A Beginner’s Guide to NYC with Kids: The Short List

Everything and anything goes here. Times squares epitomizes the phrase Bright lights, big city. It’s like Hollywood Blvd on steroids! You can see any Broadway show, experience the ball drop, and people watch all day long.

Established in the late 1800’s, Keen steakhouse is one of the oldest steakhouses in NYC. The ceiling is covered with pipes. IN fact, Keen steakhouse owns the largest collection of “church warden” pipes in the world.

Between this, the mahogany walls and ancient oil paintings, Keen’s has the coziest den like vibe with all the feels. Like everything in NYC, Keen’s will get packed… quick! Best to eat with young ones in the early hours…

Orrrrr from Times Square you can take a 10 minute walk to…

As a NYC historic landmark and the commuter hub for all New Yorkers, Manhattans Grand Central station is a site to be seen. A grand marble staircase, 75 ft windows and arched ceilings compose this stations intricate architecture. It’s hard to get a bad meal in NYC I gotta tell ya. There is a plethora of dining options here at Grand Central Station.
Make sure you do some sampling at Murray’s cheese.

If you are looking for a restaurant with table service at Grand Central Station, then Oyster Bar is your place. Yep you guessed it… the specialty here is seafood. Oysters in particular. I also recommend the lobster roll though. Pearl Oyster Bar is small, quaint and definitely has a memorable look. The beautiful tiled arches add to all its charm. Pearl Oyster Bar feels like Paris.

NYC is not shy of carrousels and this park is no exception. The kids will love to ride Le Carrousel. Plus, there is always some activity going on here during the summer months. It goes without saying that a stop in the park is a must when visiting anywhere with young kids.

The architecture is amazing plus it serves as a good backup plan in case it rains!

The premiere site, especially during the holidays, Rockefeller center hosts a near 80 ft. tree, ice skating, extravagant holiday decorations and more…Rockefeller Center is also home to various works of art, beautiful gardens and plenty of shopping all around. The kiddos will love the window display going on at the Lego store.

There is always a hotdog cart around to tide you over!

(Below Midtown)

Helpful Tips:

Children under 6 are free.

Book ahead to be guaranteed entry (though there can still be lines).

The open aired deck on the 86th floor makes for great photos so no real need to go waaaay up to the top.

In Central Park, not only will you find major museums!! You’ll also find a boathouse, playgrounds, amusement park, puppet shows, carriage rides, theatre, artisans… and the list keeps going.

Make sure you head to Central Park at the first chance you get at good weather! And definitely make it a point to see the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain while you are there. The tunnel is STUNNING!

This playground is composed of entirely bronze. It’s literally a giant bronzed sculpture of a person sitting. The statue has multiple slides, stairs and hands to stand in or hide under.

Located across the street from Central Park in the basement level of one of the most notable hotels/private residences in NYC, is a food court with some good eats.

From Lady M bakery, to Sub No.7… a caviar shop and even a sit down restaurant, this food court is a great stop when you’re traveling with the fam and trying to satisfy picky eaters.

A short walk from Central Park is Bilboquet restaurant. This is one of our favorite restaurants in NYC with exceptional French cuisine. The endive salad and the steak tartare and frites are divine.

If your kids can sit through a meal, then Le Bilboquet is not to be missed. It’s chic and intimate.

However…

Café Bilboquet

If you are looking for exceptional food at a fraction of the cost then Bilbiquet’s casual café/bakery next door is perfect. You can order everything from soup, salad to sweet treats at the counter, and then grab a table and enjoy. It’s pretty much a win win.

SEE THE WINDOWS WHILE YOU’RE HERE. There will always be some aspect that is imaginative and inspiring:

Bergdorf Goodman
Saks Fifth Ave
Barney’s New York

Colorful, eclectic and most off, legendary. Here’s to the good ol’ days of gathering over a giant milkshake, or in this case the frozen hot chocolate that Oprah pronounced the best. The giant sundae is the icing on the cake here. Prepare for the kids to be in overstimulation mode.

TIP: Make a reservation in advance to avoid any waits.

This is what I call making an ordeal over buying a pint of ice cream in the most creative way, The museums of Ice creams pop up pint shop is super fun.

Of course, you can sit down and eat from your pint of ice cream, orrrr just snap a few photos of the eye candy all around.

The high Line is a park that stretches for miles on the west side of Manhattan. It’s located over the Standard Hotel. You can see the city’s views, grab a casual bite or check out interesting installations and activities.

The High Line hosts many many events so if you are looking for something even more specific while you are visiting, then check their schedule ahead of time. Either way, it’s a perfect spot for a walk along the cityscape.

They sure pack the meat in here! Lol…New Yorkers are sure serious about eating in this town. Not only does Chelsea Market have some of the best eats around, but cooking shows like Emerill and Iron Chef are also filmed here.

Grab a taco from Los tacos or anything from Dickson’s Farmstand Meats. Their homemade hotdogs are divine. You can only do right eating in Chelsea Market.

The winding narrow streets, the international scene, the colors, buildings energy… NYC’s Chinatown is worth checking out. Plus there are plenty of Noodle Shops all around. The lines will dictate which ones are the best.

A short walk away from Chinatown is the coolest pencil store ever, Yes, I did say pencil store. Only in NYC right? Snap a photo holding the giant Ticonderoga pencil and relive your kindergarten days. The kids will have a blast!

This is a great park with swings, a jungle gym, splash pad and a 3 ft pool. I can’t even tell you how many times this park has come in handy. The exhaustion your kids will feel afterwards will buy you the time to sit down for an uninterrupted meal, and make you feel less guilty if your toddler watches the iPad while you enjoy your glass of wine.

This playground happens to be conveniently located around the corner from Dominique Ansel Bakery, so grab a cronut if you’re making this a morning stop.

A couple doors down from C.W. Enterprise is Regina’s Grocery,

Don’t be fooled by the sign. You don’t actually grocery shop here. You pull in for one of the best Italian subs of your life.

Lombardi’s Pizza hosts one of the first coal fire pizza ovens in NYC. You CANNOT leave New York until you’ve had a NYC style pizza from here. Eat here and you’ll see why.

Pull in for a macaroon! It’s the closest thing you are going to get to Paris. The Lauderee in Soho is a take out bakery and a dine-in restaurant. The patio is a beautiful place to have a seat and gather yourself from the hustle and bustle.

If you are an early bird and plan on heading to Soho…then get in line at Dominique Ansel Bakery and get yourself a cup of java and a couple Cronuts (I mean you didn’t just stand in line for nothing). You’ll have the rest of the day to walk it off.

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