Oh wow… it’s been 6 months that we have been in New York. 6 months!
So many things have happened since then. Especially unforeseen things…. buuuuuuut even so I am more than late with this post {and another one to follow} it is so fun to see these pictures again. Summer time and wow…. kids do change so quickly in just half a year. Incredible! And as New York is a destination for any time of the year… here we go… finally. Our tips, things we did and would re-do. We stayed 2 weeks and even so we did a lot, there is still much more to discover {hint: I want to go back}…
I hope our little guide will help you a little to plan your own trip to NYC or to discover something new!
We basically planned one activity/sightseeing thing per day. So we could start off in peace {instead of rush} and take our time to also look around us on the way. This is also why we decided to go for 2 weeks.Instead of rushing from A to B we also met friends, just strolled through the streets, had lots of playground time and of course could fit in a few nice shops for mummy& daddy too…
Above you see 2 of our little monkeys on the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. We got our tickets online so we knew what time the ferry would leave. We were a bit early and just wanted to ask how much time before our slot we should come around and were told we could already come and get on the ferry if we want. So we did :)
The kids were quite impressed by the lady and loved to imitate her. Once back we went to Battery Park, had a lovely lunch with view of the Statue and enjoyed ourselves!
Talking about food:
Looooooooved eataly. Not only {but mainly} the ice cream, but the whole concept. Yummy Italian stuff that of course works great with kids and the outlet in NYC is just opposite Madison Square Park which has a nice playground.
Shake Shack. Everyone is talking about it, we tried it. It was good. Very good…. but maybe a little too much fuss. Their branches are busy. Extremely busy. We went to the one close to Dumbo Brooklyn and came not far after they opened. Like this you could eat in peace.
Smorgasburg – a highlight of the trip. Please check their website and try to schedule a trip during your visit. It is a flea food market during week ends and we tried a few things from different stalls and everything was outstanding. Had the best pizza ever, great lemonade, a very lovely Mexican Burger and and and… I mean we shared everything… I did not eat a pizza and a burger and and and… hehe…. A must!
Playgrounds!
There are many many playgrounds and they are all huge. Haha. You might think this is a funny note… but for us it meant that every playground we found/ visited catered for all 3 kids. 7 years, 4 and nearly 2 years. It is not always that easy :)
I read before that there are playgrounds with water attractions and that it is wise to take swimsuits and a little towel.
Well there was water on nearly every playground and the kids loved it. We did too. Kids love water. They were happy and played nicely for aaaaaaages. Plus it is a nice refreshment. We were lucky that it was not too hot but I know it can be during summer…
If you go during the warm season, bring swimsuits and little towels and always have them with you. You will be happy you did!
High Line: Yes it is fun to walk through a park that sits above the city.
Where do all the hipsters hang out? Williamsburg? Probably… but we loved it nonetheless.Lots of small cafes and restaurants, shops and of course view over to Manhattan. On our way back we took the ferry from the East River State Park. Lovely views!
DUMBO – Down Under The Manhattan Bridge Overpass. So after you took around a million pictures of the bridge you finally discover Dumbo, also a part of Brooklyn. Stunning views, great eats, fun pirate ship playground and and and… great to just spend the day and hang out!
American Girl – one afternoon we were in the area so I treated my big girl to a stop at American Girl. We looked at all the dolls and their little clothes while the other two discovered the books in the play corner. It is a very busy store so better come when you still have patience and if you want a big big treat, there is a cafe where you can have a tea together with your doll…
Books of Wonder – what a fantastic book store. Children’s books only people. Children’s books ONLY. I could have bought the whole place {we went twice} … there is a cafe in there incl. changing facilities, the kids are free to pick books and sit in a corner and read them {somebody told me it is the law in the US, that you can just grab books and sit and read… I do not recall the exact words but something like this}. They also do book readings every afternoon {the kids attended one as we were just there when they started} and well… tons of lovely children’s books, some even signed by the authors…
We went to the Zoo in Central Park. It is nothing really spectacular. Tiny zoo in a big park.
The film Madagascar was filmed there, so we checked if the lion, zebra, giraffe and hippo had escaped…
Kids love animals and it was a nice stop…
Jane’s Carousel is in DUMBO and also a MUST DO. Such a beautiful carousel and of course the views! The kids could not care much about that but I was happy to sit in my little carriage {parents ride for free} … watch over to Manhattan and …of course… snap many many pictures…
Oh I love New York!
Please feel free to share some great spots in the comments… so we can extend the post and get the best from everyone!
Thank you!
Oh… Beginning September I shared some pictures I took during the trip, have a look here and here if you like.
{part two} coming soon…
