Tourist stuff in NYC

[KateP85]

DH grew up in NY and we visit NYC about three times a year, however we very rarely do the touristy stuff since we're there to see friends and family. We haven't been back since December 2013 because there were other places that were easier to visit with a young child, but this June we're going back for a week.

DS just learned about NYC in preschool, and he told his teacher we were going this summer. She talked to him about famous landmarks, and now he wants to visit them all! He wants to see the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building and visit Central Park, and I have no idea the best way to see these places. I'm looking from advice from people who have been there recently: what's the best way to buy tickets to the Statue of Liberty, and the Empire State Building? Should I buy them in advance or pick them up while we're there? If the teacher showed DS a picture of sail boats on a pond and told him it was in Central Park, whereabouts might I find that?! His teacher also mentioned the T-Rex skeleton, that's at the Natural History Museum, right?

Also looking for any advice on travelling to the city with a 3-year old and a 12 week old baby. We last went when DS had just turned 1, and realized very quickly that a stroller was not the way to go. DS can walk around (and we can carry him if he gets tired), we can have the baby in a carrier, and we plan to utilize the subway if we have to.

Any advice would be welcome!

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

Can't really help with the ticketing questions- I've lived in NYC but never did the touristy stuff. However the pond with the sailboats is the Conservatory Water, located on the east side of Central Park near 72nd street. And yes, the T-Rex skeleton is at the Museum of Natural History Have fun!

 

[nkereina]

Last time we did the big tourist stuff in NYC we bought a pass on one of the double decker buses you see everywhere. The schedule was great and our pass had hop on/hop off privileges so we just decided when to visit each of the landmarks and had no issues getting there through the bus. We saw other sights along the way as well. If you'll have your own transportation, City Passes are great - http://www.citypass.com/new-york .. I've not bought the one in New York but have used this in Toronto with no issue.

 

[shoney]

After an elementary school trip in the 80's, I had my fill of the Statue of Liberty....boring stairs is all I remember!

The museum of natural history does have a suggested price and you are welcome to pay it or you can give any amount you wish. This will not include the special exhibits and stuff, but you will see the dinosaur bones. When my kids were very little, that museum just didn't hold their attention. they were used to the more hands on please touch type of children's museums. We never spent much time there.

In the last few years we've been to the Empire state building. Once in the morning, super crowded. Once at night, very nice. Do not buy from the guys on the street. They were selling express passes by telling everyone how long the wait was, when it was virtually nothing!

Top of the Rock has a cool elevator and a great view of the Empire State building. I recommend that as well.

for the price of a subway, you can take a ride on the Roosevelt Island tram. Kids seem to like that.

For tickets you can try the building your own option and see if it saves money. We've done the NYC pass before, but our kids were much older. You really have to do a lot in one day to get your monies worth.
http://www.nycgo.com/attraction-passes

 

[cabanafrau]

You might want to check out prices on Empire State admission. A friend who rarely hesitates at the price of anything recently refused to pay the price for it.

I've heard Top of the Rock is a much more enjoyable experience anyway.

 

[shoney]

You might want to check out prices on Empire State admission. A friend who rarely hesitates at the price of anything recently refused to pay the price for it.

I've heard Top of the Rock is a much more enjoyable experience anyway.

It was pretty $$$$. When we bought the pass we did....top of the rock, nbc studio tour, Empire State Building, Madame Tusseuds wax museum and The Beast speed boat ride....all in one day. So, it wasn't so terrible. They don't call it a tourist trap for nothin'

 

[cabanafrau]

It was pretty $$$$. When we bought the pass we did....top of the rock, nbc studio tour, Empire State Building, Madame Tusseuds wax museum and The Beast speed boat ride....all in one day. So, it wasn't so terrible. They don't call it a tourist trap for nothin'

I believe it. My friend had other things going on during her trip, so she didn't have a multi pass, just the individual Empire State tix were too pricey for her taste. I think the multi passes give somewhat of a discount -- if you can jam in enough things to make it worth your while.

 

[LinderInWonderland]

Can't really help with the ticketing questions- I've lived in NYC but never did the touristy stuff. However the pond with the sailboats is the Conservatory Water, located on the east side of Central Park near 72nd street. And yes, the T-Rex skeleton is at the Museum of Natural History Have fun!

This is one of my favorite spots in Central Park. The bronze Alice in Wonderland statue and the Hans Christian Anderson statues are there. If you stay on the east side of the park and walk south, you will run into the Children's Zoo and Central Park Zoo. If the zoo doesn't appeal, you can walk a bit south and towards the middle of the park and ride the Carousel. There's also Eloise's Room at The Plaza Hotel, if you've ever read the Eloise books.

The Museum of Natural History is at 81st and Central Park West, but it's a long walk to the other side of the park. Nice walk, but long for littles. The Diana Ross Playground is right at the park entrance at 81st.

For touristy stuff, the only one I would actually pay for was the Empire State Building. I always took the Staten Island Ferry for free and you could see the Statue. But to each their own. I also like on/off double decker busses for covering a lot of ground between attractions and am a fan of the City Pass.

 

[shoney]

Does your little guy like trains?
if so this is cool.... (it is in Brooklyn)
http://web.mta.info/mta/museum/

also something as simple as the whispering wall in Grand Central Station is fun...
http://www.nycgo.com/slideshows/new-york-secrets

 

[AppleDumpling]

If you want to do the Statue Of Liberty, definitely get tickets online in advance. Allow most of a day; lines can be long and you must go through airport-like security to board the ferry. If you want to go up to the pedestal and museum, you need tickets for that besides the ferry tickets. And there's a second security screening for the pedestal. There's a minimum height of 4' for children to go into the crown, so that's not an option with your little ones. Look at the NPS website for details.

If you choose to skip SOL, you can take a free round trip boat ride on the Staten Island ferry and pass fairly close to the statue. Another option is a Circle Line cruise.

Not sure if the Empire State is a good idea with kids so young. More long lines and security checks. Best to go first thing in the morning or late- at sunset or after dark.

The Central Park Zoo and children's zoo is worthwhile and you can rent the remote control sailboats at Conservatory waters, like in the movie Stuart Little.

Kids love the dinosaur bones and other (stuffed) animals at the Natural History museum, though a 3 yo will likely be done after an hour or two. Don't miss the Hall of Ocean Life, aka the whale room.

If you're in the vicinity of Rockefeller Center, you may want to check out the Lego store and the FDNY Fire Zone, about a block away, where kids love playing on the fire truck. I would also recommend the Children's Museum of Manhattan on the upper west side.

 

[KateP85]

You might want to check out prices on Empire State admission. A friend who rarely hesitates at the price of anything recently refused to pay the price for it.

I've heard Top of the Rock is a much more enjoyable experience anyway.

That's what we've done in the past, I like that you can see the Empire State building from there. I think that might make more sense. I looked up prices for the Empire State Building and yep, pretty pricey!

This is one of my favorite spots in Central Park. The bronze Alice in Wonderland statue and the Hans Christian Anderson statues are there. If you stay on the east side of the park and walk south, you will run into the Children's Zoo and Central Park Zoo. If the zoo doesn't appeal, you can walk a bit south and towards the middle of the park and ride the Carousel. There's also Eloise's Room at The Plaza Hotel, if you've ever read the Eloise books.

The Museum of Natural History is at 81st and Central Park West, but it's a long walk to the other side of the park. Nice walk, but long for littles. The Diana Ross Playground is right at the park entrance at 81st.

For touristy stuff, the only one I would actually pay for was the Empire State Building. I always took the Staten Island Ferry for free and you could see the Statue. But to each their own. I also like on/off double decker busses for covering a lot of ground between attractions and am a fan of the City Pass.

Thank you, this all sounds like stuff DS would adore! We'll definitely add this to our to-do list.

If you want to do the Statue Of Liberty, definitely get tickets online in advance. Allow most of a day; lines can be long and you must go through airport-like security to board the ferry. If you want to go up to the pedestal and museum, you need tickets for that besides the ferry tickets. And there's a second security screening for the pedestal. There's a minimum height of 4' for children to go into the crown, so that's not an option with your little ones. Look at the NPS website for details.

If you choose to skip SOL, you can take a free round trip boat ride on the Staten Island ferry and pass fairly close to the statue. Another option is a Circle Line cruise.

Not sure if the Empire State is a good idea with kids so young. More long lines and security checks. Best to go first thing in the morning or late- at sunset or after dark.

The Central Park Zoo and children's zoo is worthwhile and you can rent the remote control sailboats at Conservatory waters, like in the movie Stuart Little.

Kids love the dinosaur bones and other (stuffed) animals at the Natural History museum, though a 3 yo will likely be done after an hour or two. Don't miss the Hall of Ocean Life, aka the whale room.

If you're in the vicinity of Rockefeller Center, you may want to check out the Lego store and the FDNY Fire Zone, about a block away, where kids love playing on the fire truck. I would also recommend the Children's Museum of Manhattan on the upper west side.

That's why the teacher suggested it, DS loves anything dinosaur! I've looked up some pictures and the whale room looks awesome. I would guess maybe we'll spend an hour or two there and head out.

 

[KateP85]

Does your little guy like trains?
if so this is cool.... (it is in Brooklyn)
http://web.mta.info/mta/museum/

also something as simple as the whispering wall in Grand Central Station is fun...
http://www.nycgo.com/slideshows/new-york-secrets

Oh DS would love that too! I wonder if we can make it out to Brooklyn; we have some family out there, maybe we could kill two birds with one stone.

I've never heard of the whispering wall, that sounds fun!

 

[nkereina]

I don't know if you have any interest in Ellis Island, but I remember visiting NYC when I was about 12 and we did Ellis Island and I was fascinated by it, even as a kid. The boat out to Ellis Island passed the Statue of Liberty up close so we decided not to do the Statue of Liberty tour because of that. The Ellis Island tour killed two birds with one stone, and I remember it being very cool especially if you have relatives that came in through Ellis Island as we did. Haven't been there in a very long time though!

 

[KateP85]

I don't know if you have any interest in Ellis Island, but I remember visiting NYC when I was about 12 and we did Ellis Island and I was fascinated by it, even as a kid. The boat out to Ellis Island passed the Statue of Liberty up close so we decided not to do the Statue of Liberty tour because of that. The Ellis Island tour killed two birds with one stone, and I remember it being very cool especially if you have relatives that came in through Ellis Island as we did. Haven't been there in a very long time though!

Actually I don't think I've ever been, but I know DH has because I believe he had relatives come through there too. I don't know if DS would really get it though, he's only 3. We might save that one for when he's a little older.

 

[nkereina]

Actually I don't think I've ever been, but I know DH has because I believe he had relatives come through there too. I don't know if DS would really get it though, he's only 3. We might save that one for when he's a little older.

Ohh I didn't realize he was 3, lol! Yes definitely when he's older!

 

[NewRVLady]

I Honeztly would not take kids that young to NYC- for a vacation-it's just not baby toddler friendly
Bathrooms are very hard to find- , it's better for older kids like 10-12ish

 

[Hibiscus]

I Honeztly would not take kids that young to NYC- for a vacation-it's just not baby toddler friendly
Bathrooms are very hard to find- , it's better for older kids like 10-12ish

This is just silly. There are 8 million people living here and many of us have children. What do you think we do with them? Lock them up until they turn 10?

 

[clori]

My dh also grew up in midtown Manhattan. The first time I visited with him to meet his parents they laughed when I said I would like to see the Statue of Liberty when they asked what I wanted to see in NYC. It was a school field trip place or a place to bring tourists. My kids are older now 11 and 15 but have been going to NYC a few times a year since birth to visit family and often some touristy things. I agree many NYC subway stations are not stroller friendly. At 3 you could probably just do the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. I agree with skipping Ellis Island though it is fascinating and my dd loved it at age 6 using the kids audio tour. They always enjoyed the Roosevelt Island Tram. I don't know if they still have it but there used to be a holiday train display at Citi Group Center. Also Macy's has a yearly Enchanted Village.

I personally didn't care for the Manhattan Children's Museum - too small and crowded but we loved the Staten Island Children's Museum for preschoolers. I have a 5 year old niece who lives in Manhattan and has always loved the Museum of Natural History. Some places to keep in mind maybe in a year or two are Sony Wonder Technology Lab and National Museum of Mathematics (hands on play). In nice weather my kids loved playing at almost any playground though they loved one near the UN because they knew Daddy used to play there as a child. If you go to Central Park there is a carousel. The USS Intrepid had a small interactive play area that the girls liked. If you have a museum membership check for reciprocity -we get into the USS Intrepid and Math Museum for free.

My girls liked Top of the Rock Better than Empire State Building since it was not nearly as crowded when we went. Oh if you go to Times Square just be aware that there are tons of characters walking around dressed as mickey mouse, Elsa etc and would love you to pay them for pictures taken with them. While I don't recommend this place for the food or prices my dd was probably 4 when we went to Mars 2112 and loved it. If you happen to be Jewish the Jewish Children's Museum in Brooklyn was a ton of fun. Both girls used to enjoy going to street fairs that seemed to be common during our visits. I took my eldest to Madame Toussoud's when she was about 4 and she absolutely loved it even without knowing who all the wax figures were. Oh in terms of restrooms I don't recall it ever being an issue but I did have to carry around post its to put over auto flush toilets.

 

[AppleDumpling]

Some tips on getting around with small kids...
Keeping the infant in a front carrier or sling is a good idea. I would actually consider bringing a lightweight umbrella style stroller for the 3 yr old. You'll be doing a lot of walking, and it'll give him a place to nap when he gets tired.

When you need to go up/down steps, eg. in subway station, fold up the stroller and take DS by the hand. Or if you have a third adult along (op, you're visiting relatives?), even better, just carry DS in the stroller (strapped in of course) with one person holding the back and one carrying the front wheels.

We used to do this all the time and you will see plenty of strollers on the subway and on the sidewalks. An umbrella stroller with storage underneath is also good for holding baby gear/ diaper bag. And many public places, eg. museums, have elevators. Taxi cabs do not have car seats; you can hold your kids on your lap but I know many parents are uncomfortable with this.

 

[Hibiscus]

My dh also grew up in midtown Manhattan. The first time I visited with him to meet his parents they laughed when I said I would like to see the Statue of Liberty when they asked what I wanted to see in NYC. It was a school field trip place or a place to bring tourists. My kids are older now 11 and 15 but have been going to NYC a few times a year since birth to visit family and often some touristy things. I agree many NYC subway stations are not stroller friendly. At 3 you could probably just do the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. I agree with skipping Ellis Island though it is fascinating and my dd loved it at age 6 using the kids audio tour. They always enjoyed the Roosevelt Island Tram. I don't know if they still have it but there used to be a holiday train display at Citi Group Center. Also Macy's has a yearly Enchanted Village.

I personally didn't care for the Manhattan Children's Museum - too small and crowded but we loved the Staten Island Children's Museum for preschoolers. I have a 5 year old niece who lives in Manhattan and has always loved the Museum of Natural History. Some places to keep in mind maybe in a year or two are Sony Wonder Technology Lab and National Museum of Mathematics (hands on play). In nice weather my kids loved playing at almost any playground though they loved one near the UN because they knew Daddy used to play there as a child. If you go to Central Park there is a carousel. The USS Intrepid had a small interactive play area that the girls liked. If you have a museum membership check for reciprocity -we get into the USS Intrepid and Math Museum for free.

My girls liked Top of the Rock Better than Empire State Building since it was not nearly as crowded when we went. Oh if you go to Times Square just be aware that there are tons of characters walking around dressed as mickey mouse, Elsa etc and would love you to pay them for pictures taken with them. While I don't recommend this place for the food or prices my dd was probably 4 when we went to Mars 2112 and loved it. If you happen to be Jewish the Jewish Children's Museum in Brooklyn was a ton of fun. Both girls used to enjoy going to street fairs that seemed to be common during our visits. I took my eldest to Madame Toussoud's when she was about 4 and she absolutely loved it even without knowing who all the wax figures were. Oh in terms of restrooms I don't recall it ever being an issue but I did have to carry around post its to put over auto flush toilets.

Mars 2112 (mercifully) closed years ago.

In the restaurant line, I think many tourists are surprised that most non-chain restaurants do not have children's menus. We just don't do the "picky eater" thing. There's too much good food available to waste time pretending that our kids can't eat anything other than chicken nuggets. That's not to say that children aren't welcome in restaurants. They are, but they're expected to eat what adults eat - just less of it. Here's the children's tea menu at the Plaza, for example: http://www.theplazany.com/pdf/menu/pc/Eloise_Tea_Menu.pdf

If this will be an issue for you, you might want to examine some menus before arriving.