Trip to Manhattan

I was actually thinking that the Staten Idland Ferry is a fun trip. Also, I'm not advocating not to do touristy things, I'm just not advocating Times Square.

 

The trip you are describing is every New Yorkers nightmare. Staten Island, TSQ, High Line, ...

Your best bet would be going to the east village, lower east side, alphabet city, soho and walk around. There's so much more interesting stuff to see. Go after 3pm when more stuff is open. Lil Frankie's on 1st and 1st has incredible Italian food. Beer stores locally would be Good Beer, Milk & Hops, & ABC Beer. Bars locally would be Cooper's, Fools Gold, and One Mile House. The Tenement Museum is down there too.

NYC kids stuff would be Museum of Natural History and the Bronx Zoo. Ideal day to me would be Museum of Natural History for morning/afternoon. Head down to lower east side for the later afternoon/evening/dinner hours.

 

Those are great recommendations, but I know when I went to the city as a kid I wouldn't have wanted to walk around the east village.

I know as locals the idea of Times Square is a nightmare, but I don't see the harm in taking a walk through. I just wouldn't go to any restaurants or attractions there. As a kid, the lights and magnitude was so cool.

Highly recommend Top of the Rock over Empire State Building as well as some type of boat tour. The views of the city from the water are still incredible to me, and I've lived in this area my whole life.

 

I'd recco all that to someone w/o kids for sure. But while day drinking round EV/LES/ABC used to be a hobby I was passionate about, now I have a kid, I'm not sure it's the obvious choice for a family day out haha

Edit - and while you couldn't pay me to go to TS, I think high line is worth a visit.

Whenever someone tells me they're visiting city for first time and want to do touristy stuff - I always say high line, park and rockefeller center - touristy without being shit

 

The LES, East village, etc are not really fun for kids. Or anyone over 30 either these days.

 

Completely agree, walk up the TKTS red stairs and take some great pictures. Just ignore all the solicitors (e.g. fake mascots, people selling "Music CDs", etc) and definitely don't eat in the area. Straight from Times Square, it's a short walk to the Top of the Rock, you won't regret the views from there.

 

Oh I mentioned this in the last NYC visit thread a few days ago. Treadwell Park on 61st. Beer, food, ping pong, foosball, pinball in an indoor beer hall environment. best food, beer, game place and kid friendly. Just avoid after work crowds. You can take the nearby skyway tram to Roosevelt island for tourist sightseeing activity. City hops (boutique beer store) is around the block

 

As for Central Park, if you are willing to go to the Upper East Side, I'd recommend sailing model boats for the kids. From there, you can walk a few blocks north to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, although I'm not sure how your kids will like that museum. Lol.

http://www.sailthepark.com/

 

Just went to the Met last weekend. Its pretty good for kids - knights, armor, weapons, mummies, cool old ivory carvings, gold and silver coins, etc. They probably learned about van Gogh, Picasso, etc so they can see some of those famous paintings they cover in school. It's bearable for them in small doses. There's a playground right behind it too. Beware there's an immensely popular Rei Kawakubo fashion exhibit (wife loved it) so that area is crowded.

 

If the

If the poster did Museum of Natural History first and Lil Frankie's, the few hours spent between the museum and dinner would be far more interesting on the lower east side than in TSQ or the High Line. The only thing by the High Line is Chelsea Market and TSQ is just a wasteland. The LES sucks at night but the time they will be there will be pretty quiet.

 

What show and which year?

 

Ah, '97, the heyday of chugga-chugga NYC hardcore. That lineup played a lot of shows back then (Rick Ta Life). Candiria was my shit back then although I probably saw Shutdown and Indecision the most. Candiria was so talented, they were something else. That van accident really fucked them up.

 

Madball was another band I saw many times, Murphy's Law too. I miss those days, drinking, smoking, dancing in the pits. CBs, Coney Island High, Castle Heights, the PWAC. I still have an old iPod and I have so many old records, demos, EPs, CDs, etc with so many gems still on it I would cry if I ever lost it or broke it.

Have a great time with the family.