New York City with Kids
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We recently took the kids to New York City for a 2-night family adventure and it was amazing!! We chose to stay in Times Square and ventured out via subway to SoHo, Litle Italy, World Trade Center, and Central Park West areas for activities. This was our first time in New York City with Kids so we were a little nervous, but the kids loved it and Little A now wants to move there so I’d say the trip was a success!!
Visiting a big city can be overwhelming, but with a little bit of planning in advance, it’s fun and dare I say easy?! I would not totally wing it in New York City with kids, as currently, you need tickets for many activities and reservations for on-time dining. We had 1-2 timed activities per day and left time for walking around, seeing the city, checking out playgrounds, and relaxing at the hotel a bit too.
I hope our adventures in New York City with Kids encourage you to plan a trip for your family to his amazing city!
Why Times Square?
Times Square is convenient! There is plenty to see and do along with many family-friendly places to eat and stay. If you are taking the train into the city, Grand Central Station is easily walkable to the Times Square area (even pushing a stroller and wheeling a large suitcase!)
You can hop on the subway from Times Square and go to many destinations without changing trains. When you’re juggling kids, strollers, and a backpack in a new place, having to jump off a train, and find the next train via stairs, escalators, etc can be a lot. We were able to take the subway directly from Times Square to Central Park West, the World Trade Center area, SoHo, and Little Italy for our adventures.
Staying in a central location based on the activities we had planned truly made everything a lot easier on this trip.
Transportation
Subway System
We found the subway system very user-friendly and easy to navigate. I personally never felt unsafe on the subway or in the stations. As in any city, things can happen but there was a police presence around and throughout the subway stations as well as cameras everywhere.
We used the subway for all of our travel within the city that wasn’t reasonably walkable pushing a stroller. New York is a huge city so you would spend a lot of time walking if you chose that over the subway.
You can purchase and add funds to your Metro card right at most stations via automated machines. Children under 44 inches ride free on the subway which is a nice perk.
Google Maps is great for advising you which line to take, what station you are closest to, and when the next train will be arriving that goes to your destination. We found it to be pretty accurate during our trip. There are a ton of stairs in the stations so be prepared to seek out an elevator or carry your stroller while also holding/watching your kids.
The Train
Driving into New York City and dealing with parking is a lot! We opted to take the Metro-North train into the city since we come from Connecticut. The train ride into Grand Central is quick, quiet, and beautiful. Best of all you purchase your tickets online and activate them right before you board so if you are late leaving the house (as we tend to be when gathering the kids and all of the things), no worries just grab the next train!
There is also the option of Amtrak, but in our case, it was more expensive and the Amtrak travel time was longer than Metro-North. There is overhead storage on Metro-North big enough for large suitcases and strollers. We had plenty of seats to choose from and never had anyone next to us.
Lodging
Margaritaville Resort Times Square
Truly an oasis amongst the busy city life, Margaritaville Resort Times Square offers bright tropical colors and relaxed vibes. This hotel is a welcome contrast to the busy city outside. The staff is friendly and helpful with any questions you may have.
Check out Booking.com for amazing rates at Margaritaville Resort Times Square. Check out the Margaritaville Resort page on Booking.com and grab your room.
While check-in isn’t until late afternoon, Margaritaville Resort has a secured room to hold your luggage if you arrive early and want to explore the city, which is huge!
The pool is heated to 82 degrees and located on a roof deck on the 6th floor allowing you views of the city while you swim or lounge. Cabanas and lots of chairs with umbrellas line the pool decks. It was chilly so we only swam for about half an hour but the pool was a definite highlight for the kids!
Kid-Friendly Restaurants
Hard Rock Cafe (Times Square)
I feel like any 90’s kids went to one of these on a family vacation!! The decor is still just as cool and the ambiance is perfect for kids, rock music playing, and overall pretty low-key. I would advise making a reservation as we arrived for ours at 530pm and the wait was over 2 hours without a reservation.
As for the food I would say comparable to Applebee’s for way more money. I certainly remember it being far better in the past. Little A wouldn’t even eat the mac n cheese and after trying it I can’t say I blame her. My husband and I got salads and they were not very fresh.
Overall, I would not recommend eating here but maybe stop in for a snack just to check it out.
Margaritaville Restaurant (Times Square)
The Margaritaville restaurant was our saving grace on this trip! The restaurant is large and spacious with huge windows and Jimmy Buffet music (obviously!), perfect for kids!! They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner with kids’ meals offered for lunch and dinner.
There is a massive Statue of Liberty holding a martini glass that rotates designs right in the dining area. It is amazing and held the kids’ attention for a shockingly long time. Between that and the busy city streets, they were pretty entertained at our 2 breakfasts and 1 dinner there.
I would absolutely recommend this restaurant for a family-friendly meal.
Gelso and Grand (Little Italy)
Restaurant Near the SlooMoo Institute
The SlooMoo Institute is just a couple of blocks from Little Italy so hopping over there is quite easy. While many restaurants are very small, we found Gelso and Grand, a true gem located at 186 Grand Street!!
With tall ceilings and lots of room inside and out, it was perfect for a family meal. Homemade pasta and pizza are perfect kid-friendly staples, but homemade pasta and sauce topped with perfect meatballs make it enjoyable for adults too!
I would recommend this restaurant for a family-friendly meal. Delicious food, kid-pleasing options, and great ambiance make it the full package. You are able to make reservations through Resy.
Things to Do
SlooMoo Institute
You may be thinking, what?!? The SlooMoo Institute is a slime sensory experience located at 475 Broadway. We all loved this experience! I think the best part was that it didn’t feel rushed and chaotic.
SlooMoo is kid-friendly and a safe, fun place for kids to roam through the experience. The staff is friendly and accommodating with a coat and stroller check. They guide you throughout the space, with friendly guidance at every checkpoint.
I would not advise paying extra for the “Enhanced Experience” as we saw another family do the SlooMoo Falls slime raining experience and it lasted less than 30 seconds with one color of slime. Not the old-school Nickelodeon slime experience we 80-90s kids had in mind!
My favorite part was making our own slime. Each ticketed member of your party can design your slime from texture and smell to color. The kids love their slime and I’m pretty excited for mine too!
100% recommend! The SlooMoo Institute slime museum is pricey but was a highlight of our trip! Both kids loved it!
American Natural History Museum
We were all very excited about this and I hate to admit, it was a disappointment.
Tickets must be purchased in advance for a timed entry. However, when you get there and see the long line down the street, that is for you. Everyone is a reserved time entry and everyone waits in one line. We waited about 30-35 minutes in line outside past our reservation time.
Entry is kind of haphazard and chaotic but the whole experience kind of felt the same. The signage is not great. Exhibits are named “The Milstein Family Hall of Ocean Life” versus “blue whale exhibit.” This can make it hard to find exactly what you’re looking for. Speaking of the blue whale, if a wedding or event has rented out the Milstein Family Hall, you do not get to enter to see the celebrated blue whale exhibit (which happened to us).
There are maps but they are very basic, with no pictures or colors. Not very helpful! And there is an app but it didn’t have us in the right area so it was not very helpful. If our son wasn’t obsessed with dinosaurs we definitely would have left pretty quickly.
If you are looking for the Tyrannosaurus rex, he is located in the Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs. It is on the 4th floor. However, the Titanosaur is located in the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Orientation Center, also located in the 4th-floor Fossil Halls.
Our daughter loved the Halls of Gems and Minerals located on the first floor. Warning, you will have to go through 5 other Halls and Galleries to make it there. This includes the Hall of Human Origins filled with skeletons which creeped the kids out. Ooh, and models of early humans naked which Little A told all of our family about on Easter.
I hate to say it but for our kids’ ages (4 and 6 years) I would not recommend this activity. Maybe when they are older?
World Trade Center Area
9/11 Memorial Pools
For those of us who remember 9/11 as if it were yesterday, the World Trade Center area has a very different meaning for us than for our kids. We did not go to the museum as we felt the kids were too young. But we were able to pay our respects at the 9/11 Memorial Pools that sit in the footprints of the former North and South towers.
The pools are a breathtaking memorial surrounded by bronze walls listing the names of those who were killed in the terrorist attacks. Little A learned some basic facts about 9/11 this year in school. We did tell her that this memorial is a way to remember everyone from that day. Baby J had no clue at 4 years old and just enjoyed the waterfalls.
I would recommend this experience as it is beautiful but nothing too upsetting for little kids.
One World Trade Center aka Freedom Tower
As for One World Trade Center itself, it is not a memorial but an actual office building. The One World Observatory at the top (over 100 stories up) is a tourist attraction with 360-degree views of the city.
I highly recommend purchasing the Combination tickets. These cost us only $10 more per ticket, but with a Priority Lane for security, elevators, and exit we were able to walk right in. The line for standard tickets was estimated at 2 hours. This was at 3 pm on a Monday so I can’t imagine a weekend or holiday. Both standard and combination tickets require you to pick a time and certain times do sell out so plan accordingly.
A perk for us busy moms who are never in the photos is the optional photo op as you enter the observatory! Our photo came out great and I bought the digital images for $25. Not bad for a nice photo of the 4 of us that is not a selfie (the only one on this vacation).
My husband and I were blown away by the Observatory experience. Even the kids were entertained, or at least not begging to leave, so I’ll take that as a win. When your kids lean on the windows to look outside, take photos! I was able to take some great pictures this way as you’ll see in the images for this post.
I recommend this experience. The kids thought it was cool to ride the elevator and look out the windows and the adults were in awe of the views.
Playgrounds
In the World Trade Center area are a few great playgrounds per Google. We checked out West Thames Park which had equipment to entertain both kids. Also, it is fenced in which made us feel safer as Baby J is now a runner at 4 years old.
We also grabbed ice cream from one of the nearby ice cream trucks and walked by Teardrop Park. The kids were done for the day so we didn’t play on it but Teardrop Park is beautiful. The playground equipment is built right into the scenery. Both parks have beautiful views of both the Hudson River and One World Trade Center.
Always recommend a place to get some energy out, and there are tons of playgrounds in New York City. Do a quick Google search to find a local one based on your plans. You can also check out this great post by Mommy Poppins highlighting 21 amazing playgrounds in NYC.
Planning for the Future
We hope to take Little A back for her birthday this summer without Baby J. This will allow us to do some bigger kid activities. We are hoping to check out a show (either Lion King or Aladdin) and take her to the American Girl Doll store. Any other recommendations for our next trip??
