IS NYC FAMILY FRIENDLY?

New York City is VERY family-friendly!

Have you seen how the streets in New York light up during the holidays?

From the legendary  light show on 5th Avenue; to the big, beautiful,  sparkling trees, live Christmas music, holiday festivities….

Oh-what-fun it is to be in a city that never sleeps:)

After watching so many classic Christmas movies like Home Alone 2…

getting “lost in NY” has been on our bucket list for years!

Have you thought about exploring NYC with your children? The New York City Pass will give you the best “bang for your buck”.

If you value experience like most parents,  here’s a list of our family favorites to help make your visit to NYC amazing!

22 Things To Do With Your Kids In NYC

Who wouldn’t want to get Lost In New York – like Kevin McAllister did on Home Alone?!

[ minus  being chased by robbers ]

When dreaming of New York;

we picture ourselves taking selfies in Times Square, dancing through Park Avenue, window-shopping on 5th., crossing Columbus Circle – sipping on hot cocoa, romantic carriage rides in Central Park, and sophisticated shopping in Soho.

… So my husband asks,

“you think it will be fun having to look after 3 extra people?” Lol.

If you’re wondering how I proposed this insane idea to my husband…

and tricked him into saying “yes”, it is because we all decided — to spend money on

experience over material gifts 

for Christmas.

Plus during the holidays, there are specials constantly running for 50% off if you book your New York City Christmas  tours and activities  through Viator.

NY STYLE PIZZA

The first thing on our “to-do” list is Gotham Pizza!

We live in the south. No matter how many pizza places we have in our city – there is nothing like authentic New York style pizza!

Not every NY style pizza in New York is the same. It all depends on your preference.

Jeremy and I are obsessed with Gotham Pizza!

Seriously, nothing compares. The crust is thin and super duper crispy!

New York pizza is our “go to” when we’re indecisive about what we want to feed our bellies.

One thing for sure is – we always have a taste for Gotham Pizza! Our kiddos love it too!

BIBBLE & SIP

How convenient of Bibble & Sip to be right next door to Gotham Pizza! This is perfect – because Bibble & Sip was on our list of deserts to try also.

I have an abnormal obsession with Matcha Green Tea.

If Matcha is an option, then Matcha it is!

The Matcha Cream Puff is Bibble & Sip’s best seller!

Want to know what I think? … Oh my God! Matcha-gasm! I see why!

The Raspberry Green Tea Tart was amazing too! Not on the same scale as the puff though. ?

LADY M CAKE BOUTIQUE

If you haven’t heard about her… YOU NEED TO GO MEET HER.  TODAY.

Because now that we are back home, I can’t “conveniently” walk across the street to Lady M Boutique in Bryant Park and eat crêpe cakes for breakfast!

And because I am the original – “O.G. Cake-connoisseur”, believe me when I say – THE BEST.

And there’s no cake that can duplicate. For all of you cake and crêpe lovers – this is seriously the best of both worlds.

Imagine standing in line anticipating to be seated in  the stark white, minimalist cake cafe – drooling over the 20 layer French/Japanese infused crêpe cakes!

Every single cake we’ve tried was delectable, but the one that stood out most to me was the Signature Mille Crêpes! [ vanilla ]

It compliments well with my Rosemilk Tea:)

The Green Tea Mille Crêpes is Liyah’s favorite.

 Jeremy and Sydney devoured the cheese cake and claims it’s the best they’ve ever had!

Jason’s Black & White Checkers cake was as yummy as it looks!

Lady M Cake Boutique is a heavenly cake experience you should totally die for!

… because when you die, this is what heaven looks like. ?

GRAND CENTRAL STATION

You may recognize the infamous Grand Central Station in some of your favorite classic movies.

Known for its world-famous landmark,  this historic transportation hub is located  at the intersection of Park Avenue and 42nd St. Midtown Manhattan,  with 60 shops and 30 places to eat, along with many more activities under one roof.

“I was here”, says Liyah.

EXPERIENCE THE SUBWAY

Consider the subway if you plan on visiting New York’s most popular attractions.

Not only this will make your life easier as a parent, it will give the kids an experience they don’t get at home.

The commute in Charlotte is simple – hop in the car and arrive to your destination within 15-30 mins.

To have an opportunity to feel what it’s like to be a “New Yorker” for a day is pretty neat, if you ask me:)

Fun Fact: If your child can fit under the turnstile, they are free. A weekly pass is $32.

BRYANT PARK

Take a stroll around Bryant Park for entertainment and free activities for children.

There are free outdoor reading rooms, Ice skating, and more crafty, family-friendly activities to keep your children busy. There are also lots of fast food around too.

If you have time to wait 2 hours to ice skate for free, then Bryant Park is where you need to be!

TIMES SQUARE

Times Square is hands down – the coolest place to be in NYC that comes with free admission!

True – this is the most crowded area in NY – where you will see 7 yellow taxi cabs driving like maniacs – bumper to bumper like they’re magnetically connected.

But don’t stand too close to the streets of your ears hate  horrendous horn-honking sounds of road rage.

Make sure you keep your children close. Warn them that there will be homeless people laying or walking around, holding up signs with inappropriate language.

Other than that, it is the absolute coolest area in the city!

Times Square is the place where the ball drops every year on NYE and where your favorite Marvel movies are filmed:)

MADAME TUSSAUD’S WAX MUSEUM

Speaking of Marvel – and other heroes that have impacted your life, maybe even your favorite celebrity… wouldn’t it be cool to hang out with them?!

After our visit to Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum L.A.,  Liyah had so much fun she wants Sydney and Jason to personally experience it for themselves!

Charge your camera phones and get your selfie sticks ready!

Located in the heart of Times Square,

[234 W. 42nd St. to be exact] next to Broadway is Madame Tussaud Wax Museum.

Madame Tussaud Wax Museum was Jason’s favorite part of New York.

[ gotta find something that’s not girly for a change. ]

We all enjoyed exploring the museum.

Check out the 4D Marvel Show! It was spectacular!

Thank you to all of the staff at Madame Tussaud’s for taking care of us!

BLACK TAP CRAFT BURGERS & BEER

You will not believe how long the wait is for this place!!

What’s all the hype about anyway?!

We’ve been hearing about these mouthwatering craft Burgers and seeing the dreamy milkshakes at Black Tap all over Instagram!

Is it really worth standing in line for hours for though?

Yes — it is definitely an experience you don’t want your children to miss. It is a fun, care-free, artistic atmosphere, covered in graffiti.  The urbanicity ambiance of this burger bar screams  New York City streets!

Because let’s face it… what parent wouldn’t want their children to experience these ginormous, fun to look at, Instagramable, creatively crafted milkshakes?

Did we mention Instagrammable? As in – “insta-worthy” photos?!!?

MUSEUM OF ILLUSIONS NYC

 ILLUSION of DELUSION…… Oh don’t mind us – this place has us  “bouncing off the walls”.

Do you notice anything different? These are Liyah’s set of eyes on my face!

Museum of Illusions NYC is one unique experience!

Looking for a fun place to take your children while in New York?

For an exciting experience, come join the fun and use your creative thinking skills:) Let you kids run around and amaze themselves.

This is not a pop-up museum, so it will definitely be around the next time you visit NY.

Here’s the address: 77 8th Ave., New York, NY 10014.

ROCKEFELLER  CENTER

There’s no hidden secret that Rockefeller Center is  New York’s most iconic tourist attraction.

Multiply that by 1,000 x’s during the holidays.

Now you want to talk about a place that’s always “lit” — not just by the big, beautiful Christmas tree – but Rockefeller Center is truly a child’s wonderland!

There are so many fun activities, eateries and shops your children will enjoy. Go ice skating at the rink in Rockefeller or visit Radio City Music Hall.

Oh, and don’t forget about FAO Schwarz and Legoland. Be mindful of the holiday crowd – lines are ridiculously long!

FAO SCHWARZ

Keeping up with Kevin McAllister is just as pricey as “Keeping Up With The Kardashians”.

FAO Schwarz was “supposedly” Duncan’s Toy Chest on the movie, but we know now that the location of the actual toy store was filmed in Chicago.

Living our Christmas story up to Macaulay Culkin’s – like  visiting the oldest toy store in America should be on the top of every child’s bucket list!

Tip: we waited until the day after Christmas to go. The line was much shorter.

side note: From the beginning Sydney did not care to glide across the iconic piano. She decided to give it a shot because she never wants to look back knowing she passed up an opportunity.

In the end she admitted she was happy she experienced something new:)

SOHO

Go ahead and grab you a cup of coffee, tea,  maybe even a box of French Macarons  and strut  your stuff  down  fashion paradise.

Because Soho will be your runway!

You will learn to appreciate  the most artistic – architectural district in New York  City.

Soho is a short version for South of Houston.

The streets in Soho, Manhattan – are not named after numbers like the main streets in the city.  They are surprisingly nouns.

From big luxury designers to small boutique stores. Shopping in Soho offers so much variety to feed your creative soul.

This charming neighborhood has character, culture and it is much more trendy and vibrant than midtown.

MATCHABAR

Take a break from  Soho-shopping and grab a  Matcha latte from MatchaBar on 70 Prince St.

My Matcha is like your coffee. I function best on ceremonial grade Matcha Green Tea.

Matchabar Soho is convenient, you can order at the window to go or sit down in the cafe and enjoy your Matcha.

Fun Fact: did you know that Drake is also a devoted fan of Matcha? This is why he invested in Matchabar:)

LADUREÉ

French Vanilla, French fries, French toast, French Macarons.

Hey – They’re all addictive!

French Macarons – to me – are an art.

Ladureé is perfect for Soho. It suits the lifestyle.

French Macarons were invented in 1533. Ladurée was born in 1862.

Ladureé  is the perfect place for  brunch. mid-afternoon tea, and desert.

CHINATOWN

New York City is such a melting pot. There are man-made towns such as Little Italy, Korea Town and China Town.

The five of us prefer Authentic Asian dishes over any other dish, any day.

On Canal St. in Chinatown, you can find Dim Sum, Pho, Boba Tea, sponge cakes, 3 avocados for $1, and fun accessories for under $10!

Chinatown in NYC is the closest thing to visiting China, wouldn’t you agree?

DYLAN’S CANDY BAR

Another bucket list place to check off when visiting NYC is Dylan’s Candy Bar.

The modern day version of Willy Wonka’s factory is the real life version of Candyland – from candy embedded staircases, kaleidoscopic wallpaper, to oversized rainbow lollipop trees, and  cottoncandy dreams!

With over 7,000 edible treats, this whimsical museum of candy also treats you fudge samples and carries sweet candy-inspired lifestyle products.

THE HALAL GUYS

A true “New Yorker” will walk  at least 10 blocks in the freezing cold to get to the best food truck.

If you want an authentic New York experience – you HAVE to experience The Halal Guys Gyro and Chicken. The chicken platters are so bomb!

With 25 years serving American-Halal platters on the corner  of W.53rd and 6th Ave, The Halal Guys now have 5 carts and 2 restaurants.

TONY’S Di NAPOLI

If you  love Italian cuisine and need some pasta in your life – you can go online and book a dinner reservation for Tony’s Di Napoli.

My personal favorite dish is the Rigatoni Ala Vodka with Mushrooms.

Everything was excellent. Dinner was delicious, server was delightful, kids were happy and full.

The best way to end the day!

BURGER & LOBSTER

What do you do when 2 people  loves lobster,  2 begs for burgers, while 1 out of 5 of you wants both?!

Duh – you go to Burger & Lobster!

This place has AMAZING Lobster Rolls and perfectly seasoned gourmet burgers!

This restaurant is family-friendly, with more of a mature vibe. I’d come back with date for sure!

Well friends, this is it for now. We hope you enjoyed the memories of our New York experience  as much as we did.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask:)

And if you are considering a trip to NYC – just do it! Especially during the holidays.

Our little ones enjoyed traveling for Christmas so much more than opening gifts under a tree.

Remember, deposit more memories in your children’s memory bank. Experiences hold more value than material things!

XoXo, Sarah

*events on this post are sponsored, but all opinions are truly from our hearts.