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    New York with kids

    So, me and my wife and our two kids are off to New York in about 12 days. My wife's exhibiting at a trade show at the Javits Center, and so for 5 days, I'll have the kids on my own during working hours. We're staying in Weehawken.

    So, any tips on great things to do with kids? I'll be taking them on the High Line because I'm in charge and they might end up at the MTA Museum for the same reason. I daresay we'll go to visit Central Park, and walk the Brooklyn Bridge too, but any tips on good things to do would be great.

    I don't mind a bit of tourist obviousness, but would rather minimise queuing times with a 9 year old and 5 year old. Very happy to do things which are 'only in New York' and 'slice of life of New York (which could be anywhere) too.

    #2
    New York with kids

    Some quick ideas.

    We just got the first set of what will eventually be a large set of new ferries. I'd recommend the trip from Wall Street to the Rockaways and back, with perhaps a snack on the boardwalk. Fares the same as the subway (no free transfer, though)Details here.

    Take the 7 line (elevated theough Queens) to Flushing and explore what is now our largest and most interesting Chinatown. On the way back, consider stopping at The Hall of Science and/or The Panorama of the City of New York at the Queens Museum

    Play mini-golf at Pier 25 and explore Hudson River Park

    I wouldn't expect queues at any of these during the week, and would also very much recommend the MTA Museum in Brooklyn.

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      #3
      New York with kids

      I've got a guide book called 'Around New York City with Kids' - Fodors, a bit out of date (2002, but Ellis Island and Grand Central Park are still there...), so if you're interested drop me your address and I'll shove it in the post tomorrow (seeing as my kids are no longer Kids, and we no longer go to New York).

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        #4
        New York with kids

        http://cmom.org/ is a pretty good children's museum. It's 4 street blocks and 1 avenue block from the Natural History (remember for the Natural History Museum you don't have to pay despite them saying "tickets are $79." Just pay what you want.) For the 3 of you it should be about $36 ($12 for each, no matter the age.)

        If you're interested in the Yankees, you can usually find great deals on seatgeek.com. I took my daughter to a game when she was 5. They don't accept printouts anymore, but allow smartphone tickets. It's easy to get to as long as you remember to check the subway map for the small black numbers by the stop which tell you what number stops there. For instance, the green line is the 4-5-6, but only the 4 train goes to Yankee Stadium. And they're about the sweep the Cubs.

        As far as Flushing's Chinatown, I've been wanting to hit up the Hunan House, because it's the spiciest Hunan stuff around. Not sure if that's interesting.

        Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge is great as well if you're comfortable with that.

        The High Line is brilliant.

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          #5
          New York with kids

          I was in New York at the end of May last year. It was 'Fleet Week', which meant there were various US Navy vessels in port and the public could go on board at certain times free of charge. I was able to go on to one of the big aircraft carriers. I think they also have some sort of regatta, that I managed to miss. It will be taking place at the same time this year, so might be worth checking the schedules if that is something you are happy for your kids to explore.

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            #6
            New York with kids

            We went to New York around this time a couple of years ago, with two girls aged 12 and 8. We were lucky enough to stay near Prospect Park, so the park itself, Prospect Park Zoo (surprisingly good), the Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Public Library were our choice - and they were all excellent. And we just walked around and it was ace.

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              #7
              New York with kids

              I'd echo the recommendation for the children's museum, and the nearby natural history museum also, though queues and crowds make it a bit of a job. Travelling on the subway with kids isn't a picnic either - nowhere near as user-friendly as the Tube in London.

              And we were out in Brooklyn last time I was there, which has the wonderful Brooklyn Museum and Prospect Park zoo - deffo give them a go. I wouldn't expect you to do other than worship at the High Line altar, which you are right to do.

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                #8
                New York with kids

                Oooh, slagging off the subways now, are we?

                At least you don't need a bleeding Oyster card or have to worry about "zones" and "TravelCards"

                We have passes to the Natural History Museum, which will allow NHH and brood to avoid the queues and have some dosh left over for lunch.

                I strongly agree about the Brooklyn ideas, but do note that Brooklyn is not terribly accessible from Weehawken (though it is far from impossible).

                Liberty Science Center is much closer to Weehawken and accessible from there via the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail. Liberty State Park also contains the Central Railroad of New Jersey's former Communipaw Terminal, which is where the boats from NJ to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island leave from.



                The Hudson River Walkway in New Jersey is also worth a stroll. The views are most excellent.

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                  #9
                  New York with kids

                  I'm intrigued: why is an Oyster card an inconvenience? Apart from the having to remember to swipe off as well as on, which can result in getting overcharged if you're exiting on, say, the DLR where it's easy to forget (if you're an irregular visitor, that is). We have an Oyster-type thing in Buenos Aires and it's a lot more convenient than the tickets were. Admittedly here you don't have to swipe off because the Subte's not split into zones ... but then again, the Subte's small and a bit shit, so there's that.

                  They also don't sell paper tickets for it any more, meaning if you're a tourist you've got to buy a card, which is a bit daft.

                  I've got nothing to offer on New York, sorry NHH.

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                    #10
                    New York with kids

                    I'm just being cantankerous.

                    It's another thing to carry around and potentially lose with a not trivial amount of money on it, but then so is a MetroCard.

                    But yeah, I've fallen afoul of the DLR thing (I was particularly susceptible when flying into London City early in the morning after not having been there for six months or so).

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                      #11
                      New York with kids

                      Part of me suspects they do it deliberately to increase revenue from people who aren't used to it.

                      At least in Buenos Aires they've got a very trivial amount of money on them for the most part, due to public transport here (in spite of massive recent price hikes) being cheap. I charge 100 pesos (about £5.20) onto mine at a time.

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                        #12
                        New York with kids

                        I'm quite certain it is deliberate. It is just less obvious than the way that San Francisco soaks tourists for the cable cars.

                        Does BA charge for the card itself? I find that annoying.

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                          #13
                          New York with kids

                          I absolutely love travelling around New York's public transport system but it lacks user-friendliness in certain key areas – and being a parent with a buggy (stroller) is one of those key areas. Though NHH's nippers are beyond that age now.

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                            #14
                            New York with kids

                            Ah, yes, that is indeed an issue, especially if you don't have a folding one.

                            It is slowly getting better as more stations are becoming ADA compliant, but it is still a problem.

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                              #15
                              New York with kids

                              ursus arctos wrote: Does BA charge for the card itself? I find that annoying.
                              Yeah. I'm not 100% sure, because I got mine when they were free (and the Subte and buses took cash payment), but these days I think they cost about 25 pesos. A Subte journey is AR$7.50 and a bus ride costs between AR$6 and AR$6.50, but you can only pay using the card.

                              There were some suggestions when the card was first introduced, about five years ago, that there was some funny business going on with the finances behind it. It was originally presented and expected to be made and run by the same people who make the Oyster, and then the deal got handed to some other company who were friendly with Macri (at the time the Mayor of Buenos Aires, today the President of Argentina), or something. I forget the details now.

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