Last Christmas, Harry, my husband gave me an incredible gift. It was a weekend trip to New York City for our family (Riley was 2 and Tegan, 7 months old). He had researched ideas on the web and thought about our favorite things to do. I was so impressed because normally Harry starts Christmas shopping three days beforehand.
So if you’re looking for a weekend in New York City, here’s our itinerary. We arrived at the New York Helmsley Hotel in midtown Manhattan. The Helmsley is a beautiful, world famous hotel that is kid- friendly. Children under 12 years old stay for free. Mindy’s restaurant is conveniently located on the ground floor of the hotel.
We stayed over on a Saturday night in a Deluxe room for a special of $179. Room rates go from $250 and up but hotels always offer packages and specials…The Helmsley is
near Grand Central Station, Times Square, The United Nations, the theater district and more. Central Park Zoo is one mile away, Radio City Music Hall is seven blocks away, and eight blocks to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. So as you can tell, you’d have more than enough choices for things to do.
We chose to visit the Bronx Zoo since I’ve always heard such wonderful things about it. Once there, I forgot we were in the city, it’s so large (And we went in the winter time, I’m sure it’s even better in the summer/spring.) Make sure you check out the Congo Gorilla Forest exhibit, rain forest, it was amazing.
On Sunday, we went to the American Museum of Natural History. We saw the Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries exhibit, skeletons, fossils and hundreds of “animals”. (Riley loved it but kept calling them “fake” since we had just been to the zoo the day before.) It was a lot of fun and we learned so much. The horse bones alone were fascinating how it evolved over centuries…We never did get to the IMAX, butterfly exhibit and all the other floors…there’s a tremendous amount to do at the museum.
The Museum of Natural History was established in 1869 and is over four city blocks. It’s no wonder we were tired! When you need to rest, be sure to stop in the cafeteria. It’s massive in its size and food selection. Another tip: Since the museum is large, and you won’t see everything in one day, I’d suggest going onto www.amnh.org to plan your visit.
Lastly don’t forget to visit FAO Schwarz, world famous for it’s toys. We didn’t get to go (but I’ve been there before). Everyone needs to see the three-story clock toy that sings, “Welcome to our world of toys”. It reminds me of Disney’s “It’s a small world” exhibit.
Have fun!
New York Helmsley
212 E 42nd Street, Manhattan 800-221-4982 or 212-490-8900
www.newyorkhelmsley.com
Bronx Zoo
2300 Southern Blvd. Bronx
Mon- Fri. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Sat-Sun 10 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.
Admission: Adult $12, Child (2-12) $9, Seniors $9
www.bronxzoo.com
American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West and 79th St, Manhattan
Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. daily
Admission varies.
212-769-5100
www.amnh.org
FAO Schwarz
767 Fifth Avenue and 58th Street, Manhattan
212-644-9400
www.faoschwarz.com