Travel

[deemcd]

First time going to New York and would like recommendations on where to stay and what to do in April.  We are taking our seven year old grandson.   Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. 

[I am still oxox]

It should depends on what you are looking for do. if you stay in Mid Manhattan a rental car is not needed. Check out what is going on in Radio City at the time, there are a few  Broadway shows that are good for young kids.

Macys cold be a fun trip for the adults.

I was born and raised in the Bronx and have lived in Brooklyn and now live int he Northern burbs

[NicksmomESQ]

@deemcd   Whenever DH & I go into NYC for a night or 2 we stay at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. It’s crowded but in the middle of everything. You can walk to restaurants & Broadway shows.It’s not cheap but worth it to us.

  You can book tours through the concierge in the hotel. There are many options. You can also hop a cab or take the nereby subway.The city has great museums, Central Park & of course the theatre.You can visit the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island etc.

  I would highly recommend speaking to the concierge who would help you maximize your time.

  NYC is an awesome place!!

[kaydee50]

Bronx Zoo.  Take Metro North to get there.  Central Park Zoo.  I've heard good things about the Liberty Science Center.  Baseball will be on, not sure who will be at home.  Museum of Natural History.  Those are the first things that come to mind.  

Can't help you with where to stay.  Prepare to spend a significant amount.

[Laura14]

I took my nephew back to NYC around that age and I agree that it depends on what you want to do. 

I normally stay in the Times Square area because I take the shuttle from the airport.  They have a pick up and drop off point at Port Authority just off Times Square as well as a couple of other stops.  It saves the cost of a cab ride.  I believe it's about $20 round trip last I went.  It's also where most of the stuff people want to see is located.

I recommend the Paramount which is near Times Square and the Port Authority but not in the middle of the craziness.  It's also usually reasonably priced and a nice place to stay.  It's a couple blocks off of the Square and within blocks of most of the theaters.

For shows, buy nothing until you get there.  There is a TKTS booth in Times Square that every day opens up to sell extra and discount tickets to anything you may want to go see same day with the exception of the blockbusters currently going strong.

With my nephew, we went down on the subway to see the Statue of Liberty which was big on his list and walked into the Empire State Building so he could see the lobby.  Going up is extremely expensive but there are people everywhere to sell you a ticket if you have the funds. 

There are also a lot of sightseeing tour buses and even boats that will take you around Manhattan that are not too bad pricewise.  The buses you can hop on and off all day long after the whole tour throughout the city if you want.  I did the boat ride with my nephew which was a nice break from walking all over town one day.  

April is a beautiful time to go  It's one of my most favorite times because it's before the crush of the summer crowds and after the Spring Breakers. 

I think you'll have a great time.  I am actually taking my niece to NYC and it will probably be in April too.  I'll wave if I see you.  

[Somertime]

@deemcd  Since you have a 7 year old, I would suggest:

FAO Schwartz in Rockefeller Center..toy store and he will able able to play with the toys!

Children's Museum of Manhattan 212 W. 83 Street

Museum of Natural History 79 Street Central Park West...dinosaurs!

Central Park Carousel

Take tram over to Roosevelt Island and back 60 Street & First avenue

New York City Fire Museum 278 Spring Street (downtown)

Dylan's Candy Bar 1011 Third Ave @ 60 Street!  Every kind of candy in the whole world.

Eat at Serendipity 225 East 60 Street....frozen Hot Chocolate, Ice Cream Sundaes.

Hotel:  Hotel Lombardy 111 East 56 Street. Small hotel on East Side.  I would suggest staying away from any hotel in Times Square, too crowded, over priced and very touristy. 

I was born and raised in NY and it is a treasure trove of places to see and eat.  Spring will be expensive.  Public transportation is the best way to get around.  Either the bus or the subway.  Midtown Manhattan is divided into East and West.  Fifth Ave is the dividing line.  Fifth Ave to the East River is considered the East Side.  Fifth Ave to the Hudson River is considered the West side.  Times Square is on the West Side.

The theater is fabulous for you and your husband but very, very pricey.  I mainly mentioned things that your 7 year old would enjoy because of his age and being as young as he is.  Enjoy your trip.  Everything I mentioned has a website, so you will be able to look it up!

[Janey2]

Agree with @Somertime, but look at timeout.com and look at New York. They will tell you special events taking place in NY in April. If you want discount tickets for Broadway go to Theatermania.com or Broadwaybox.com

[Katrin B]

I agree with everybody else, that tailoring it to your and your nephews interest is the key to unlocking the magic of New York City. Of the top of my head I would say pick something tall ( Empire Stae Building, Freedom Tower or Rockefeller Observatory Decks or if you can get a reservation climbing into the crown of the Statue of Liberty), pick something old ( cobblestone streets in Greenwich Village or in Brooklyn or visit the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side), pick a museum that shows things not represented where you come from ( Egyptian Temple at the MET, Planetarium at the Museum for Natural History etc.), depending on your personal background experience if and how people immigrated to the US, eat Pizza, Hot Dog and Bagels AND take the subway. A ferry or boatride is always fun, as is walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. If time and/or funds are tight take the staten Island Ferry ( it's free ), you can see the Statue of Liberty from there, and on the way back the approach towards Manhattan is stunning.

I would suggest you stay out of the fray of Times Square, instead try the Upper West Side, also a Courtyard by Marriott or such allows you a bit more space while being low key.

Enjoy!!!

[jackthebear]

weather here at that time of year is changeable and all over the place

you mentioned a child,  you might check first if you want to go to a show, because i think not all theatres allow kids and some are not suitable for that age,  

Bronx zoo def worth it but April might not be the best time but you should put it on the list

just google NYC with kids there must be tons of ideas

[AussieLuvr]

I lived there for 41 years and was the "tour guide" to visiting friends and family for years. One year my 'husband to be' brought his kids for a visit from Wisconsin, where they lived, with the youngest being six.

Just remember that young children get bored and mentally tired easily, especially standing in lines. And lines cannot be avoided in NYC for the most part. So plan your activities without trying to squash TOO many things into one day. At the very least, time your activities so that some of them have a place for kids to run around and burn off energy and rest their brains; NYC can be an assault on the senses in terms of all the stimuli coming at you at one time.

Horse-drawn carriage rides in Central Park are a favorite of my stepkids, as was the FAO Schwarz toy store. 

If you want to visit any art museums for the adults in your party, I recommend the Frick Museum. Located with the rest of the big-gun museums on Museum Mile, you'll be safe just walking around ooh'ing and ah'ing at the beautiful and expensive homes and stores. At the Frick, you are walking through a very rich old family's mansion filled with invaluable art and furniture that is just amazing. So the kids get to move around with relative freedom rather than a walk through a museum with paintings on the walls.

Don't forget to check out off-Broadway plays that cater to children; they are far less expensive than the big shows and are in smaller, more intimate playhouses. 

The tour of the NBC building was interesting to our whole group; from adults down to the six-year-old. Its right across from Radio City Music Hall and isn't all that expensive. Do make reservations. You can also do tours of Madison Square Garden. Kids these days recognize a lot of what they see on these tours from movies they've watched, and that includes the American Museum of Natural History. Our kids loved visiting the NYC Library, albeit a short visit.

By the time we got through the line to climb up into the Statue of Liberty, my now stepson wanted no part. All he wanted to do was buy french fries at the cafeteria and sit outside and feed the pigeons and seagulls, which he enjoyed immensely. I had lived there for decades so I was willing to sit at a picnic table with him while the rest of the group climbed up. Don't forget, and this applies to your whole group - once you get up to the uppermost point of the statue that they allow you to, you will be looking out very small windows at water and a landscape that will mean little to you. My now husband and the other stepkids said it would have satisfied them to ride the Staten Island Ferry and go past the statue, rather than spending hours on an anticlimax. (Aaron, 6,  was a farm kid from WI and he'd never seen the likes of seagulls that would eat out of your hand before and was fascinated).

You will probably spend the bulk of your visit catering to your little one. Don't discount the Liberty Science Center in NJ; its a short taxi ride through one of the tunnels.

Kids that age will want to eat at the places they know, aka fast food chains. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch one day and dropped over $200 for two adults and four kids on hamburgers. 

We spent a lot of time in shops with shiny, blinking souvenirs in the window in and near Times Square, lol.

Water tours around the island of Manhattan are wonderful and full of stimulus which won't tire kids out, as are the NYC Apple Hop On Hop Off buses. Kids love to sit on the top deck and watch things go by if weather allows. The bus guides are a fantastic source of info and entertainment and even this jaded old NY'er enjoyed it and learned things, lol.

The Cloisters, at the very northern tip of Manhattan can be a great place for both adults and kids if the weather is good.

We took the kids on a helicopter tour over the city which they LOVED, but was a drain on the wallet. 

South Street Seaport has a mall on the waterfront. While mall shopping probably isn't on your agenda they have old sailing ships and tugboats permanent moored that you can tour. It can be fun to grab lunch and sit outside on a nice day, enjoying the waterfront and beautiful view.

The Internet is your friend, obviously. This is a great website for planning a visit with kids: 

https://www.sightseeingpass.com/en/new-york/visit-new-york-with-kids?aid=17&gclid=Cj0KCQiAmuHhBRD0AR...

Above all, don't try to carry too much in the way of water and snacks. You will be able to buy them wherever you go and you'll get tired if you carry to much stuff.

You will love it and remember it always. You're doing the right thing by looking for suggestions and cool stuff well in advance.  ENJOY!!!!