WHERE TO STAY
Our first decision was where to stay. Location is key! We wanted to stay between Times Square and Central Park and near a subway line. We scored with the Sheraton New York Times Square! The 1,781 room hotel recently completed a $180 million renovation. The hotel has many amenities: an onsite restaurant, gift shop/grocery, fitness center, business center, high-speed internet, concierge, mini refrigerators upon request for a nominal fee, and more.
The room was clean, modern, and well laid out. Standard rooms are about 250 square feet. Other family-friendly options include Master Suites (two rooms with sitting area and sofa bed) and Executive Suites (equipped with mini kitchens). Rooms start at a very NYC-reasonable price of under $200 per night for a Double Superior room. The bed was super comfy and the room had a coffee bar and a flat-screen TV with cable and On Demand movies. We loved having the in-room movie option and used it twice to wind down after long but fun-filled days!
Club Level access offers a continental breakfast and evening hors d’oeuvres. Great food trucks can be found right outside the hotel, making this hotel a less expensive option than some other parts of the city. Although it caters to the business crowd, the Sheraton New York Times Square is great for the tourist crowd as well. We found it very convenient for shows and restaurants. Our only complaint was the thin walls and under-door openings which allowed sound in; we fixed this with a simple bundle of towels tucked in front of the door. We loved this hotel and plan to stay there again.
Disclaimer: For purposes of this review, we were upgraded at no additional charge to the Junior Suite, received Club Level access, and provided with complimentary internet access.
PLACES TO GO
When my son and I began to plan out our trip, I asked what he most wanted to see. Our trip developed a bit of a bend toward a movie theme — Night at the Museum, Madagascar, Home Alone, Big, and other favorite films influenced the list. He also threw in a few ideas that he had learned from school like the Brooklyn Bridge, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, MOMA, and the Space Shuttle on the Intrepid. And of course, we had to see Times Square. With the big ideas in hand, we mapped out our sight-seeing strategy.
TIP: We did not opt to purchase one of the discount attraction packages mainly because we did not want to see some attractions, several are free or low cost for kids, others have a suggested donation, and some require advance reservations. By using reciprocal memberships, Groupon or Living Socialdeals , and planning ahead, you may be able to save or break even without the discount programs. Visit www.passcomparison.com to see what will work best for your family.
Day One: Moving from west to east seems to eat up most of the day with traveling so our itinerary was light. The big idea was to get a feel for New York City, and there's no better way to do that than by foot! From our great hotel location, we walked to Times Square, where we were in the middle of throngs of people, never-ending construction, street performers, and more lights that you can imagine. The kiddo's eyes were as big as saucers taking it all in. After a quick bite, we visited the Empire State Building to see the views from one of the world's tallest and most famous buildings at night ... it was spectacular!
TIP: Go into the building and ask one of the uniformed attendants, rather than one of the tour salespeople, if the lines are long. We ran into a family with small children who waited in line over three hours. You can not see the many, many different lines from the entry point. The Express Pass is well worth the upgrade if the lines are super long. Or skip it all together and visit the Top of the Rock which offers assigned times, and a view of the Empire State Building!
Day Two: For a 5th Grader who has learned about American history, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty are synonymous with New York City. We traveled to Ellis Island via ferry which helped us think about what an immigrant arriving must have felt like. As with the Statue of Liberty, audio tours were included so we were able to look and listen while taking in the enormous building and the intake halls and rooms. The audio tour is great with several versions for kids, adults, and those seeking more detailed information. This tour contains much of the history of the building and installation, as well as replicas of portions of the statue like her feet (which are huge). In addition, the walking tour itself is very well laid out allowing you to "walk in an immigrant's shoes" on their journey. My son's interest was held nicely within this very historic location. By booking the Statue of Liberty tour ahead of time, we were able to get into the pedestal of the Lady (there is no elevator service on Ellis Island until further notice). Good to know: Several artifacts were missing from the displays due to Hurricane Sandy from two years ago due to the HVAC failure.
TIP: Reservations to get into the newly renovated and reopened torch book up about 5-6 months in advance so plan accordingly.
While we were in Lower Manhattan, we paid our respects at the 9/11 Memorial which was moving and poignant. I easily remember where I was during this event and knew co-workers in the City; and I can not forget the vision of the building area when I visited one month later. This Memorial has assembled many first-person accounts and artifacts to help us remember this terrible tragedy. For my tween, it was eye-opening and not overly graphic. It is a somber, well done, and must-see tribute.
Day Three: After a day of history, we decided to spend the next day in the beautiful outdoors! Our adventure started outside Central Park at New York Bike where we decided to pick up bikes to ride through the park and around Manhattan down to the Brooklyn Bridge.
Our first stop was the Central Park Zoo. We quickly discovered that it is not as depicted in the movie Madagascar. There are no zebras, lions, or hippos, but it is an amazingly well done little zoo perfect for children. With a sea lion act, five snow leopards, a fantastic rainforest exhibit, and very patient docents and volunteers, it was a great way to spend two hours ... definitely worth a stop!
We leisurely made our way around the Park, stopping to climb rocks, pet dogs, sail remote-controlled boats at the Conservatory and Yacht Club, and enjoy lunch while being serenaded by an impromptu a capella band.
We didn't want to ride on the busy NYC streets, so we mostly hand-walked our bikes from the middle of Central Park to the west side of Manhattan and the Greenway which is a bike-only path (some runners in sections) that runs all around the island. It is a convenient way to get around and get some exercise to boot! When we finally made it to the Brooklyn Bridge but due to lots of construction and a detour, we were not able to get up on the bridge due to a construction detour. Instead, we read a bit of the history of the Bridge and took pictures!
TIP: The bike idea was great but next time we will look for a Groupon or try CitiBike, which offers bikes at $9.99 a day with pick up and drop off all over the City (just be sure to bring a helmet and bike lock for each person).
Day Four: With tickets to an evening show, we opted for a shorter day and chose to see the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. If you have never been on an aircraft carrier, it is a kick. Unlike a typical museum where you might just see replicas, you get to see, experience, and sometimes touch real artifacts. There are several items on exhibit: the carrier, the planes, the helicopter, a space shuttle, a submarine, and a Concorde jet. There are guided tours and an audio tour is available too. The staff was great at pointing out details as well. The shuttle and the submarine were the highlights of the visit!
TIP: Members of the Denver Nature and Science Museum can use their membership for free admission to Intrepid, a reciprocal museum!
Taking in a show while in NYC is a must. There are so many different genres and price points available so you are sure to find something that will fit for your family. Finding Neverland, about how James Graham was inspired to write Peter Pan, was the musical we chose. It was well written, beautifully staged, very touching in spots, and quite funny! I loved the show; my 11-year-old was hoping for a few more pirates but still enjoyed it!
Day Five: We saved the American Museum of Natural History for last. Like the Central Park Zoo, this was a movie stop too. We asked the staff where to find Teddy the monkey, Dum Dum, and others, but were disappointed to learn that the movie rendition was mostly fictitious. We spent most of the day here, and still did not have enough time to see the entire museum and special exhibits that we wanted too. The museum is a series of interconnected buildings; each floor is enormous with artifacts everywhere and exhibit hall after exhibit hall. Want to see a dinosaur? First you have to figure out what kind you would like to see as the halls are dedicated to specific periods and types. The same is true for cultures and continents. Do not miss the planetarium!
TIP: Arrive as soon as it opens at 10:00 AM. It closed at 5:30 PM, earlier than we expected (check the schedule). Consider what you want to see most. We purchased the most flexible pass that included all of the extra exhibits, but we had to be strategic in where to go and what to see in between. Plan accordingly.
WHAT TO EAT
New York City is a food mecca! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially when you are busy. And there are breakfast places everywhere, so be sure to search the area around your hotel. One of our favorites was Lindy's, one block over from the Sheraton. The restaurant offers all the usual favorites and specializes in French toast. We even went back for a nightcap dessert one evening!
A couple of nights we ventured out for dinner. We made reservations before our Broadway show at Ruby Foo's in heart of the Theater District. This Asian-inspired local and tourist favorite offers a nicely diversified menu as well as a kid's menu. The food was good, the price reasonable and the ambiance was cool inside and out. We also ate at Ellen's Stardust Diner, famous for its singing waiters. As usual, there was a wait to get in. The burgers were good and the desserts looked fabulous. The volume of the music was a bit much for the kiddo which shortened our stay.
Street vendors are incredible options! After our bike tour, we ended up in the South Street Seaport District, where there were several outdoor eateries and craft beer vendors. Figuring out where to eat is something to NOT plan unless you must try a certain restaurant!
Even with five days, we ran out of time to see all that we wanted. We were sad to have missed the MOMA, Chelsea market, and the Highline for starters. I already have another five-day itinerary in mind for our next visit! No matter how young — or old — your children are, visiting New York City is always brimming with things to do and is so interestingly different from our home here in Denver.
