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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

New York with teen children - help me plan!

72 replies

Darkchocolateandcoffee · 11/01/2023 18:02

I want to take my sons 13 and 16 to NYC this year for the first time. I have a limited budget (by which I mean I don't have any specific budget for it yet but can't afford to go wild).

I want to stay the minimum time there to cut down on hotel costs, but I don't want to wish I'd booked an extra night or two. Is three nights enough or I should I go for four? Or is four too short too? (I appreciate there will be enough stuff to do to keep you busy for a month, but I'm hoping for a greatest hits sort of trip).

Also when is a good time to go? We could either do late summer hols or October half-term. Does weather make a difference to the flight? (I am a pathetic nervous flyer).

What's a good time to fly from London? Flight times will be governed by budget really.

Any hotels/must sees/restaurant etc recommendations SO welcome!

OP posts:
Digimoor · 12/01/2023 14:52

Jamaica station does have lifts

gogohmm · 12/01/2023 15:13

Ny is stupidly expensive! Even my dp who tells me off for watching the pennies /complaining about how expensive things are, said he couldn't believe how fast we went through money - and we can afford it.

There are cheaper things to do, even free, but plan carefully especially meals.

My tip is to find accommodation with a fridge and microwave at least so you can make a simple breakfast at home and potentially make sandwiches etc because each meal was horrific once you add sales tax and tip (street vendors are a cheaper option but you need cash and they vary in price a lot). Definitely worth an extra $20-30 a day as you can save so much. We liked the Hell's Kitchen area as lots of different restaurants and cheap bars (though with teens they aren't on the cards).

One tip is the Harlem jazz museum, it was free entry. The park of course is amazing and free. The high line is free, stop off at the market for food (we bought food for a picnic there). 9/11 area is free outside, we didn't pay to go in. Statue of Liberty/Ellis island is a full day and free entry (you have to pay for the boat though, book as far ahead as you can) we took one of the earliest boats out and still didn't see everything in the museum!

Baseball is a good idea, look for family packages, we used to live in the USA and the family package was so reasonable (bad seats but still good)

gogohmm · 12/01/2023 15:17

I know people who have booked a private room at the hosteling international hostel. I'm told it was good

gogohmm · 12/01/2023 15:19

Ps we only used subway and ferries, you change for the airport at Jamaica I think it is, very reasonable

Original poster
Darkchocolateandcoffee · 12/01/2023 16:19

Oh wow this is all SO helpful! What really fantastic tips and advice and thoughts - thank you!

I am working now so can't look them all up properly, but seriously this is brilliant.

Thank you!

OP posts:
ripandhishorse · 12/01/2023 19:05

ESTA has gone up too. It’s $21 now.

Homecomin · 12/01/2023 19:06

We went for a week and that didn’t even feel enough. Desperate to go back!! We were out from 8am
to 10pm every day and walked 105 miles in the week and used to subway a lot too

ClosedAuraOpenMind · 12/01/2023 21:57

we went in october last year and it was 20 degrees and blues skies
also did a groupon deal on attraction tickets, so we got 5 attractions for 2 adults and one child for just under £300 - which was good value
DD loved Rise, which simulates flying over New York and is just off times square
and we lived going over the Brooklyn Bridge, seeing all the decorated brownstone houses there and we found and old 1930s chemist which has been made into a traditional soda fountain place (brooklyn apothecary, maybe)

HelenHywater · 13/01/2023 14:27

I took my teens in the summer and it was a good time to go (not stupidly hot when we were there). I think flights can be a bit cheaper in August.

We stayed in an air bnb in Harlem which was brilliant!

There's also free kayaking on the Hudson river which they really enjoyed.

There's lots to do!

Some of the things we did:
= we walked the Highline (food at Bubby's just by it was a highlight for my dcs)

  • walking across Brooklyn Bridge and wandering around Brooklyn
  • They liked Times Square (and food at Carmine's)
  • Food in Harlem
  • We went to a Baseball game which was fun
  • Tour round Manhattan island
  • I loved the Tenement Museum (them less so)
  • The Metropolitan museum (I only took them to one museum)
  • the 9/11 museum was amazing - they all loved that
  • Shopping for sweets and clothes to take home
  • Central Park - there's a lido inside it which is free or cheap and the children enjoyed that.
  • we also went up the Empire State Building (because you have to).
Roundaboot · 13/01/2023 14:50

Following with interest as I want to take DS to NY during October half term (which will be shortly after his 16th birthday, meaning I'd have to pay adult fare 🙄)

feelingrubbish2023 · 13/01/2023 14:51

@Roundaboot adult fares usually start about 13 I think.

I've never got over the fact that adult park tickets at Disney start at 10 🙄

Roundaboot · 13/01/2023 15:03

Oh, from what I saw on BA, it looked like they start at 16? But I only had a quick look so could well be wrong! It does feel very unfair paying full price when they're still in school!

allfurcoatnoknickers · 13/01/2023 15:22

@HelenHywater The Bubby's by the Highline closed down during Covid - I was gutted as we used to go all the time for Brunch 😭.

Also, OP, just an FYI, people have mentioned AirBnB but the rules are currently being tightened, making most of them illegal now. Tread carefully. There's a huge crackdown coming. I've personally seen AirBnB guests refused entry to apartments when they arrived, seen people illegally subletting arrested and also just had a friend who's AirBnB cancelled last minute due to the new rules :(.

Lizchaz · 13/01/2023 15:41

Just to add a couple of budget things to do. We went on the cable car to Roosevelt island (using the metro card) and were there for dusk. Looking back at Manhattan as all of the lights came on travelling back was a huge highlight of our trip.

Also if you want to take in an ice hockey match we went out to New Jersey rather than seeing one at Maddison Square Garden. The cost for 5 of us wasn’t much more than 1 ticket at the garden. The train was very easy and we felt safe the whole time.

elevenplusdilemma · 13/01/2023 18:35

Summer in New York can be very hot and humid as well as quite foggy across the river so views are shite.
I'd definitely go in October instead.

Original poster
Darkchocolateandcoffee · 14/01/2023 10:06

Absolutely loving all these ideas. I have a BA companion voucher through my credit card which gets me one free flight. So I would only pay for two outward flights, and three return which look much cheaper on the BA website.

That hotel in Long Island City looks great too.

Costing flights plus five nights in that hotel, and using my companion voucher, I reckon I could do flights plus hotel for three grand.

This is quite exciting.

OP posts:
ripandhishorse · 14/01/2023 10:20

Can I ask why Long island? You’ll spend about an hour and a half a day getting into Manhattan and back. Can we help finding a better hotel location?

Digimoor · 14/01/2023 10:27

Long Island City is in Queens

Hellocatshome · 14/01/2023 10:27

Darkchocolateandcoffee · 14/01/2023 10:06

Absolutely loving all these ideas. I have a BA companion voucher through my credit card which gets me one free flight. So I would only pay for two outward flights, and three return which look much cheaper on the BA website.

That hotel in Long Island City looks great too.

Costing flights plus five nights in that hotel, and using my companion voucher, I reckon I could do flights plus hotel for three grand.

This is quite exciting.

Any chance you can go in February? I think you will manage to get cheaper flights then. £3000 just for flights and hotel seems a bit steep especially when you are only paying for 5 flights not 6. And staying a long way from the action.

coralgeo · 14/01/2023 10:27

ripandhishorse · 14/01/2023 10:20

Can I ask why Long island? You’ll spend about an hour and a half a day getting into Manhattan and back. Can we help finding a better hotel location?

What? Long Island City is a great location. We've stayed about a 2 min walk from Queensboro Plaza Station and then it's literally just a few minutes back to Midtown.

Hellocatshome · 14/01/2023 10:29

Ah forget my comment about staying away from the action I misread your post and thought you were staying in Long Island!

coralgeo · 14/01/2023 10:29

Long Island and Long Island City are 2 different places!

coralgeo · 14/01/2023 10:49

Unless I won the lottery and could afford something truly amazing in Manhattan I would always stay in Long Island City. It's a lot cheaper and it's nice to emerge from your hotel into calm rather than the immediate bustle of Midtown. You also get something you can't get in Manhattan - views of the Manhattan skyline. Recommend the Court Square diner for an authentic old school diner. The subway is elevated which is fun.

CeeceeBloomingdale · 14/01/2023 10:50

The companion voucher is a buy one get one on redemption bookings, you still pay the tax, and there has to be redemption availability. You can use them on return journeys. The cost of a oneeay ticket is far higher than a return so you wouldn’t be saving anything if you did it as a one way. I have booked 5 nights in October half term for 4 of us (teens so all adult fares) as a BA package staying in Midtown Manhattan for £3k including add on domestics so check it’s worth actually using your voucher as the packages are great value

Original poster
Darkchocolateandcoffee · 14/01/2023 10:50

I had to google Long Island City too but my NYC friend tells me the hotel a kind PP recommended upthread is in a really really good location.

February is an idea, I guess, I shall look into that as if it's much cheaper it might be worth waiting. Thank you

OP posts: