New York, NY (with kids)
To be perfectly transparent, I don’t have kids, but I have a few friends with kids who live in the NYC area and I spent time as a nanny in the city so I feel like I have a good handle on kid-friendly activities. Plus, I’ve consulted with my friends with kids in NYC whenever people ask for ideas of what to do there.
I can’t recommend trying to do much with kids under 10 years old on a trip to the city so keep that in mind when reading these recommendations.
Things to do:
Weather permitting, this is a super fun and adventurous way to get around the city. Even if it is cold or rainy, the ferries all have indoor seating, but ideally, you want to sit up top and enjoy the views as you travel from Manhattan to Brooklyn and beyond.
Bagels:
H&H - classic NYC bagel spot!
Zabars - Incredible Jewish supermarket. Worth going to buy some in bulk for the trip.
Russ & Daughters - super popular. Also great bagels. You can do a sit-down meal here from what I remember.
Pizza:
I think Ray's is super overrated so no matter what you read, I wouldn't go.
Lombardi's - The OG pizza spot in NYC.
Little Italy's Pizza - we got a slice at one of their downtown locations and I loved it. Just a plain slice with a little garlic salt. Perfection! There's one walking distance from your hotel.
Fun Atmosphere/Quintessential NYC :
Serendipity 3 - the frozen hot chocolates are historic! Totally fun/old NYC atmosphere.
Chelsea Market - this is a fun place to explore food before or after the High Line
Levain Bakery - The cookies here are so good!! Two locations.
Katz Deli - Legendary Pastrami sandwiches. Doug had one last month before we went to a wedding that only served appetizers and won't stop talking about it!
Ferrara Bakery - Good spot in Little Italy
Peter Pan's - this is kind of out of the way in Brooklyn, but the donuts and breakfast sandwiches are rediculous! Also, Greenpoint, BK has great views of the city and still feels like old NY. Very Eastern Euro.
Nice dinner:
Peter Luger - Old school steakhouse just over the bridge in Brooklyn. If it seems to far, Keens is in Midtown and is also a classic spot
Il Cortile - Good Little Italy spot
Grand Central Oyster Bar - Such a good spot in Grand Central. Love it
The Odeon - Super 80s NYC. You'll maybe get a Robert DeNiro sighting here.
Museums/Architecture:
Museum of the City of New York - were were just here and they have a really amazing installation about movies and tv that were all filmed in NYC. As old movie lovers, I think you guys will totally love it. Also - fun fact, I was an intern here in college. If the weather is right, you can walk around the park/Upper East Side from here.
Tenement Museum - This museum shows the history of immigrants in NYC and I think it's fantastic. As history buffs, I think your kids will like it. It's walking distance from Katz Deli and Little Italy should you want to combine the two.
UN Tour - I love this tour!
High Line - Great architecture and super cool views. It does get crowded so I'd go on the earlier side of things. You can end at 30th street/Hudson Yards which also has cool architecture but not much else. The other end (14th street) kicks you out into the Meatpacking district and the Standard Hotel is a fun stop - good coffee spot, cool art. Fun fact - Dennis and Bruce lived on 14th between 8th and 9th Ave just down the street.
Little Island - it's super cool to look at and walk around/good views, but not much else there. If you find yourself around it, totally worth checking out.