New York with kids

[edgewater]

Well, one age 12. I have read tonnes but I am utterly confused!

We will, when booked, arrive on a Saturday late afternoon and then fly to Miami on the Wednesday or Thursday morning. Has anyone been? Is 4 nights enough for a first visit or would you do 5?

We’d like to do the usual tourist spots plus Coney Island.

Ideally a central hotel. Happy to use the subway.

Any advice or tips would be gratefully received. Thanks so much. My brain is fried.

[edgewater]

Oh and it’s for October.

[Fivetoomany]

Hi OP, no advice as I haven't yet been. However we are booked to travel Feb 2020 with our 5 children. We have booked a house through air bnb in queens and plan to use metro and buses. We are staying for 9 days and plan to do all touristy things as well as chilling and actually taking everything in!

[edgewater]

Thank you. It’s mind blowing!

I looked at airb&b but from what I can see it’s not legal (sorry) in New York. I’m looking at Radio City Apartments just now. They seem to be fairly good.

[Ricekrispie22]

Definitely do 5 nights, especially if you’re going out to Coney Island because it’s a bit out of the way and could easily take up the best part of a full day.

[Ricekrispie22]

Consider staying in Brooklyn if you want to go to Coney Island as it will be handier for the subway.

[Fivetoomany]

Yes it is a strange law and applys to buildings with more than 3 apartments in a block. Our is actually a house rather than apartment ( not sure why I have referred to it as an apartment up above) so is legal as there is only one building on the lot. Very difficult to find a legal let though as it is any kind of rental not just air bnb. Have you started a intinery etc yet?

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

What sort of things do you like, do you like museums for instance?.

I would not bother with visiting Coney Island in October and would stick to Manhattan. Its best to visit CI between May and September because more of it is open in those months and particularly on the weekends.

[edgewater]

Thank you Attila. That’s helpful. We aren’t really into museums. I do want to go to 9/11 but I don’t want to see the museum. A bit distasteful in my opinion.

[Ricekrispie22]

The 9/11 museum is one of the best museums I’ve been to. V sensitive and a real celebration of the bravery of some people involved.

[Notenoughbookshelves]

7 nights wasn’t nearly enough for us( oh dear we’ll need to return). I wouldn’t take kids to the 9/11 museum.

[bitofabelly]

Hi there, we stayed jn Courtyard by Marriott New York Manhattan/Herald Square with our kids and cannot fault this hotel and its location. If budget was higher i had another hotel in mind. Right across from Macy's, and what we loved was that it was near subway, near Macy's, 5 min walk to Empire State Building...10 min walk to Times Square etc. We were so happy with choice. It's a smaller hotel so not crazy busy. Ask for higher up floors. Beds super comfy.

In terms of activities - we went to see Ground Zero but didn't do the museum. Our kids were extremely moved by Ground Zero and was enough for them. We also went to O'Haras pub there, they loved the history of that pub with firefighters, badges in walls etc. Would like to have done One World..what a beauty of a building. We walked Brooklyn Bridge, went to Grand Central Terminal, went inside St Patrick's Cathedral...Central Park. One of the highlights for us was the night time Harbour Cruise...spectacular...more so than seeing Statue of Liberty by day. It was a real wow moment. Also we went to an NBA game which was a stand out moment as our kids love ball...so maybe check to see what is on when you are there. 4 nights is plenty for a first trip...it's busy busy busy but we felt so safe there and loved every minute.

[nornironrock]

Another thing to note... We could not find any way of buying cheaper tickets for kids, or family tickets, on the Subway, and actually found taking yellow cabs to be cheaper for a family of four.

And more fun.

Times Square is waaaay better at night.

And the Statten Island Ferry has to be the best free thing I've done!

[crustycrab]

Have to disagree with lots of the above. Times Square is better at 7am, it's hellish at night. Also the subway 7 day pass is one of the best bargains in New York. And the term "Ground Zero" is no longer used.

Group your activities based on location as nyc is massive.

Book a hotel as most air b&b is illegal.

[bitofabelly]

Crustycrab..that's news to me about Ground Zero..what is the correct term???

[bitofabelly]

And agree about Times Square being ridiculously busy at night..as for the M&M store...never again 🤣

[crustycrab]

@bitofabelly it's the 9/11 memorial and museum. If you have a look over on the trip advisor forums some New York locals get quite offended by it.

And please don't mention the M&M store to me 😖

[Lucylocket13]

We stayed in radio city apartments with our 3 children in August. They are fab and very central. We went to Coney Island- glad I’ve been but wouldn’t rush back.

[HerRoyalNotness]

The favourite thing for my kids we did was go to Washington square park. There is a guy there that feeds pigeons and they land on you if you want, someone else making giant bubbles, a playground. It just had a really nice feel to it.

[WendyMoiraAngelaDarling]

I’m looking at Radio City Apartments just now.

I've stayed there. It was ok. But book direct as you get the rooms at the back with brick wall view next to the air con shafts otherwise, if you go through eg booking.com. Also generously tip on arrival and they'll look after you the rest of your stay. Good location.

[edgewater]

Fantastic. Thank you for answering me. Will take a thorough read tonight.

[Barbeasty]

The 9/11 museum does tours, including one for families. It was pitched just right, and my DC certainly came away with a greater understanding of the events and their impact on the world today.

It was mostly in the memorial area and was both sensitive and fascinating in the level of attention the detail in everything that has been done there. Especially the little things like the white roses which we’d seen next to certain names but would never have known that staff put them out each day by the people who would have been celebrating their birthdays that day.
Then we were taken into the museum, had a brief explanation and were left to our own devices to see as much or as little as we wanted.