New York in January - kids amusements and large female clothing

In My Humble Opinion
1

It is starting to look like I will be in NYCity for a week in late January, with a nearly 4 yr old in tow. Last time I was in NY I was unencumbered, and thus looking at different things.

So, any of you, especially locals, got good recommendations for kids amusements in NYCity in January, apart from “don’t leave sunny Sydney”? I’ve tried web searching, and I’ve not come up with anything likely other than FAO Schwartz. Is there a good kids museum - not necessarily glossy, but interesting to kids? Is there anywhere good for a kid to play in snow? (We don’t exactly get a lot of it here, and my daughter is fascinated by the idea.) What do locals do in January?

Also, a more specialised question - any recommendations for interesting large-size-women’s clothing shops? I’m looking for funky/counterculture/different, not Lane Bryant/Macys plus sizes.

And food? Recommendations? Good brew pubs? (We’ve got to eat too, you know).

Thanks in advance.

2

Museum Mile! I think kids would especially like The American Museum of Natural History. Also, though I haven’t been there, The Museum of the City of New York is supposed to have a cool collection of toys. Hopefully one of our other New York Dopers will step in to correct me if I’m wrong about that.

There’s also the Central Park Zoo & Children’s Zoo, though sections of these are outdoors, which may or may not be comfortable in January.

3

RoseBud, although the Natural History Museum is excellent, it can be scary for littler kids. Better is The Children’s Museum of Manhattan, which is hands-on and one of the better kids’ museums around.

There are also craft stores, mostly on the upper East and West sides, where you can go, buy a plaster cast of something, and the kid can paint or decorate it. There’s the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, as well as ice skating. We haven’t had much snow the last couple years, and none is in the forecast, but at least there’s the ice.

In Central Park, there is a statue of Alice in Wonderland characters that kids love. There’s also the Central Park Zoo, which includes a children’s zoo. There are lots of playgrounds in Central Park as well.

The Statue of Liberty is cool, but the wait may be too taxing for a 4-year-old.

The subway is a cheap trip ($1.50), and kids generally love it, even if you’ve not got a destination in mind. If your child is into trains, there’s the NYC Transit Museum, which has subway cars and lots of other cool stuff.

Oh, yeah, there’s also the Children’s Museum of the Arts downtown, which is also a kick for the kids. AND, it’s in SoHo, where you should be able to find some funky plus-sized clothing. (Sorry, though, I don’t have any specific info on that score.)

Sesame Street films in Queens. I don’t know if you can get access to the set, but that would certainly be a cool thing to do. Get a local paper and see what’s happening - last year, Steve Burns (of “Blue’s Clues”) made an appearance at FAO Schwarz, and there’s all kinds of stuff like that going on around town.

Enjoy your stay!

4

Rosebud and Cantrip, thanks for the replies and the links. Should you ever be heading to sunny Sydney, hope I can help in return.

5

The New York City website, http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/home.html, is a good resource for tourists (and locals).

It includes a page on attractions for kids in New York, http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/culture/html/kids.html