New York fun, shopping and lots more (with or without kids!)
This was submitted by Kate, mum of one and definitely an Irish NYC expert. Well done Kate and thanks for the tips.
Kate is just back from New York again and has again posted a super post on the site.Very much with kids this time.Check it out on the Forum here.
General:
The minute you get there buy "Time Out NYC with Kids". It's full of info on what's on etc. We bought a book - NYC with Kids by Frommers. It was good on things to do and where to stay. The food options were dire though!! All bright lights, loud music, awful food so we just went to our usual haunts which seemed to be child friendly - although we are a bit immune to the sensitivities of restaurant staff to my daughter's presence!
Arriving:
If arriving to Newark with Continental, get the Air-Train to Penn Station. Much quicker than a car. Alternatively, you can book a helicopter transfer with Continental to midtown East side (12 st helicopter place). It works out cheaper than later on going on the touristy "15 minute" (ie 5 mins) helicopter ride which is always packed with huge queues. It's also a longer journey than the tourist version.
If arriving to JFK, there is no direct subway/train service to Manhattan so a cab is probably your best bet. There's a flat fare of $45 plus tolls and tip to midtown. Alternatively, you can go with one of the limo drivers that line up and negotiate a rate with them for Manhattan. We ended up in quite a dodgy HUGE limo with dimmed lights and a distinct seedy feel to it - but it was fun!
Hotel accommodation:
• Hudson (at Columbus circle so great location) small rooms but good value. Right by a great subway station on a number of lines. Excellent atmosphere at the restaurant "canteen" and late night bar. (Part of Schrager/Philippe Stark hotel group). 356 West 58th Street New York.
• Dream - Great spa and great location on Broadway about 10 blocks up from Times Square. 210 west 55th
• Morgans - Classy hotel, asia de cuba restaurant -midtown (part of schrager/philippe stark hotel group);
• QT hotel - has a swimming pool in the bar behind reception - lovely, if small rooms and very cool. Just off Times Square. 125 WEST 45TH STREET.
• The very posh Helmsley, Carlyle and New York Palace would also be amazing. As would the Four Seasons. By the way, often, the posher the hotel, the better they look after children. That surprised me. We stayed in the Four Seasons in Budapest and my daughter was treated like a princess. We went for Christmas lunch to the Plaza Athenee in NYC and again, they treated her like royalty. Milan - Hotel Principe di Savoie, the same... I would have thought they'd be snooty with children but it’s the opposite.
For those travelling with children, Aparthotels are your best bet. The best are:
• Affinia group. Affinia are generally well located in mid-town. This time around we are staying in the Affinia Manhattan near Penn Station. Hopefully it will be ok.
• AKA A new York great choice
• Renaissance hotel and suites
• We stayed on the upper West Side - Milburn Hotel. The Milburn is slightly old fashioned, not luxurious but clean with big rooms and we liked it.
All are Aparthotels - with small kitchen areas. Two bedrooms are better as it means that babies can have their own room and go to bed while we stay up and watch TV /read/plan the next day’s shopping trip like a military campaign etc!
Most important is whether the hotel is near a subway - that means, no matter where you are, you can get around easily.
Restaurants:
Balthazar in Soho 80 Spring St very buzzy atmosphere - famous for brunch. Featured in sex and the city. French bistro style.
Pastis - Meat packing district. Little west 12th st @ ganesvoort street - nice food very buzzy. Meat packing district is great fun to wander around.
Florent - diner in meatpacking district open 24 hours. Again, featured in sex and the city, typical but good quality diner food. Gansevoort st.
Bar Pitti - west village - 268 sixth ave - amazing Italian food. Full of "Off duty" celebs and models but very low key. Great fun staff. Wonderful for lunch.
21 club - We had good food on two separate trips at the 21 club in midtown. It's an old world restaurant full of men wearing blazers and women with hair so stiff with hairspray that it doesn't move - vintage NYC!
Tao is very good fun. I've always ended up leaving there very late and very drunk. Great asian food, very popular and used to be very trendy but I haven't been there in 2 years - so it may have changed. Worth checking out. Has a great fun bar that you move into after dinner. AGAIN, featured in Sex and the City!
Morels - If in midtown, near Rockefeller centre. Morels opp NBC building is a lovely wine bar with nice food for a relaxed lunch. It's a bit like Ely.
River Cafe in Brooklyn is stunning. Amazing views of the Manhattan skyline and beautiful flower arrangements. The food isn't bad either!
For amazing food but ridiculously expensive try Per Se (in Time Warner building in Columbus circle);
Cipriani's downtown is another good foodie Italian - you'll probably see the likes of Donald Trump etc.
Sushi Samba is a Brazilian/Japanese type place. Good atmosphere and good food.
Les Hales Brasserie is run by my hero, Anthony Bourdain. It's French brasserie food, a bit like La Coupoule in Paris but americanised.
Best burgers in town are found in the corner bistro - a bar like Smiths on Haddington road but with great burgers! Usually packed.
For a hilarious time, try Ellen's Stardust Diner with singing waiters! (Corner of 51st and Broadway). Pretty touristy, but so is everything in NYC.
Bars:
Bars - there are so many I don't know where to begin! Don’t even THINK of going to Irish bars! Penn Top Par on top of the Peninsula Hotel is good but quiet with lovely views of the city. The Monkey Bar used to be good fun but again, may be a bit staid. The bar in the Hudson hotel (see above) is great.
Mc sorley's old ale house is fun. It has only recently allowed women in! it's an old speakeasy and is a real "spit on the floor" place.
Bungalow 8 is supposed to be great if your concierge can get you in, as is the Grammercy Park Hotel.
Nice things to do:
Best thing to do is to book as many of the popular restaurants as possible in advance, then hoof it around, eating in diners/cafes/pizza joints as you go. My favourite thing to do is go for a lovely lunch in eg Bar Pitti/Pastis then wander around the west village (just walk straight down Bleeker) and pop in and out of bars/bookshops/bakeries/shops etc.
My husband loves the Chelsea piers where there is a driving range out over the Hudson and lots of other things like tennis/squash/gym etc. He enjoyed the helicopter tour of the city (bring your passport- we had to go back to the hotel for ours!) and the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum which is on a war ship on the west side
There's also horse riding & football available in central park.
Spas - Bliss spa in Soho and in the W hotel in midtown is wonderful. Try the oxygenating facial. Very American i.e. thorough but not necessarily pampering!
When you get there, Central Park & FAO Schwartz are obviously a must with children. FAO is on the East downtown corner of central park (58th and 5th) so it's handy. Huge Ice creams available in the ice cream parlor in FAO, although I felt mighty sick after one!
We love lunch in Pastis in the meatpacking district (Little west 12th and Gansevoort St) followed by a walk along Bleeker to stop for cupcakes and coffee for dessert at Magnolia Bakery and a run in the children’s ' playground opposite. There are lots of playgrounds around the place which is handy. Like Dublin, or any large city, there are lots to keep children entertained; it's just a matter of finding out what's on. Don't forget, there are thousands of children living in the city, so there are lots to do.
Shopping
• J&R for electronic gadgets/cameras etc. 23 Park Row, New York, N.Y. 10038 (across from City Hall Park)
• Nearby is Century 21 (at the world trade centre site on Cortland Street between church and Broadway - great for designer bargains for men, women and children).
• Also nearby is South Street Seaport which has Abercrombie and Fitch, Gap and J Crew beside the Tkts Shop for cheap tickets to Broadway shows for shows that evening. Start queuing early for the best tickets (10am) while your other half shops -then swap over.... yes the queue is that long, but it’s long for a reason. The tickets are half price!!
• If you are feeling energetic, hop on the grey line bus from port authority bus terminal and head up to Woodbury common. Buy tickets from the Grey line booth which is BESIDE port authority, not in it! Shops at Woodbury don't open till 10, so get a bus at around 9 - not like Miss eager beaver here who was awake with excitement at 6 and at port authority at 7.15... Then waiting for the shops to open in the freezing cold for an hour in Woodbury Common!
• Fifth Ave (near Rockefeller Centre - at 47th to 51st) is great for Gap, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Gant (for boys), Armani Exchange, Nine West (much cheaper in the US than here).
• Madison Ave is wonderful - Barneys, my Mecca. Hermes and Gucci and Fendi, Oh MY...
• Bloomingdales is worth a day on its own. It has EVERYTHING. Go during the Sales for a bargain.
• Macys has much less choice but has good bargains, and always seems to have a sale on. If you've to choose between the two, go to Bloomies.
Museums/Galleries etc
• The Metropolitan Museum is one of my favourites. They have a huge impressionist collection which I love & they also have a new Greek/Roman civilization wing and the amazing Egyptian wing. It's really lovely. It's on 84-86th and 5th.
• MOMA for modern art it great also - it's in midtown - 11 West 53 Street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues. Open 10:30 am – 5:30 pm. Except Tuesday when it's closed. Open until 8:00 p.m. on Fridays.
Handily, the Manolo Blahnik shop is just opposite the back door of MOMA.... Check out MOMA for Fours -Saturdays and Sundays, 10:30–11:15 a.m. - a program specially designed for four-year-old visitors, Admission is free.
• Central Park Zoo is interesting but small. Nice because it’s in the middle of the city - like a mini version of Taronga Zoo in Sydney. But Brooklyn Zoo is the big one!
• There is a tour of Harlem gospel music also which might be nice & check out what's on in the Lincoln centre and the Met opera/ballet.
• The children's museum is supposed to be great. It's near the Natural History Museum on the upper west side (approx 76th str).
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