One of the great upsides of marrying a native New Yorker is having grandparents who live on on the Upper West Side. While I only spent five years actually living in New York City, I’ve been going back anywhere from two to four times a year since 2018 between work and family.
And although Jojo is definitely growing up as a sunny San Diego (suburban) kid, we also want to make sure that she is comfortable in the city. For us that means: chill on the subway and in the back of a taxi, comfortable with all types of people, can handle an afternoon in a (quiet) museum and is open to trying new foods (as well as behaving well in a restaurant). To that end, we try to spend ~two weeks every spring/early summer in New York City. It gets more fun with every trip!
This is by no means a complete guide to New York City with kids. There are too many incredible New Yorker families covering that in far more detail! But this is a collection of the things that we have loved and that we often carve out time for on return trips. It’s also very specific to our experience of the toddler/little kid age range, covering what we’ve loved from ages 1-4—and I’m focusing on our SPRING/SUMMER favorites (aka mostly outdoor) here since I’m planning on another one focusing on cold weather fun after we head back in November for our second annual holiday trip.
All of that said, if you ask Jojo what her favorite thing about New York is, she will enthusiastically tell you: “the playroom with Grandpa Jim” (blessings to their building for having this basement space and for grandparent playtime!). A close second is rainbow bagels—a reminder that kids mostly just want to play with the people they love, no matter what the world-class environment is :)
Playgrounds, Parks & Splash Pads
One of the things that I love most about city life is that there are playgrounds scattered all over the city (although this is much more common in the more historically affluent neighborhoods, like the Upper West Side—we have Robert Moses both to thank and curse for this). There are playgrounds every few blocks in Riverside Park (which runs along the Hudson) and there are 21 distinct and fantastic playgrounds in Central Park alone. Note that when it’s hot out, many of them also double as splash pads: keep a swimsuit on hand!! While many of them are fairly typical—slide, monkey bars, swings—and get the job done (I’m always down for a playground break if we pass one to get some extra energy out), there are a few real standouts.
The Battery Playscape: Located right next to the Staten Island Ferry, we love these giant curving granite stone slides and the tall treehouse to climb into. One cool thing is that this space was built post Hurricane Sandy specifically to be able to flood and survive.
Tom Otterness Playground: Built by American sculptor Tom Otterness (who creates a ton of interesting public art), this bronze sculpture doubles as a fully functioning children’s playground. The legs are slides!! It’s really fun and located just a few (long) avenues past Times Square—it’s definitely worth a detour. If you’re in the 14th Street/8th Avenue Subway Station (A/C/E/L lines), you can spot his tiny sculptures all over the station.
Central Park Playgrounds: While I love all of the Central Park playgrounds mostly for the canopy of American elms that cover it (a very different background than what we are used to in San Diego!), I especially love the Ancient Playground right north of the Met (it’s inspired by the Egyptian art within the museum) and the Adventure Playground (lots of good climbing!). While we’re in Central Park, we also love to walk through the Ramble, cross the Bow Bridge, see the Bethesda Foundation, check if anyone is blowing giant bubbles near The Mall, climb some giant rocks, admire the Alice in Wonderland statue and watch the boats (both model at the Conservatory Water and real rowers at the Lake). We always spend a lot of time in Central Park when the weather is good, and it’s truly hard to beat: there is so much to appreciate!
Pier 6 Playground & Splash Pad (Brooklyn Bridge Park): A ton of great options are packed into this space: a “water lab” to cool off, big slides, big swings and an ample sandbox village. It’s very easily accessible via the ferry, which is a whole aquatic adventure of its own for kids. Don’t miss a treat at OddFellows Ice Cream on the pier before you leave!
Pier 26: Two giant sturgeon fish structures dominate this playground on the river in Tribeca. Kids can play inside the fish, and there is a lot of climbing on offer. Start at Laughing Man coffee for a caffeine fix before walking over—you can also make a pit stop at Washington Market Park for a shady playground along the walk.
Pier 97: One of the newest playgrounds in the city, Pier 97 features a giant climbing structure and towering slide, as well as some smaller boat-themed options for little kids. Note that this isn’t too far from Waterline Square Park, which has an excellent big slide and large green space to run around. I recommend combining the two into a playground crawl!
Slide Hill on Governors Island: Governors Island is one of my favorite gems in New York City: a five-minute ferry ride from downtown, and it feels worlds away. There is a ton of public art to enjoy, you can “hike” through the hills and you can also swing in hammocks and climb over giant tree structures and slide down slide hill. It’s also very fun to rent bikes and bike around the whole island! (Note that if I was going back without a child, I would gladly go just to read in a hammock in Hammock Grove or spend the day doing hot-cold-hot at QC Spa.)
Little Island: While there isn’t a traditional playground on this manmade “island” in Chelsea, there are lots of interactive public art and music installations that are fun to play with aaaand a giant lawn to roll down.
I will note that we have not spent nearly enough time in Brooklyn with Jojo, mostly because of the subway time it takes to get there. Domino Park in Williamsburg is high on my list to get to, as well as more playgrounds within Prospect Park.
Museums
I am doing my very best to instill in Jojo a love of museums and an interest in art. My biggest rule for kids in museums: be realistic about your expectations! I personally have a maximum attention span of one hour in a museum, and I generally halve that when I’m with Jojo . Although whew did I love to give her a “walking nap” in a stroller in a museum when she was a baby and just stroll around the whole two hours—this is a great hack if you are visiting New York with a tiny person who still naps twice a day. I also try to time a museum visit for right AFTER a playground: get all that energy out before you’re in a quiet space. It can also be a key place to regroup in AC after a morning spent outside.
My trick at this age is to do a Color Hunt or an Animal Hunt to make the art a little more interactive. We both choose a color to look for in all of the different pieces of art OR we see how many animals (sometimes we can get more specific here—dogs, cats, cheetahs, etc.) we can find. I actually find this to be a really fun exercise as an adult as well since you look at the art in a whole different way.
Lastly, I am not above bribery. Jojo’s peak treat is a lollipop and she will happily enjoy one for a looong time. I generally keep an emergency lollipop on hand, and sometimes, the emergency is we want to walk around this cool art-filled space and I would like to sit quietly in your stroller and enjoy it.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Met is iconic and it’s also humongous: choose a wing, don’t try to see it all!! The Met has a ton of family guides that can help narrowing down your focus. The 81st Street Studio is FREE for kids and their caretakers, and has a bunch of interactive activities for kids: I like to stop here before going to the rest of the museum, but you can also visit without even seeing the museum. (The rooftop is always a personal favorite stop for me, and generally has a different installation every summer.)
Whitney Museum: Very exhibit dependent, but generally a little bit weirder than the Met and thus can be a little more interesting for kids! I also like the rooftop spaces and views of the river. Bonus: it’s right across the street from Little Island, the High Line (a great place to wander) and close to Chelsea Market, which has a ton of options for lunch.
Museum of Natural History: David grew up going to the Museum of Natural History, and he’s enjoyed taking Jojo back to see his childhood favorites: namely, the big blue whale! Of course, the dinosaur bones are also a hit—but the taxidermy displays can also be great if a kid is particularly interested in one animal. Jojo always loves to go see the cheetah!
Carousels
Although San Diego arguably has the fastest (aka best) carousel of them all in Balboa Park, New York has a few excellent options. I am partial for a carousel as a brief, shady respite. Note that carousels are definitely weather-dependent (both extreme heat and rain), so I always try to make it a surprise addition to an itinerary vs the main event.
Jane’s Carousel: You can’t beat the backdrop: this beautiful historic carousel is right at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge. Pro move is to bring a picnic (Court Street Grocers sandwiches!!) and set up on the grassy hill next to the carousel.
Central Park: A classic example of American folk art: 57 galloping horses (and two chariots) accompanied by a mechanical organ, this carousel was made in 1908—although there has been a carousel in this spot since 1851. Always a hit between playgrounds!
Seaglass: A more modern option, this sea-themed carousel with whimsical instrumental music is right next to the Battery Playscape. It’s fun because it’s so different than the traditional options!
Other Favorites
Going on public transportation: If you live in a car-dependent place, don’t underestimate the fun of just getting around New York City! We take the subway pretty much everywhere, but Jojo loves a chance for a cross-town bus and we both adore any reason to get on a ferry. Even a yellow taxi cab has its charm! (Note that we also still use our beloved travel stroller in New York so that we can both cover more ground on any given day AND carry a water bottle, extra snacks and a bathing suit.)
Balloon Saloon: We somehow have gotten into a tradition of buying a pug balloon as our “pet” for the week whenever we are in New York City, which means we make a downtown pilgrimage to this quirky balloon/toy shop every time we visit.
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt: If you are looking for a spot to get that classic skyscraper city pic, I think that SUMMIT One is a great option with kids. In addition to the amazing city and Central Park views, the “immersive art” of giant silver balls and Yayoi Kasuma’s reflections are also fun with kids.
Books of Wonder: Books of Wonder is a bookstore of ALL children’s books—and it’s big!! SO many options for kids of all ages. This store was the real-life inspiration for the children’s bookstore in You’ve Got Mail.
Bagels and pizza and more: Not every bagel shop has a rainbow bagel, but worth it if you can find one! Our standard rainbow pick is at Bagels & Co on the UWS, although I then make Jojo venture south with me to Kossar’s so that I can enjoy some dill and cucumber (or horseradish and pickle!) cream cheese on a truly perfect everything. I am also partial to going out for at least one fancy lunch with Jojo at either The Odeon or Cafe Luxembourg: a surprisingly kid-friendly (ish) place for a glass of nice rosé, a croque-monsier (that IMO rivals those in Paris) and VERY good French fries, all on a tablecloth you can color on.
Dance with Miss Rachel: This is a niche recommendation, but both David and I are usually working when we’re in the city—so we do have a need for child care. Now that Jojo is four, the camp options have opened up! We sent her to ballet camp at Dance with Miss Rachel on our last trip: it was just in the mornings, but she LOVED it and it freed us up to get on top of vital emails first thing. Worth keeping in mind that there are truly endless boutique kids’ camps and activities in New York City, especially if you’re going for a longer period of time.
Tell me: what did I miss??? Always adding must-do activities for our next trip!
The playroom awaits! And there are so many other places to play!
This guide is everything!!! The 81st Street Studio at the Met is seriously underrated