NEW YORK CITY
By Carol Reed
"New York, New York! It's a wonderful town." And although some folks
think of the city only as a sophisticated place, this diverse metropolis can
be introduced to children on a level that they will find fascinating.
The city that features one of the world's greatest toy emporiums MUST be
geared to kids of all ages.
F.A.O. Schwartz, located at 767 Fifth Avenue (58th Street), is a magical
bazaar first opened by Fredrick August Otto Schwartz in 1870. Today, it is a
"must see" in Manhattan. The first floor houses a stuffed-animal zoo from
aardvarks to zebras. A gigantic Transformer toy becomes an elevator that
carries you to the second floor filled with games. There is an amazing array
of Star Wars toys to fascinate the collector, the movie buff, and the kid in all
of us. There are dolls imported from around the world. Enjoy a vast
selection of children's books, millions of Legos, and more. It may be
difficult to leave without buying something, and prices range from very
inexpensive to "WoW!"
The Museum of Natural History, located at Central Park and 79th Street,
offers the thrill of real dinosaurs and mysterious Egyptian mummies. The
"Hall of fossils" displays the world's largest collection of vertebrate fossils.
In the "Culture Hall", experience the art and traditions of the Maya, Olmec,
Aztec, and other pre-Columbian cultures along with the Indian cultures of
North America. There are rooms of gems and meteorites, halls filled with
animal dioramas, and special shows in the IMAX theatre. Try the hands-on
science experiments, or see the new "Hall of Ocean Life." The Rose
Center for Earth and Space features the famous Hayden Planetarium.
Check for show times and prices. A visit to The Museum of Natural History,
alone, can fill an entire day.
(http://www.amnh.org/ or call 212-769-5200 )
Other museums include the Children's Museum of Manhattan at 212 W.
83rd Street (www.cmom.org 212-721-1223) with five floors of exhibits that
include kid's interactive TV and art studios, and numerous inviting
whimsical programs. "CMOM", as it is called, started out as a modest
storefront in 1973. Today, children might crawl through a giant mouth to
learn about digestion. The next time, they could discover Chagall paintings
and make their own mosaic abstracts. Kids can see Broadway stars
perform, listen to guitarists, or join in a pottery-making workshop. As kids
mature, the museum seems to grow with them, as it takes visitors inside
their own creative processes. Admission is $7; drop-in programs for
preschoolers are held three days a week, and are offered for older children
on the weekends and during school breaks.
There is also the Children's Museum of the Arts in Soho (www.cmany.org
212-941-9198) 182 Lafayette Street. This museum is dedicated to the
visual and performing arts. Founded in 1988, CMA is New York City's only
hands-on art museum for children, aged 1 to 12 years old. Children work
with paint, glue, paper and recycled materials to paint, sculpt, build and
imagine. They can also play in the ball pond & art house, enjoy
independent projects & activities, explore the exhibitions & meet other New
York City families. Programs can include Yoga and art, chocolate
designs, jewelry making, and special holiday events. Check the website
for current happenings. Admission is $6.00 per person, with additional
costs for special events.
The Staten Island Ferry should definitely be on your list. And the price is
right, because it's FREE! Information can be obtained from the Staten
Island, St. George Ferry Terminal, (718) 815-BOAT. The Ferry has been a
municipal service since 1905, and carries over 19 million passengers
annually between the St. George Terminal in Staten Island and the
Whitehall Terminal in lower Manhattan. Service is provided 24 hours a day,
365 days a year. The ride floats by the Statue of Liberty, and along the
New York City skyline, so bring your cameras. You will have to get off in
Staten Island, and get back on to ride back to the city. The ferry is not far
from the South Street Seaport, where Colonial, dockside New York is
recreated. This walkable area of cobblestone streets includes tall-ships for
touring, food markets (great for lunch), shops, museum and maritime
crafts, live performances, and the real (and "pungent") Fulton fish-market.
(http://www.southstseaport.org/ ) The Seaport is another New York City
family attraction that can fill an entire day.
Of course, there is the Empire State Building (King Kong not included), at
5th Avenue at 34th Street. (www.esbny.com or 212-947-1360) Visit the 86th
floor observation deck, which is more than a quarter of a mile in the sky.
This is a great photo-op. Since we're all big kids at heart, these "Big Apple",
family attractions will "a-peel" to everyone. And they are just a small bite out
of a city that offers excitement around every corner.
For New York City Accomodations and Hotel Information:
www.nycvisit.com
MONEY-SAVING TIPS FOR NEW YORK CITY HOTELS
By Carol Reed
"New York, New York! It's a wonderful town." And although some folks
think of the city only as a sophisticated place, this diverse metropolis can
be introduced to children on a level that they will find fascinating.
The city that features one of the world's greatest toy emporiums MUST be
geared to kids of all ages.
F.A.O. Schwartz, located at 767 Fifth Avenue (58th Street), is a magical
bazaar first opened by Fredrick August Otto Schwartz in 1870. Today, it is a
"must see" in Manhattan. The first floor houses a stuffed-animal zoo from
aardvarks to zebras. A gigantic Transformer toy becomes an elevator that
carries you to the second floor filled with games. There is an amazing array
of Star Wars toys to fascinate the collector, the movie buff, and the kid in all
of us. There are dolls imported from around the world. Enjoy a vast
selection of children's books, millions of Legos, and more. It may be
difficult to leave without buying something, and prices range from very
inexpensive to "WoW!"
The Museum of Natural History, located at Central Park and 79th Street,
offers the thrill of real dinosaurs and mysterious Egyptian mummies. The
"Hall of fossils" displays the world's largest collection of vertebrate fossils.
In the "Culture Hall", experience the art and traditions of the Maya, Olmec,
Aztec, and other pre-Columbian cultures along with the Indian cultures of
North America. There are rooms of gems and meteorites, halls filled with
animal dioramas, and special shows in the IMAX theatre. Try the hands-on
science experiments, or see the new "Hall of Ocean Life." The Rose
Center for Earth and Space features the famous Hayden Planetarium.
Check for show times and prices. A visit to The Museum of Natural History,
alone, can fill an entire day.
(http://www.amnh.org/ or call 212-769-5200 )
Other museums include the Children's Museum of Manhattan at 212 W.
83rd Street (www.cmom.org 212-721-1223) with five floors of exhibits that
include kid's interactive TV and art studios, and numerous inviting
whimsical programs. "CMOM", as it is called, started out as a modest
storefront in 1973. Today, children might crawl through a giant mouth to
learn about digestion. The next time, they could discover Chagall paintings
and make their own mosaic abstracts. Kids can see Broadway stars
perform, listen to guitarists, or join in a pottery-making workshop. As kids
mature, the museum seems to grow with them, as it takes visitors inside
their own creative processes. Admission is $7; drop-in programs for
preschoolers are held three days a week, and are offered for older children
on the weekends and during school breaks.
There is also the Children's Museum of the Arts in Soho (www.cmany.org
212-941-9198) 182 Lafayette Street. This museum is dedicated to the
visual and performing arts. Founded in 1988, CMA is New York City's only
hands-on art museum for children, aged 1 to 12 years old. Children work
with paint, glue, paper and recycled materials to paint, sculpt, build and
imagine. They can also play in the ball pond & art house, enjoy
independent projects & activities, explore the exhibitions & meet other New
York City families. Programs can include Yoga and art, chocolate
designs, jewelry making, and special holiday events. Check the website
for current happenings. Admission is $6.00 per person, with additional
costs for special events.
The Staten Island Ferry should definitely be on your list. And the price is
right, because it's FREE! Information can be obtained from the Staten
Island, St. George Ferry Terminal, (718) 815-BOAT. The Ferry has been a
municipal service since 1905, and carries over 19 million passengers
annually between the St. George Terminal in Staten Island and the
Whitehall Terminal in lower Manhattan. Service is provided 24 hours a day,
365 days a year. The ride floats by the Statue of Liberty, and along the
New York City skyline, so bring your cameras. You will have to get off in
Staten Island, and get back on to ride back to the city. The ferry is not far
from the South Street Seaport, where Colonial, dockside New York is
recreated. This walkable area of cobblestone streets includes tall-ships for
touring, food markets (great for lunch), shops, museum and maritime
crafts, live performances, and the real (and "pungent") Fulton fish-market.
(http://www.southstseaport.org/ ) The Seaport is another New York City
family attraction that can fill an entire day.
Of course, there is the Empire State Building (King Kong not included), at
5th Avenue at 34th Street. (www.esbny.com or 212-947-1360) Visit the 86th
floor observation deck, which is more than a quarter of a mile in the sky.
This is a great photo-op. Since we're all big kids at heart, these "Big Apple",
family attractions will "a-peel" to everyone. And they are just a small bite out
of a city that offers excitement around every corner.
For New York City Accomodations and Hotel Information:
www.nycvisit.com
MONEY-SAVING TIPS FOR NEW YORK CITY HOTELS
FAMILY TRAVEL FUN.COM
BEST NEW YORK CITY FAMILY ATTRACTIONS
BEST NEW YORK CITY FAMILY ATTRACTIONS
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