We were very lucky that the weather was great – it was sunny and warm and we really enjoyed that it allowed us to wander the city without umbrellas and the general hassle of rain in a big city.That being said, visiting Manhattan with a five and six year old can be tricky. We live in a more suburban type city, and while we live very central we have to use the car to get to most places. For that reason my kids are not very enthusiastic urban walkers – add the crowds to the equation and we got a few complaints trying to move from point A to B. While I tried to keep my irritation at bay (walk already kids, come on!), we took advantage of the subway and taxi cabs, which both of them thought was great.

The other challenge I find while visiting large cities with kids, is the balance of seeing/visiting attractions that are interesting for the kids, but also for the adults. We had to make a couple of compromises and at times they were not that interested, but us adults were. I still find it valuable to travel to big urban cities with the kids though, even if play is a bit more challenging and it’s not as easy as going to the beach. Having these experiences I’m sure will be memories they’ll have and it shows them different ways of living, in this case a much more fast paced environment.

I leave you with a bunch of pictures, and you’ll find a list of places we visited, including restaurants below.

Circle Line: Great views of the city, easy because you sit. Wait to get on the boat is long and boring for the kids and the tour might be a little long for them. Great opportunity to get some great photos and to see the Statue of Liberty without standing in line and going up.

Intrepid Sea Air and Space Museum: My son loved it, my daughter was a little less enthusiastic. Great place to see things up close and have the kids run around. A lot of things are outdoors. We took advantage of our Ottawa museum membership and were able to enter for free.

Central Park Zoo and Central Park: The zoo is small and quaint and the kids really liked it. While it’s not exactly as in the Madagascar movies, the grounds are beautifully maintained and the tropical birds are wonderful to see. We also happened to be there when they were feeding the penguins. We got there at opening time so there was no wait to get in. After the zoo, we wandered the park a little and enjoyed the green space and flowering trees and then stopped by FAO Schwarz to view all the big toys.

American Museum of Natural History: If you decide to visit this museum, note the sheer size of it. Make sure you know what exhibits are on which floor, because there is no way you’ll get to see all of it. I find the museum a little old fashioned and stuffy and maybe even a little run down, but the Dinosaur exhibit is quite good, as are the African animal dioramas and if you can see the large scale whale hanging from the ceiling you’ll like that as well. Also the museum offers great views of Central Park.

Rockefeller Center: We decided to see New York from the top from the Rock, rather than the Empire State building. If you get your tickets ahead of time you have a time slot where you go up. This eliminates waits and line-ups and it great. My husband and I really liked the view, the kids were a little less excited ;). I still believe that seeing the expanse of the city and the park from above is amazing, so I would recommend it.
We also visited the Lego store right off 5th Avenue, which everyone really enjoyed.

Madison Square Park: We played there the first evening and wanted to eat at Shake Shack, but the line-up was too long. The park is a great little spot.

El Camino: Modern Mexican Food. Great Service, loud enough so the kids didn’t bother anyone, no line-up and food was very good.

Vezzo Pizza on Lexington: We were lucky to get a table right away, the line-up started afterwards. Amazing mac&cheese and great thin crust pizza. Very good service as well.

Mangia: Close to Central Park, great service or get your own sandwich place. Food was really good and location was ideal.

Serendipity: We were meeting a friend here and had not realized what a popular place this is. People were lining up to get their picture taken with the quirky interiour. They are famous for their ice-cream desserts. Make a reservation or the wait is quite long. Go for dessert, because that’s what they do well. We also had dinner and the food was fine, but it isn’t cheap. They don’t have a children’s menu, but they offered to split a meal on two plates and serve it with a less spicy sauce.

Le Pain Quotidien: I ate brunch there with my friend and had a great meal and good service. We went to the location close to central park around 10 am on a Monday and didn’t have to wait for a table.

On the list for next time: Brooklyn Bridge and Dumbo, Children’s Art Museum, High Line and Bronx Zoo.

photos taken by Bruno Doyle and Giulia Doyle