-story indoor ferris wheel is amazing, too.

I will also second a cab ride for kids. The day we went to the zoo, that cab ride was what they chattered about the most at the end of the day. And my kids loved both the subway & the bus... only my oldest required a Metrocard, but the younger two squabbled over who could slide it through every time!

And speaking of the zoo, the Central Park Zoo is a small, inexpensive zoo with very quality exhibits. They don't have many animal habitats, but the ones they do have are exceptional, and allow you to get very close to the animals. The adults should enjoy this also, plus the visit doesn't require a large time committment. Don't forget to save your stub for the adjacent Children's Zoo.

My kids were only mildly impressed with the Empire State Building Observatory... they were just as excited to know the name of the Chrysler building when they spotted it from the Brooklyn Bridge. We walked across the bridge one evening after dinner and the view was breath-taking. The kids had a chance to run around, and they enjoyed seeing Manhattan at night, from a distance.

My final suggestion is Chinatown. Kids love looking at the crap for sale.

Gekko

How could I have forgotten about the subway and Canal Street (Chinatown)?!? Also FAO Schwartz and, yes, Toys R Us with the inside ferris wheel. My young visitors also enjoyed watching the motorized toy boats in Central Park (while eating ice cream available there).

bennie

How about the carousel in Central Park. My kids loved it - they were 9 and 6 at the time. Also they just loved climbing on the rocks in Central Park. They loved Dim Sum in Chinatown and an IMAX movie in near Lincoln Center.

Kathyngs

I second FAO Schwartz. There are other branches around the country but the "mother ship" in NYC is the best: I have vivid memories of it from my childhood. Also Central Park Zoo and Serendipity for ice cream. And Grand Central Terminal impressed my son when he was little: Stand at the top of the stairs and watch all the action.

underradar

Times Square for the buildings, signs and Toys R Us. Then walk a few blocks for the NBC studio tour at Rockefeller Center (call in advance to make sure it is running). Also, Statue of Liberty, Circle Line cruise around Manhattan and, if you're coming in late August, see if you can get tickets for the US Open in Flushing Meadow, Queens.

hadley

Has she read the Eloise books by Kay Thompson - especially 'Eloise at the Plaza'? If so, take her for tea at the Plaza (where Eloise lived.) Very grand and lots of fun. They even have a portrait of Eloise in the lobby. Even my NYC-bred daughter was impressed at that age.

MrsP

Beauty and The Beast was a HUGE WOW for my 9 year old daughter... a magical and visually beautiful show!! A visit to Liberty park was also appreciated as one can view Lady Liberty from afar without the hassel of the trip over....Becasue you can do absolutley ANYTHING in NY..... have you asked your friends what they expect?

hillview

Cool- the off Broadway show "Blue Man Group" downtown around Cooper Union!

saglassman

When I was teaching, I used to take my class on a trip to NY every year.
The favorite activity: the ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty. That was the high point of the trip.
They also enjoyed the dinosaurs in the Museum of Natural History.
FAO Schwartz is not interesting to kids who have been to the large, toy discount stores.
I would certainly try to get tickets for the theater. There are several shows now that children would enjoy.

Sylvia