Weekend in NYC with Kids

As we plan a trip to NYC in a couple of weeks to celebrate my daughter’s 9th birthday, I’m thinking back to our last family weekend in NYC almost two years ago.  There is so much to do and see in NYC that every family will do it differently depending on their interests and ages.  But maybe our adventures will give you some ideas for your own trip.

For this trip, we used Hotwire.com and requested a room with two beds in the Flatiron/Grammercy district with a four star or higher rating.  Summer is a good time to take a weekend in NYC because most everyone is headed OUT of the city, not into it.  So, we ended up with a great deal at the Roger Hotel on Madison and 32nd Street. After a Friday night drive into the city, it was nice to check in on Foursquare and unlock a special for a free drink at the hotel bar.  

The next morning, we had a great breakfast over at Guy & Gallard on Park Avenue South then took the subway (always fun for kids!) up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The subway is fun, but a little loud!

Since this was her first time to the Met, Hannah set the priority on what we would see first.  Of course it is easy to spend a whole day there, but we had a full day planned so we had to pick just a few galleries.  Of course, after reading the Kane Chronicles she just had to see the Egyptian gallery.

Bringing the Kane Chronicles to life

After a couple of hours, it was time to move on.  First we hit the museum store and got a copy of “From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler,” by E.L. Konigsburg (one of my favorite kid’s books, set in the Met) and another Foursquare checkin scored us a free reusable tote bag (which we still use for piano books.)

We then took a stroll through Central Park past the Alice Wonderland statue, the Bethesda Fountain, Boathouse, and carousel on our way over to the West side.  I was on the hunt (using the Eat St app) for the Rickshaw Dumpling food truck but it wasn’t where expected.  Luckily, later we stopped by the location on 23rd St for the chocolate soup dumpling.  This ball of chocolatey goodness is impossible to eat without liquid chocolate exploding everywhere! I’m so bummed that Rickshaw has since closed!

Chocolate soup dumpling from Rickshaw Dumpling Bar

The next stop on our whirlwind tour was a matinee show of The Lion King.  I really expected to be underwhelmed by this show but instead I was blown away.   A complete visual and musical delight.

For dinner we headed out to Long Island to meet my in-laws for dinner at the famous Peter Luger’s Steakhouse (Great Neck location, not Brooklyn.)  Then my husband had fun introducing our daughter to the Lemon Ice King of Corona Queens and the tradition of Saturday night bocce ball in the park.

The next morning we took a nice walk through the Flatiron district, spending some time in Madison Square Park before walking over to Eataly on 5th and 23rd.  If you are a foodie and you haven’t been to Eataly, it is completely worth the trip.  Eataly is a market, owned in part by Mario Batali, which offers different areas to purchase fresh and prepared foods, such as pasta, cheese, seafood, meats, fruits and vegetables, and sweets — as well as places to eat.

Looking at all that food worked up our appetites just in time to head over to Tom Colicchio’s craftbar on Broadway for a family brunch (what, no bloody mary’s before noon on Sundays — when did that happen??)  A little shopping and exploring and all too soon it is time to head home.  Weekends are way too short, let’s see what we can pack in next time.

If you are planning a trip to NYC, here are 20 mobile apps you should download before you go and check out this 3 day NYC itinerary.

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