Summer 2017 is finally here! But because of his job, dad (Ric) was deployed to work in New York City for a few days! So it seemed like the perfect opportunity to tag along. We are no strangers to the Big Apple since we have family in New Jersey so every year we try to visit at least once.
This time around we had Central Park in mind. Last January we visited central park under an amazing snowstorm and we had a blast, so it was time to experience Central Park during the summer.
First stop the boathouse. It is extremely inexpensive to rent a boat and spend an afternoon rowing in a beautiful lake with the buildings of New York city as the backdrop. You have to give a $20 deposit and $15 for the first hour. Every hour after that it's a charge of three dollars. Every boat takes four passengers. You actually get to see a lot of wildlife at the lake. We saw, fish, frogs, and baby turtles. Our kids were loving it.
But if rowing a boat is not your thing, you can always rent a Remote control mini boat and navigate the lakes at the park. There is a $20 deposit and the rent is $10 for 30 minutes. Our kids had the absolute best time navigating their boat and skipping the ducks at the lake.
Central Park also offers many different playgrounds, amazing trees and rocks to climb on, history, and the Central Park zoo.
New York could be a pricey city but the good thing is that there's entertainment for all kinds of budgets. One of those places to definitely visit it's the Brooklyn Bridge. A walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn on the bridge it's absolutely free and it offers what many call the best views in the city. Walk from Brooklyn into Manhattan for the best views. On Instagram we said we will make one important suggestion and here it is: The best time to walk on the Brooklyn Bridge is at sunset. You will get an amazing view of the Hudson river and the Statue of Liberty with the sky painted in all kinds of colors, simply breathtaking.
Another free site to visit when going to New York City is the memorial of the World Trade Center. Every time we go we feel that this is a must stop. With the years it's getting easier to explain to the kids what happened here. But also the more we explain the more questions they have. The memorial is completely free, but the museum you do have to pay to get into.
Definitely one stop that you should make every time you visit it's Times Square. We feel that it has change so much overtime. Nowadays the streets around that area are closed to traffic. And all the stores, characters, big screens and the lights will make any kid feel like they are in Disney World. Beware of the bogus Disney characters trying to take a picture with your kids. They could get very aggressive asking for a specific amount of tips. A recommendation before your kid goes crazy for that memorable picture ask the character how much $ would it be.
A place that recently has become a tourist attraction and that we stumble upon while walking around the city, it's the Donald Trump Tower. Whether you like the president or not the tower now offers an opportunity for kids to see the amounts of security and secret service agents in that area to protect the president's family. Be aware of protesters because sometimes their language and signs could be "R" rated.
One of the areas that offers the opportunity to see different amazing art displays is the Rockefeller Center. This time around they had a giant inflatable ballerina overlooking the plaza.
Also if you are a religious family St. Patrick's Cathedral would definitely be a stop that you have to make. Admiring the architecture of the church is completely free and is within walking distance from Rockefeller Center.
If you have some money to splurge and are looking for an over-the-top view, you will have to make a decision between the Empire State building and the top of Rockefeller Center. They are both about the same price tickets are near $30 per adult in about 25 per kid. Children five and under don't pay. Here's our little secret and we are not ashamed art six-year-old definitely went in as a five-year-old. Having been to both the empire state and the top of the rock our recommendation is Rockefeller Center. Because of its location in Manhattan you get to see more of the city on each side of the building.
We found out that hotels during the summer are extremely pricey in New York City. Any given night at a three-star hotel could be $350. So here's a trick that we have learned over the years and that we use in Manhattan because it works. We always try to get a hotel on the upper West side near Central Park and once the nightly price at the hotel increases we move to a less expensive hotel downtown by the World Trade Center. Both areas offer completely different amenities and moving from a hotel once the nightly price gets expensive has saved us some money.
From visiting New York City with kids this time and other times here are some of the recommendations: The Bronx Zoo it's always a good idea. Kids would actually enjoy the hop on and hop off bus around the city, the signs, the buildings and the tourist walking around will keep them entertained. Don't forget to catch an ice cream at "Serendipity" the famous restaurant that has been featured in many movies. For $60 a horse carriage will take you around Central Park for a fun ride. You could also rent a bicycle and stroll around Columbus Circle and the Plaza Hotel, some bicycles have a backseat attached for kids. Of course there's the Statue of Liberty and the natural Museum of history among other amazing museums.
Really the biggest questions are: Winter or summer? Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's? That my friends, we will leave up to you to decide, so get out there and explore with your little ones.
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