Tag: NYC

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New York City USA

New York shopping at Forever 21

Forever 21 display in Union Square store New York CityIf you’ve never hit a Forever 21 clothing store, take your teen or tween and be prepared to pick from a huge, trendy and fun selection that is well-priced. There are men’s sections in the larger stores, but it is mostly a girl’s and women’s emporium.

I ended up in one in Manhattan (the Union Square store) when I realized that I wouldn’t have time to get back to my hotel and change clothes before a TBEX (travel blogger’s conference) party. I’d heard that Forever 21 was inexpensive, but I had zero confidence that they would carry anything that would interest a 49-year-old woman who usually prefers tailored, structured clothing.

Wow, I could hardly get myself out of there.

I ended up with some jewelry and two fun tops – I tossed on the white pearl-decorated one, along with some long necklaces, and was instantly party-ready.  The chance to shop and be girly (not a luxury that I allow myself much these days) was a heck of a lot more therapeutic than I’d expected, too.

The store inventory size is often overwhelming (as are the crowds and the very busy staff) and no one is claiming high quality levels for these clothes, but for me, a $15-20 cute top when I desperately needed one made it well worth picking through the racks.

After returning from New York, I gave my teen daughter a purple sparkly Forever 21 lariat necklace as a gift, and she said, “Oh, yes, they have one of those stores down at Austin’s The Domain shopping center. They have good stuff.”

Uh, oh, right in my backyard. This may create wallet problems.  🙂

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New York City USA

Ask Baratunde: Off the beaten path NYC restaurants

Oh, Twitter, you are so much fun!

Tonight I noticed that tech-savvy comedian and raconteur Baratunde Thurston as @Baratunde was holding an “open question session” on Twitter (where I’m @SheilaS) ….for about an hour you could ask him a question about anything, using the hashtag #AskBaratunde, and he’d try to answer.

So, since he’s based in New York City, I asked, “In the NYC area, what are 2 restaurants visitors don’t know about, and should?”

He responded in the requisite 140 characters: “Two off-the-map NYC restaurants: Mamajuana in #inwood and No. 7 in #FortGreene (Brooklyn)”

Here are their Web sites: Mamajuana is a unique combination of Spanish/Nuevo Latino/Dominican cuisine, and No. 7 is, well, pretty upscale, but it sounds delicious and might work with a teenager.

I then asked if they were family-friendly, and Baratunde responded, “i think they are. No 7 is pricey but brunch at Mamajuana is very reasonable. best in warm weather to eat outside.”

There you have it for your next NYC visit, hot off of the Twitter press….

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Blog New York City Podcasts USA

Audio post: impressions from a day in New York City

Some impressions and thoughts from a day of running around New York before I live-tweet the Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards this evening.

Lesson for me: stop trying to do too much and you’ll have a better time as a traveler!

I’m going to have you click this URL link for my New York audio post, because (just like the last time I tried this) every time I try to embed the player, it plays someone else’s random audio post, and I never have time to get ahold of anyone at Utterli to say….FIX THAT!

Best wishes from NYC….

(Ignore the player below while I work with Utterli tech support)

(Update 2010 – unfortunately the Utterli service is now defunct, so the recording is gone.)

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New York City USA

Top 10 tips for a NYC holiday visit with kids

This is a guest post by Mommy Poppins, a great blog for family-friendly info about the New York City area.

New York City Christmas lights on Wall Street (courtesy wallyg at flickr's CC)Christmas is a wonderful time to visit New York City; the city is alive with wonderful special events, it’s beautifully decorated and lighted and there is a wonderful energy humming through the streets.

If you are lucky enough to get some flurries of snow while on the streets of New York during the holidays, you can dream that you are in your favorite Christmas movie.

Unfortunately, you’re not the only one who knows this, and the incredible crowds that swarm upon the typical holiday sights can be so overwhelming that you could end up with a nightmare instead, especially when traveling with children.

But don’t let a few crowds put you off from visiting New York during the holidays. With some insider knowledge and some off-the-beaten-path destinations, you can get all the magic from a New York holiday, without all the pushing and shoving.

Here are the top ten tips and destinations for getting the most out of New York City with kids for Christmas:

1. Visit a Victorian Santa. Skip Santaland at Macy’s and the 3 hour line, and head straight for ABC Carpet & Home. They have a really beautiful Victorian Santa and virtually no lines. Weekends 12-5PM through December 22.

2. See a Nutcracker created just for kids. Many children can’t sit through the New York City Ballet Nutcracker at Lincoln Center, but there are several Nutcracker performances in New York that are created just for children and even toddlers. Most of them are only one hour long and adapted for children, including New York Theatre Ballet’s Nutcracker.

3. Go ice skating where New Yorkers go. Rather than fighting the crowds and waiting in line for an hour at Central Park or Bryant Park, head to Brooklyn’s Prospect Park ice skating rink. It’s a wonderful setting, and after skating you can go to the Brooklyn Museum or shopping in Park Slope.

4. Shop in Brooklyn. Park Slope is one of New York’s most child-friendly neighborhoods and Seventh Avenue is lined with wonderful little neighborhood shops rather than the chain stores that have taken over much of Manhattan. Williamsburg’s Bedford Avenue is a hipster’s paradise that is becoming a hipster parent paradise. Check out the cool boutiques like Sam and Sebs.

5. The other amazing Holiday Train show. New York Botanical Garden has an amazing holiday train display, but it’s a pain to get to, can get pricey for a group and is mobbed on the weekends. Unknown to many, there’s an equally incredible train show right in midtown Manhattan that is free. In the basement of the Citigroup Center building on 53rd and Lexington is a phenomenal train display.

6. Go multicultural. You’re in New York, after all. Why not take advantage of some of the more unique ways to celebrate the holidays from different cultures? Solve the problem of what to do on Christmas Day in New York (when most of the city is closed) by learning about klezmer music and Jewish culture during “Klezmer for Kids” at the Eldridge Street Synagogue. On December 29th, there’s a big Kwanzaa celebration from 12-5 pm at the American Museum of Natural History.

7. Other beautiful trees. The famous tree in Rockefeller Center gets seriously mobbed; there are some other really great trees to see without crowds, or at least fewer crowds. The tree outside the New York Stock Exchange is almost as big and stands in front of the beautiful landmark NYSE building. No crowds will block your view here. The Museum of Natural History has a beautiful origami tree (decorated with origami, not made out of) and free origami workshops for kids.

8. Holiday Lights. You can find incredible holiday light displays all over the city. Some of the best are at Grand Central Station.

9. Good feelings. Kids will love the Operation Santa Claus at the main New York Post Office. You’ll find a room full of letters to Santa from children in need, and a gathering of good-hearted New Yorkers sharing stories and picking out wishes to fulfill. Pick your own letters and go shopping with your kids to fulfill the dreams of a child less fortunate.

10. Don’t skip the big stuff. Tourists have one big advantage over New Yorkers — you’re not working. Use your privileged status to your advantage, and visit the places that are going to be mobbed during the week. Go early. If you’re lucky, you could find yourself virtually alone.

Find out more about these and other ideas about what to do with kids
in New York in the Mommy Poppins Holiday Guide.

Technorati tags: travel, family travel, New York City, NYC, holiday travel, Christmas

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New York City USA

You must take the A train in NYC

The A Train in motion (courtesy keithcarver at flickr CC)

Did you know that this year is the 75th anniversary of the world’s longest subway line and a New York City icon?

It’s the A train, and it takes you 31 miles from the northern part of Manhattan to Far Rockaway in Queens.

(I want us all to pause here and acknowledge that “Far Rockaway” is a really cool name for a place.)

Anyway, on one of my first trips to New York, I insisted on boarding the A train and humming a few bars of the Billy Strayhorn song made popular by jazz great Duke Ellington:

“You must take the A train, to go to Sugar Hill way up in Harlem….”

There’s a lot of history right there; Sugar Hill Records was one of the first big rap labels.

Considering an NYC visit? Budget Travel has some great tips from an interview with Charlie Suisman of the ManhattanUsersGuide. There are also recent hotel and sightseeing tips for Brooklyn from the UK’s Observer.

Just remember to take a ride on the old gal and wish her a happy 75th birthday.

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New York City USA

New York City Update

Times Square NYC (courtesy Kaysha at Flickr Creative Commons)I’m sure that a lot of families are planning to travel with the kids to New York City this summer, although you might have a better time in the fall or around Christmas/New Years, when I think the city is at its most lively.

NYC and the boroughs are pretty hot and muggy in summer, and lots of the “natives” take extended vacations or have weekend houses, so you may meet more tourists than New Yorkers during parts of June/July/August.

Still, I have some good links for whenever you go.

My first suggestion is that you see what the locals have to say about things to do with kids, and start with Mommy Poppins. She is full of great suggestions for New York’s most interesting and educational places for families (and you know what a museum geek I am) with an eagle eye kept on the budget as well. How about freebies at the Metropolitan Museum of Art? Or free summer sports; many of her ideas are camps, which are good for locals but maybe not travelers, but there are other single-day ideas listed including a fishing tournament sponsored by Macy’s department store. Who knew?

I rarely find many family-oriented items in the hip urban blog Gridskipper, but they have a great list of free summer festivals in NYC. You may need to stand in line for tickets (tricky with young kids, I know) but if everything goes to bleep in a handbasket and you have to leave early, you’re not out any money.

Checking out Central Park is free, and a nice place to cool off.

Fodor’s Travel Wire found some NYC surprises that even the locals may have missed — I didn’t know that the city has water taxis, for example.

Where to stay is always a quandary; the UK’s Telegraph newspaper has some good (but somewhat pricey) tips for staying right in the heart of the action in Times Square.

I also got to thinking that visitors might be interested in staying across the Hudson River from Manhattan, so that you can park your car and leave it, take the train into downtown, and also have views of the skyline. I haven’t tried this personally, but a quick surf of TripAdvisor gave me this list of Jersey City hotels, and several reviewers mentioned Manhattan skyline views and easy walking distance to public transport.

Anyone tried this on the Brooklyn side? I bet it’s more expensive.

Finally, want to tack on a road trip? I was impressed with the Perrin Post’s detailed itinerary for a New York State Thruway trip north of the city.

Technorati tags: travel, family travel, New York, NYC

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New York City USA

Family Travel to New York City

Looking up at the Statue of Liberty (Scarborough photo)The Big Apple is one of my very favorite cities, and I’ve had a few good links laying around that I need to get out there for those who may be thinking of a trip to New York.

I’ve visited as a single person, as part of a couple and as a parent, and the place just never disappoints. It is truly an amazing town.

For a good overview of options, see Fodor’s 5 great itineraries for the city. If you just want the down-and-dirty:

** If you have time for one museum, take the kids to the Museum of Natural History (Ben Stiller’s fun new movie “Night at the Museum” is set there.) Want to throw in some art? My children liked the Guggenheim, mostly because of its cirucular ramps and neat architecture. Not sure they even remember the art works within!

Running around on Ellis Island (Scarborough photo)

** The Staten Island ferry gives great harbor views for 25 minutes for an unbeatable price: free.

** I think that for kids, the Statue of Liberty is actually more interesting when viewed from a distance out in the harbor, especially since you can’t climb up to the crown any more for security reasons (plus it can get really crowded.) Ellis Island is a worthwhile visit for older kids; my youngest mostly enjoyed running around on the grounds rather than looking at immigration exhibits.

** See a Broadway play. The spectacle is well worth the cost, especially if you luck into less expensive seats from the TKTS booth in Times Square or the lesser-known booth down at South Street Seaport. Frommer’s online has a comprehensive guide to maximizing the New York theater experience — click here. Try to see bustling, bright Times Square at night to complete your theater event.

Bronze casting of the Statue of Liberty's foot (Scarborough photo)

A new site on educational travel, Gifted Travel, has some unique ideas for avoiding New York tourist traps and finding alternatives to the “usual places.”

From a British perspective, here’s one father’s trip to NYC in the UK’s Times Online.

For some midwinter ideas about seeing the city without spending a fortune, here’s Newsweek’s “New York on the Cheap.”

How about something for kids who are budding foodies? Smarter Travel talks about a number of culinary destinations, but here is their take on New York for chowhounds.

Want to see something besides Manhattan? Cross over the iconic bridge into Brooklyn for all sorts of treats.

And finally, here’s Gotham with an 11-year-old, with all kinds of good ideas for those ‘tweens. Enjoy your visit!

Subway ride with toddler backpack (Scarborough photo)

Update 08 January 2007: Just came across some good hotel deals for families going to New York, courtesy of About.com Guide Teresa Plowright’s always-useful Travel with Kids site.

Update 23 January 2007: If you visit New York over the holidays, I have to absolutely agree with Wendy Perrin’s blog post on the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular. My daughter and I loved it a few years back, but my son was too young to go. No problem; Dad gets to take now-old-enough son on our next NYC trip and it’s MY turn to ice skate at the Rockefeller Center rink under the giant tree!

Update 31 March 2007: Take a look at this fun video, 24 Hours in New York, from concierge.com (the umbrella Web site that includes Conde Nast Traveler magazine.)

Technorati tags: , travel, New York

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New York City USA

New York City & Kids: Where to Stay? What to Eat?

There is so much to do in this city and its boroughs that you can return again and again, in different seasons, to check things out. Paying for it, however, is another matter.

Talk about Mission Impossible; the Washington Post Travel folks set out to give us some Manhattan hotels for under $200 a night (and yes, that’s considered a bargain rate in this upper strata of lodging prices.)

Meantime, one of my favorite travel guides, the Time Out series, gives us a long list of kid-friendly places to dine in NYC.

If you want to take your family to the Big Apple, check out their ideas.

Update 28 May 2006: The Washington Post readers submitted their own recommendations for pleasant and inexpensive NYC hotels.

Update 3 June 2006: A quick tip from Jaunted about visiting the Top of the Rock, especially if you want to see the NYC skyline with the Empire State Building in it (which of course you can’t do if you are at the top of the Empire State….)

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New York City USA

Neat Dining Idea in New York City

Those savvy folks over at Jaunted have a nice NYC post, including tips on how to dine at the United Nations.

Take your kids Kofi-spotting…. 

 

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New York City USA

New York City with Teens: A Canadian Perspective

In the Canadian newspaper The Globe & Mail’s Travel section, author and mother Kimberly Noble gives us a rundown on her visit to NYC with teenagers.

I second her comment about restaurants and walking; I’m always coming up with these great places to go that “only” require blocks of trekking by cranky family members.