DH and I have taken our kids (ages 10 and 7) to NYC several times. We like to book our hotel thru Priceline.com. We usually stay at a 4* or 3* and get really nice hotels, such as:
- Hilton Hotel and Towers, 4*, for $105/night
- Doubletree Metropolitan, 3*, for $140/night
- Marriott Marquis, 3*, for $135/night
- Hyatt Grand Central Station, 4*, for $140/night
Prices vary depending on time of year we went (found out that end of August was a budget time to go as far as hotel was concerned). Go to
www.biddingfortravel.com to check out the hotels that are being accepted by Priceline and for how much.
You didn't mention whether you had sons or daughters, but here are some activities that my DDs really enjoyed:
- The American Girl store. 3 floors. Quite amazing. Go to
www.americangirl.com to check out what's there.
- NY Metropolitan of Art. Lots of cool Egyptian mummies and other things that my oldest daughter was starting to learn in school.
- Museum of Natural History (near Central Park). 4 floors to explore. We spent almost an entire day there.
- WTC. My DDs saw the images on TV/magazines/newspapers, but seeing it up close was just heart-stopping for the whole family.
- 20th Century (across the street from the WTC). This is the place to look for designer name fashion, if you are into shopping. My DDs found some shoes there that they loved and bought.
- Beauty and the Beast on Broadway. Got tickets from TKTS booth on the same day for the evening performance. $50/ticket for 2 row seats (a steal!!!). When we saw it, Christy Romano-Clark (Wren from Even Stevens TV show) was Belle.
- Taking the Staten Island ferry (free) to see the Statue of Liberty. You don't get too up close to the statue but we got an unobstructed view of it from the ferry and took many pics.
- In the summer, on the weekends, street fairs that run for 10 blocks are fantastic for buying souvenirs, fashion accessories, and even art! This is not to be missed! Major streets are closed off for pedestrian traffic. These street fairs change locations each weekend, so check with your hotel.
- Taking walks to Washington Square, SOHO, Union Square, Chelsea Pier... and it's all about walking in NYC!!!
Some good places to eat with kids are:
- Ellen's Stardust Diner. Broadway aspirees sing while they wait tables. You get free entertainment with your meal. The food is so-so, but the entertainment is grand!
- Tony's (Upper East Side). Italian food, family style. Our kids loved the pasta and try their strawberry shortcake for a wicked dessert. It's humungous!
Hope this helps you! We had loads of fun when we went and hope to do this again soon!