Off to New York next week - any last minute stuff, info or advice you can suggest?

[Hulababy]

Very excited! In 5 sleeps we are off to new York for the week. Me, DH and 7y DD are going, along with Katz, her DD and her almost 4y DD and her 6y DD.

We have a house on broad channel island and will use the train to go into NYC most days.

Looking at doing the 48 hour bus hopping ticket the first two days.

Think it is memorial Day on Monday.

Also looking at getting a City Plass ticket for some of the attractions/museums.

Anything else you can suggest? Especially with regards to the children.

TIA

How exciting! I love NYC.

To be honest, I wouldn't take the bus in Manhattan - traffic is dire. Use the subway. Fast, safe, cheap if you get a Metrocard and exciting for kids . Plus you'll want to do lots of walking, even with small children. Manhattan is extremely walkable and sightseeing that way is part of the fun.

The Natural History Museum gets good reviews for kids, although I was underwhelmed (but I'm a) 32 and b) from London, where we have a fab Natural history Museum ourselves ).

Central Park is a must.

If you've got a bit of pocket money to buy the kids something (you won't get away without!) go to FAO Schwartz, the big toy shop on

The Museum of New York City has a lovely collection of vintage American toys that the kids might like.

There are loads of Zoos in NYC. The Bronx zoo is probably the biggest/most famous. Haven't been, but heard it's pretty good.

If the weather is good, South St Seaport can be quite fun for a bit of people watching and an ice cream. Ditto Coney island - and you get to go on a little boat trip to get there.

If you want to see the Statue of Liberty without paying for one of the tours, get the Staten Island ferry. I think it's free for kids and dirt cheap for adults, and you'll still sail pass the statue, but much more quickly and cheaply than a longwinded, pricey tour.

Let me think of some more stuff... brb

Go cycling or roller-blading in Central Park on Sunday - it'll sort out your jet-lag.

Take them up the Empire State Building - do that first one day then you won't have to queue too much.

Plus everything MrsM said. I'm better at NY for adults tbh.

Yes, Empire State is worth the queue, but you might have to employ bribery tactics (some good ol' American 'candy' lol) as it can be looooong.

Times Square good for photo opps - all the bright lights and 42nd St is up that way, too. Which reminds me, make sure you have a good, basic map of Manhattan and a subway map. Will make life so much easier. Oh, and get Time Out as soon as you get there, for info on events happening that week. I found this on their website, which might be useful.

We liked the Bronx Zoo

Ralph Lauren's daughter, Dylan, owns a totally OTT sweet shop that's worth a visit, too

We went up the empire state really early and only had to queue for about 45minutes/an hour, not too bad at all. My NYC suggestions are mainly food related!

Grimaldi's Pizzeria in Brooklyn is the best pizza in New York IMHO. They often have a queue too but well worth it.

Clinton Street Baking Company do a fantastic brunch menu. Highly recommend the Clinton St Omlette, again though it does often have a queue (but most of the really good places do!).

If you want to do something other than just eat, shop and sightsee then you could see if Trapeze School have any availability. Such fun!

Also, thinking of restaurants, there is Planet Hollywood on Broadway, which is OTT and fun, but not that cheap.

There's a chain of fast food restaurants called Johnny Rockets all over Manhattan (one on Times Sq) which is cheaper and quite good fun. Does old fashioned malt milkshakes and every table has a mini jukebox which plays a song for a dime.

And if you want an excuse to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, go here.

I really want to take my DS here. Have friends who went and said it was so much fun.

Thanks all. This all sounds fab! Will look at links when home as can't do it on phone easy.

thanks these all look fab.

The citypass gets us into:

Empire State Building Observatory
American Museum of Natural History & Rose Center
Guggenheim Museum
The Museum of Modern Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Cloisters
Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises

If the dds like dolls then American Girl is the place to go.

Toys 'R' Us in Times Square is fun to see the mini ferris wheel.

Century 21 and Syms are good bargain clothes shops in Battery Park City, which is a nice area with a promenade by the river and parks and playgrounds.

Oh yes, also Children's Museums (actually hands-on play places). There is one in Manhattan, one on Staten Island, one in Brooklyn. All different!

(have a lovely time, 6 weeks until I go)

Have you packed yet?

Message withdrawn

hula and i have been known to let the girls stay up a little past bedtime!

lol Coco - no, not even got cases down. Actually going to get DH to gett hem down tonight as realised that Virgin's baggage policy includes dimension restrictions rather than weight. Also discovered I have work every morning and school based activities every afternoon - so not sure when package will occur - looks like Saturday morning!!!

Going to get DD to bed soon and wade through the links - looks like loads to do!!!

And yesm have no problems with keeping the girls up late soemtimes. Routine is not my strong point, and flexibility with bedtimes always been fine with Will be restricted with train times back to Broad Channel rather than the girls.

rofl Katz!!!

Aimsmum - was considering a baseball game but not sure how to go abut organising that.

the bus thing I mentined before - that is the hop on hop off bus thing, open top. Can get a 48 hour ticket.

hula - do you need dd picking up on wednesday, dh more than happy to help out, also your welcome to drop her here after school and go off and pack, i seem to have farmed both of mine out for the morning so can do packing then?

Message withdrawn

If you are hot and there are crowds, and you find yourself in Manhattan, you can chill mostly in Central Park.

The zoo is a must (penguins!). There are tons of really nice playgrounds for city-weary kids - and all free! Around the museum there is the carousel and the Heschker (sp?) playground which I think is the biggest in the park.

My kids' fave is the Ancient Egyptian playground (Central Pk and 67th).

There's also a Wildwest playground - thinks it's W91 st, and a water one at West 59th. And I think 61-63rd has a good playground too. Basically you won't be far from one in the park!

Also The Guggenheim (on East side of park) is free for kids and adults pay what you want Sat after 5 and it has a really fun twisty walkway that's excellent for running down!

katz - no, it is okay but thanks. I have a forum thing at DD's school on Wed at 3pm, so have to be there anyway and she has Brownies after that. I can get some done whilst she is there.

Friday I am at school for the May Queen assembley If either of your girls are around and fancy watching I am happy to take them with me - starts at 2:30pm. It is a very girly affair with the crwning of the new queen, may pole dancing, etc.

If the weather is nice, hiring bikes and cycling round Central Park is ace. A nice New Yorker I got chatting to on a bus recommended it to me, and it was the best thing of many fab things we did in NY.

Top of the Rock comes highly recommended by me, and Ellen's Stardust Diner, not far from Times Square, for the singing waiters. We also enjoyed the Circle Line Ferry out round the Statue of Liberty. Fab playground at Battery Park.

What else, the Woo and the Merry Go Round in Central Park. We did a rickshaw ride round the park which was good fun. Lots of opportunity to stop and take piccies, and info on who lived in what building etc.

And Pasta at Angelo's of Mulberry St in Little Italy. Yummm!

We went between Christmas and New year. Packed but exciting.

Aim for Empire State queue for about 15 minutes before opening. And bear in mind that just when you think you've reached the front of the queue, it's only just beginning, as there are lines at every stage, all the way up. Alternatively, do the Rockefeller instead. Same view, plus you can see the Empire State as well!

Ditto what someone said about Staten Island ferry instead of the official Liberty tours. 2 hour queue for latter, none for S.I. ferry - and it's free. But then the other is included in the 48 hour bus hopper. We found that useful for getting our bearings.

We found it as cheap (and more convenient) to use yellow cabs rather than the v. confusing and dirty subway. For 4 of us, anyway.

If you go to Ground Zero (building site, basically, behind hoardings. Hard to view) go to the church opposite, where the firefighters used to rest. They have an interesting memorial/museum.

The horse and carriages in Central Park are a rip-off. They say x$ per 30 minutes, or part thereof, but it actually only lasts 20 minutes anyway. And they expect a tip as standard. We had a satisfying row with one of the guys about it. There's nowhere in Central Park to go to the loo, by the way. You'd have to duck out and find a cafe - easier said than done.