New York City

Oh my goodness… this has taken me FOREVER to get to because there is just so much to cover about our trip to NYC. Let me start with visiting NYC with kids is awesome – SO much to do – but also overwhelming and exhausting. Not just because you are always out and about, but also because the city’s constant energy and movement can be a lot to handle for adults and littles alike. August is a great time to visit NYC as it is a bit quieter than usu

al because most of the locals head out of town for the month. I personally would not recommend visiting around the holidays unless you are really up for big crowds or are very familiar with NYC already. 

We visited last summer and stayed at the Moxy Hotel in Times Square. Times Square is usually

not top of my list for places to stay, but the Moxy is slightly off the main square so it is definitely less crowded, and being in Times Square is central enough that getting both uptown and downtown is pretty quick and manageable. The hotel also has a bakery stand on the second floor, which made breakfasts really quick and easy. We walked A TON but this is one of the few trips where I would fully recommend bringing a stroller. It’s lovely to get places on foot and it is much easier to do so if the kids are strapped in and you can walk at a quick pace to keep up with the busy New York pedestrian traffic. You also want to make sure you have one that can fold up easily as most places in NYC do not have a ton of space to store your stroller – if, let’s say, you stop for a meal.

Things the whole family loved:

I think the top thing we did in NYC was HERO at the base of Rockefeller Center. They change the theme based on the season, and it is both beautiful and fun for the kids. They had a bouncy-house type area as well as a ball pit when we were there, and they also have a bar in the exhibit if you fancy a cocktail. It’s just a really cool blend of kid and adult entertainment, and I would definitely recommend it. Another great place to check out is the Whitney Museum, which has kid-friendly activities. Check their schedule to see what’s available on your trip. Finally I think we all really enjoyed walking through Central Park. We hit the Central Park Zoo which is very small and manageable, and then walked uptown and stumbled upon one of many playgrounds. Again, a good place to bring a stroller! Oh, and I almost forgot we went to high tea at the Plaza Hotel, which we all had a great time with. They have special a “Eloise” menu for kids. Everyone there was very sweet and it made for a great experience. You are not permitted to enter the main hotel, but we found with kids the security guards were lax and we were able to see the front desk, which my kids knew from Home Alone. It’s definitely a NYC staple I would recommend!

Things the kids loved:

Two things we did that I was not a super fan of but the kids really enjoyed were the Trolls CAMP experience as well as Sloomoo. CAMP hosts various events, so while the Trolls exhibit may not be available currently, they seemingly always have something going on in NYC. It felt kind of underwhelming and low-budget to me, but afterward my oldest said it was her favorite thing we did. Sloomoo is a place where you can make your own slime and learn all about the various slimes that exist. I’m sure most parents can agree that slime is terrible and I’d prefer it didn’t exist, but at least at the Slime Institute I didn’t have to clean up any messes. My kids are actually not THAT into slime so this didn’t make a big impact, but they did seem to enjoy it in the moment. For both of these experiences I recommend a lot of hand sanitizer. 

Things we could skip:

Two more “iconic” NY activities that I would not recommend are seeing the Empire State Building and going to the Bronx Zoo. My oldest insisted we go to the Empire State Building because she saw it on a TV show, and as a native New Yorker I had never been so I figured it might be fun. It is, as expected, very crowded, windy at the top, and just not all that exciting for kids or adults in my opinion. The Bronx Zoo is a great Zoo but it is very large and sprawling, and if you only have a limited time on a vacation, it’s just not something I would prioritize. There are much more manageable and pretty zoos in other locations, this is not one of my favorites with small kids. 

A few other mentions:

I am not going to even try to cover NYC food at this moment, but one thing we did do was go to brunch at Magic Hour at the top of the Moxy Hotel and it was SO fun. The atmosphere is great with kids and they have things like pancakes with cotton candy and a giant stuffed croissant (that you have to order in advance). When we were at Rockefeller Center we went to Ellen’s Stardust Diner around the corner, where the staff all sing Broadway tunes during your meal. It can be very loud but the girls really enjoyed the entertainment. We also went to the American Girl doll store in Times Square and the girls loved the experience. 

Did we miss anything? What are your NYC faves with kids?