{"id":462,"date":"2016-09-17T22:11:00","date_gmt":"2016-09-17T22:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/have-kids-will-travel.com\/?p=462"},"modified":"2019-11-30T01:42:56","modified_gmt":"2019-11-30T01:42:56","slug":"new-york-city-with-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/have-kids-will-travel.com\/index.php\/2016\/09\/17\/new-york-city-with-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"New York City with Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"new-york-city-01\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We love us some New York City. We have friends and family that live in the New York and Long Island area and we have been to visit several times.<\/p>\n

When\u00a0we were younger, my sister and I would crash on my friend’s couch on Long Island and then catch a train into the Big Apple to see the sights. Shopping in China Town. Fresh pasta and cheesecake at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant for lunch. Watching Zach Braff do a photo shoot in Central Park. Afternoon tea and coffee and laughing with friends. Dinner and\u00a0wine in an Italian Caf\u00e9 in Little Italy as the sun set.\u00a0More laughing. Times Square until Midnight.<\/p>\n

Ahh…Good Times.<\/p>\n

Now that I’m super<\/em> old (like, almost 40<\/em> ya’ll) and have kiddos, visiting NYC is a totally different experience. It is definitely more expensive and exhausting, but it also offers very rewarding experiences that we all enjoy as a family.<\/p>\n

I really enjoyed digging through old photographs of all of our visits to New York City, reliving our great adventures and being reminded of how little my babies were. There are so many things to do in NYC, but here are a few things we enjoyed doing as a family.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"new-york-city-04\"<\/p>\n

\"brooklyn-promenade\"<\/p>\n

Above: Kiddos at the Brooklyn Promenade<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Staten Island Ferry<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Staten Island Ferry is free and it is a great way to see the Statue of Liberty.\u00a0 It can be a nice break from all of the walking and sightseeing. We sometimes sit inside the ferry (boats offer seating & free WI-FI) and enjoy the ride\/rest or stand out on the deck and enjoy the breezes and the fantastic views.<\/p>\n

The ferry runs from Battery Park in Manhattan to Staten Island about 109 times a day.\u00a0 The ride is about 5 miles and lasts about 25 minutes. This ferry ride offers gorgeous views of\u00a0all the skyscrapers and bridges in Lower Manhattan,\u00a0The Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island.<\/p>\n

\"ny-04\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There are things to do on Staten Island while waiting for the next ferry, but we honestly hop off one ferry and walk right on to the next one that is heading back to Manhattan. No tickets, no booking, just hop on an off. There is a ferry running every half hour (more during rush hour).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"staten-island-ferry\"<\/p>\n

Above: The kiddos first ride on the Staten Island Ferry…AWWW…look how little and cute they were….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Staten Island Ferry\u00a0 \/\/ Whitehall Terminal in Manhatten \/\/ 4 Whitehall Street, New York, NY 10004<\/em><\/p>\n

Staten Island Ferry \/\/ St. George Terminal on Staten Island \/\/ 1 Bay Street, New York, NY 10301<\/em><\/p>\n

Staten Island Ferry website HERE.<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Statue of Liberty<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

When visiting the Statue of Liberty<\/strong> , <\/em><\/a>you can visit Liberty Island, the Pedestal, Museum, or the Crown at the Statue.\u00a0 The National Park Service has implemented a reservation system and advanced reservations is strongly suggested.<\/p>\n

The climb to the crown is like walking up 22 stories. and there is no elevator inside the Statue of Liberty. A person wanting to visit the crown must be able to walk up at least 162 steps on a confined spiral staircase. The website says a person wanting to climb to the crown must be in good physical shape.<\/p>\n

There are also restrictions for children to climb to the crown. They must be 4 feet tall.<\/p>\n

Or you can take the Staten Island Ferry. It’s free and provides fantastic views of the Statue of Liberty. It really just depends on what kind of experience you would like to have. You can go to Liberty Island and get all up-and-personal with the Statue of Liberty or at least see it while you are in New York from the Staten Island Ferry.<\/p>\n

Prices for ferries to Liberty Island, entrance to museum, pedestal, and crown are relatively inexpensive (The Pedestal is actually free). Children 4 years and younger are free but aren’t allowed to climb up to the crown. You can see prices and more info\u00a0HERE.<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"new-york-city-07\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Empire State Building<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

You know that movie Sleepless in Seattle<\/em>? Why did I even ask that? Of course you do. Everyone has seen that movie like a bajillion times. Anyway, you know how Tom Hanks runs in to the Empire State Building and quickly takes the elevator up to the top looking for Meg Ryan. Yeah, that was a great movie, but getting to the top of the Empire State Building<\/strong><\/em><\/a> takes a lot more time and effort than is portrayed in the movies.<\/p>\n

We went to the Empire State Building at night which is the busiest time to visit. We stood in the security line, stood in line\u00a0to get tickets, and then stood in line to get to the elevator.\u00a0 The line to the elevator is a maze of hallways that seem to go on forever.\u00a0Our visit to the\u00a0Empire State Building took us at least 2 hours,\u00a0and we spent\u00a0less than 30 minutes on the 86th floor enjoying the view.<\/p>\n

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to talk anyone out of experiencing the view from the top of this fantastic landmark. I’m just being honest about how long it takes to get to the top. Waiting in line that long\u00a0as a family\u00a0can be exhausting for the kids\u00a0and for the parents.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"ny-05\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Here are a couple of ways to make your visit to the Empire State Building shorter\/easier for you and your family:<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is no avoiding the security line or the line to the elevator, but you can save some time by buying your tickets online. That way you can at least avoid the line to purchase tickets.<\/p>\n

The lines for the elevator seem to be the longest on the weekends, in the evenings, and on the days that the weather especially beautiful.\u00a0 The lines tend to be the shortest earlier in the day.<\/p>\n

There is an option to buy the VIP Express Experience Admission Ticket. This ticket can cost about $60 ($80 if you wish to visit the 86th & 102nd floors\/observatories), but you can\u00a0find yourself\u00a0enjoying the view in about 10 minutes versus the normal 1-2 hour wait.<\/p>\n

(Just wanted to let you know that kids 5 and under receive FREE Admission to the Empire State Building – WOOHOO!)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"new-york-city-10\"<\/p>\n

\"ny-03\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Processed<\/p>\n

Empire State Building \/\/350 5th Ave, New York, NY 10118<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Empire State Building website HERE.<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

American Museum of Natural History<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This is a very nice museum. We enjoyed it. Here is the BIG mistake that we made. We drove to NYC. It was a 15 hour road trip. We knew we were going\u00a0to visit the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. I brought the movie Night at the Museum<\/em> for the kids to watch on our trip. I wanted to pump them up and get them excited about visiting the museum.<\/p>\n

This led to some disappointment. My kiddos knew\u00a0that the exhibits in the museum wouldn’t come alive and entertain us. But the real museum was much different than the glossy, glamorous movie set version we saw in the film.<\/p>\n

That being said, it was a fantastic museum and was a great experience for our entire family.<\/p>\n

\"american-museum-of-natural-history-876030_1921\"<\/p>\n

\"american-museum-of-natural-history-876030_1920\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"american-museum-of-natural-history-876030_1922-copy\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

My absolute favorite part of the American Museum of Natural History? Yep, you guessed it:<\/p>\n

\"nyc-007\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

American Museum of Natural History website HERE.<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n