You may know me from such threads as NYC with children recommendations. I solicited advice from you folks when I took my 2-year-old daughter Anya to NYC in May 2007.
Well, we just got back from the Big Apple with my 3-year-old. Further using your recommendations, we sure had a blast in what we’re now calling “Anya’s summer home”. All those who have helped out, come see the fruits of your labor!
Pictures and Maps here of our June 2008 trip to New York City. I used Google’s Picasa Web to present my photos. Should I mention I love Picasa’s “View Map” feature?
I’m glad to see you took the Circle Line. That’s my personal favorite and I used to do it occasionally when I lived in NY. Kudos to you for making the trip all the way out to Coney Island. That can be quite the schlep!
I love Ko Olina! The lagoons are perfect for little ones and it’s away from the hustle and bustle of town. Did you stay
It’s funny, they say New Yorkers can be pretentious around tourists from “lesser cities”. I think that pretty much anywhere but Manhattan. But, when you tell them you’re from Hawaii, they do seem to like that.
I was telling the concierge that Coney Island’s water was frigid and the sand felt like a skillet. He interrupted me saying “I’m sorry, please don’t tell me you’re comparing Brooklyn to Waikiki Beach.”
And tell New Yorkers to stop giving up subway seats for Anya. You’re going to ruin your rudeness reputation!
The Circle Line was a highlight of the trip. I’ve always wanted to do it, but it was hard to set aside 3 hours. It was perfect this time, since we were exhausted after all our flight cancellations/delays. What better way to get acclimated than to sit on a boat? Of course, I was too busy looking around and shooting pics to relax. However, the Harlem River was a welcome break.
Coney Island wasn’t really planned. It was more of a “what’s something new I can see?” and make it a “road trip”. We were thinking of the Queens Art Museum with the huge diorama. Then as I planned the subway route from Brooklyn Heights, I noticed “why not do Coney Island”? Glad I did!
The giant piano was not questioned. It’s one of the many things Anya remembered from 2007 and anticipated most on this trip. The other were the dinosaurs, but we planned on a different museum; the Guggenheim on a Friday night (where it only required a donation). We got there and there was scaffolding and most of the exhibits closed… including those on the spiral! So, we asked if other museums had the same deal on Fridays, and they told us the Met did. Cool!
Poor Anya, she has seen one of the premiere natural history and art museums in the world and she’s barely 3. How can we top this?
We feel the same way about Zack & AJ- at 8 & 6 respectively, they have done more and seen more than most grown-ups I know. It’s all worth it, though, even if they most likely won’t remember any of it…
We will be in NYC for Xmas again this year, simply cannot wait.
And New Yorkers aren’t rude- they just have no patience for bullshit. They have Things To Do. But yeah, having two serious gangster-types help me to amuse a cranky toddler on the train out to the Bronx tarnished their rep a bit.
The panoramas are gorgeous, especially the one from Rockerfeller Plaza. I like the panorama of Manhatten from New Jersey. Was that from Liberty State Park (Jersey City) or Alexander Hamilton Plaza (Weehawken)?
Awwww, she looks so cute! Wasn’t she a baby just the other minute? And it looks like a really fun trip.
Even if she doesn’t remember the museum visits, I suspect she won’t be one of those kids who think museums are boring; they’ve been a fun place to go for as long as she can remember.
