I did the craziest thing, I just entered my 8.5 month old son's pictue in a beautiful baby contest. He really is a beautiful baby and I am not saying that just because I am his mother. Anyway, the prize for the 5 finalists is a paid trip to New York for a photo shoot on Parents Magazine. We have to be available to go in mid-Feb. Having never been to NYC, I really don't know what would be appropriate and not completely overstimulating for my son and I to see. Any ideas?

In my mind, I think he probably won't even win as a finalist, but it never hurts to have a few ideas just in case. Thanks.

A nine month old will not care. He'll be so overstimulated by the lights, sound, and smells that he'll stay perfectly entertained.

I second GoTravel. We took our son along on a trip to San Francisco and the wineries when he was 9 mos, and we could do anything we wanted during the day as long as he was in his Snugli. (Dinners were more restricted, but we enjoyed lots of outdoor dining; in NYC in Feb, I'm afraid that wouldn't be an option.) Enjoy the ability to tour where you want while you can; once he's walking, you'll need to tailor your trips more to his needs.

A 9 month old has no idea what city he's in. And since most things in New York require standing on long lines he probably won;t be interesed in much.

Unfortunately Feb is not the best time to come - in warmer weather you could spend time in Central Park, at the children's zoo etc. But in Feb it may (or may not) be way too cold. For indoor stuff you can do the Museum of Natural History - even the little kids seem to like the large animals.

What you need to be aware of - depending on how you travel - is that there are a lot of areas of NYC (mdtown esp) and esp in winter when strollers aren;t practical. Too crowded, too many people - and if there's snow or slush you simply can;t use it. So be sure you have a baby carrier -since you may need to use it most of the time.

Have they told you what hotel or neighborhood you'll be staying in? That can make a big difference. (In Midtown you can find it difficult to find child friendly restaurants - but in more residential areas people are more used to seeing little ones when they're eating out - esp if you eat very early - 6pm or so.)

Good point about the baby carrier. Black slush is gross.

Thanks for the replies. The contest is on the Live with Regis and Kely show. In the official rules it doesn't state the hotel. We will find out if our son is a semifinalist the week of 2/12.

"....since most things in New York require standing on long lines...."
It's either an extreme exaggeration, or, ny traveler, you and I go to mostly different places!

Many tourist attractions - Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Serendipity, etc - do require standing on long lines. A 9-month old will NOT be happy waiting on long lines - esp for something they really don;t want to see - anad a baby fussing for 45 minutes is not a fun thing.

Unfortunately, most of what he would enjoy is outdoors - probably not much of an option in February.

Sure, those three examples usually require a long wait, and so do some others....but these hardly qualify as most things"!
My point is simple: Don't give people the wrong impression that you always have to wait in long lines to see and do things in NYC. It just ain't so!

Because of the weather it sounds like indoor things are the best bet. I like the idea of the museum of Natural History.

Nine months old! Does he prefer contemporary art or antiquities? Does he have a particular play he's interested in seeing?

To be honest I would pick one or two things you would like to see...The Met, MOCA, etc. I think a stroll in Central (zoo), Greenwich Village, and/or Soho if you have a balmy day. If it's cold, probably a brief visit to a museum or two would be fine. Take your baby carrier since most museums don't allow strollers. If he's selected for the show/photo shoot, I would think you'll have a schedule to keep with the studio and you'll want to make plenty of time for naps. Let us know if he makes it. Good Luck!