New York City with grandson

I don't have any advice (yet) but I'll be watching this thread for sure. I'm taking my 18 yo grandson to NYC in June as a graduation gift. :)

Lots of wonderful things to do in Central Park - I’m thinking particularly of the Model Boat Pond, near E. 72nd Street, and the Marionette Theater.

My grandson loved visiting the Museum of the Moving Image. It was the favorite thing we did in a week in NYC. We easily took a subway there.

There is so much to do in NYC with or without grandchildren. It is a wonderful city.

I suggest that you contact the NYC visitors bureau or tourist information.

Month of year? Budget level? Grandson's interests? Arts/Theater plans?

I lived in NYC for 8 years and now routinely go back and visit. I would recommend staying in Manhattan but not necessarily Midtown as it tends to be noisy there, and if you are a light sleeper like me then it can be an issue. I like staying at the southern tip of Manhattan, i.e. The Financial District/Wall Street because that area clears out at night and it's very quiet. That said, especially with a 10 year old, you may want to be closer to the action. I'd recommend looking at some hotels in Midtown East, maybe east of 5th Ave as that area tends to be quieter for Midtown but still close to many things you may want to visit.

If you grandson gets a kick out of taking the subway, then I'd recommend the New York Transit Museum just a few subway stops into Brooklyn. They have a lot of old subway cars on display and is generally fun for both adults and children. Not off the beaten path by any means, but with a 10 year old I'd also go to the American Musuem of Natural History and the Statue of Liberty. Remember that you have to make reservations to actually enter the Statue of Liberty now. Otherwise, I can't think of any particular kid-friendly hidden gem type of things since I don't have kids/grandkids. However, I think a fun thing to do would be to find out if there's a particular country or culture that your grandson is interested in and see what kind of food adventures you can find. No matter what he says, there's bound to be something in NYC.

We've made a number of trips to NYC with our boys over the years, beginning when they were 3 and 6. My suggestions:
- Stay in the Times Square area. Definitely NOT my favorite part of NYC, but for a boy that age it's pretty great. Walkable to everything from there and really goes give the "city that never sleeps" vibe. We've gotten good connecting rooms at the Sheraton and the Marriott Marquise.
- Definitely see a show. Of the ones showing right now, I'd recommend Aladdin but of course he may have a different preference.
- Budget plenty of time for all the kitschy stores, including Swatch and the M&M store.

- Museum of Natural history was always a favorite.
- Our kids liked Top of the Rock more than the Empire State Building.
- We've never done it in NYC, but in other cities our boys always really enjoyed walking food tours. Great way to get a sense of the city.
- The lego store is not a great one but our kids at that age still always wanted to go

This really only scratches the surface - how long will you be there?

Depending on things like your budget , midtown hotels would singularly be the best area to stay ( roughly 42st to 59st and Lexington Ave in the east to Broadway in the west . ) As far as places to see , a few to consider - The Brooklyn Bridge , Ellis Island , Rockefeller Center area , The Upper East Side Historic District , Metropolitan Museum of Art , if you are so inclined . Needless to say , tons more . Broadway Theater is also a major consideration , but what I would recommend would depend on when your visit takes place ( I worked in the theater for nearly forty years , so my choices would be specific , if you have an interest )

Personally, I like the Chelsea/ Meat District neighborhood along the riverfront. I've stayed in The Jane Hotel several times (found it here on this forum and used Booking.com to get the best rates. Warning: shared bathrooms for all but the most expensive rooms). It has a great history as a sailor's quarters (https://www.thejanenyc.com/history/) and it's just minutes away from the Hudson River Greenway (which makes for great walks all the way to the tip of Manhattan), The High Line (also a neat one-mile walk on an elevated former rail line) and The Whitney Museum. I would not stay in Times Square or the Theater District if you paid me to, I prefer the local feel of Chelsea.

I don't know what your grandson is interested in and, at the risk of generalizing, maybe check out the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum: https://www.intrepidmuseum.org/Plan-Your-Visit/Getting-Here-(2)

Also, the Museum of Illusions looks cool for kids: https://newyork.museumofillusions.us

We like the Upper West Side as a base, with two subway lines and close to Central and Riverside Parks. We stayed at this hotel last fall and liked it, a couple of blocks from the Museum of Natural History. Quieter than Midtown, but in NYC it's all relative.

Another fun trip, if the weather cooperates, might be a Circle Line cruise. They have one all the way around Manhattan, and another around lower Manhattan to the East River and back. Both sail to the Statue of Liberty but they don't stop there. Another way to get on the water (I love boat rides) would be the Staten Island Ferry through the harbor and back. It's mass transit, not a narrated cruise, but still fun and cheap.

The subway would be an adventure and is usually very fast, but you might not want to deal with the crowding and noise more than once or twice. Bus service is very good, though slower, and lets you see everything happening on the streets. That's the way I'd do it with a kid, with one subway ride just for the experience. (Or maybe he'll love the subway, you never know.)

Thanks everyone for the great tips. New York is overwhelming to me and your replies are so helpful......much appreciated!

Some free or low-cost ideas:

Take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry - FREE. Sit on the side where you get a good view of the Statue of Liberty. Get off at Staten Island and get right back on a return Ferry to Manhattan. Sit in the front and get a spectacular view of lower Manhattan. See a lot of the activity in NY Harbor.

Ride the subway one stop into Brooklyn. Walk on the Promenade for great views of the harbor and Manhattan. Explore the neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo. Return to Manhattan by walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. (The views are better walking AWAY from Brooklyn, rather than towards it.)

Walk the High Line and get off at the Chelsea Market for shopping and eating.

Go to the library and check out a bunch of NYC guidebooks. Browse through them and make a list of some things that sound interesting. Pay particular attention to sections on ideas for traveling with kids. Copy some maps of walking tours. Choose almost any neighborhood and just take a walk. You might stumble on any number of interesting things!

Also try the Museum of the City of New York. Of course Rockefeller Center. Totally agree with the ferry especially at night. My son thought highlight of the entire trip was a taxi ride thru Central Park!! The wonderful mind of a ten year old.

I agree with Renee - Staten Island Ferry and especially the subway to Brooklyn and walking back to Manhatten on the Brooklyn Bridge

Your grandson will love a visit to the Intrepid Aircraft Carrier. As an added bonus, it has one of the retired Space Shuttles on it's deck.
Some other sites to consider are Coney Island, the Bronx or Central Park Zoos, Spy Museum, Museum of Ice Cream, and the National Geographic Encounter museum.
Also be sure to check out the Time Out New York website for special kiddy events the week of your stay.

Don't go too far off the beaten path and get mugged.

New Yorker here... if you like things off the beaten path, check out the Tenement Museum in the Lower East Side. They require visitors to do a tour, and they should be booked in advance. They also have walking tours of the Lower East Side, which is a neighborhood where new immigrant groups historically resided, and now is a hip and trendy spot.

After the Tenement Museum, work your way north, through Chinatown and then to Little Italy. It makes for a nice day.

https://www.tenement.org/?utm_source=CBC&utm_medium=MuseumTraffic&gclid=Cj0KCQjwn9CgBhDjARIsAD15h0DnSB5EplqiwZuJnCkw250bo3kaqyv-DEHbKzh4z-pmBk7r8g7c_j8aAvXLEALw_wcB

Only recommendation I have is to NOT stay in Times Square area, rather in a neighborhood like west Chelsea. Walkout through Times Square but that is enough.

If you both are in good shape physically, consider walking across the Brooklyn Bridge (unless it is in the middle/late summer, unless you get an early start).

Also, what about going to where the Today Show airs, and be in the outside crowd (have something eye-catching...a sign or something "I LOVE THE TODAY SHOW") with the "chance" of actually having the camera catch him for the chance of getting on TV...and if nothing more, he would get an up-close look at the hosts and see the cameras in action, etc.

Statue of Liberty (as others have already mentioned) is a must-do, unless you think he might get back to NYC again, especially if any of his great-great-great grandparents would have entered the US via Ellis Island. Climb to the top of the Statue of Liberty (if that is even still allowed (do not know...we did that over 30 years ago). It does get "tight" in there, though.

If he likes (or you think he might like) tall buildings, go up One World Observatory (or the New World Trade Tower...whatever it is called), as likely the impression of seeing the ground from so high up will make a lasting impression on a 10-year old.

We stayed at The Beekman (lovely historic hotel) well over 6 or 7 years ago, and we loved it. Walkable to the 9/11 memorial and the Brooklyn Bridge. There is/was a local deli around the corner with a great staff and a wonderful breakfast (one of the hotel employees recommended it when I asked where they would grab a fast breakfast outside the hotel), which would give your grandson a nice "NYC deli experience" complete with good bagels :)

We took one of the Grayline buses for an overview of the downtown area, but it was much, much less than great....but a quick way to see some landmarks from the street quickly. Maybe it was the commentator that day and others might do much better...or not.

......and, of course, if you are not from a large, fast-moving city, THAT alone will be a huge education for your grandson.

Have fun. Enjoy.