New York City is amazing!

Teeming with people, buildings and everything in between – The Big Apple can be overwhelming for a first-time visitor. But look under the surface and you will realise that NYC is not just a busy metropolis – it is also a haven for art lovers, foodies, architecture aficionados and music devotees. And it is a tourist’s paradise!

I was recently in NYC for a holiday with my kids. This may sound strange to you, but NYC offers a bunch of ‘touristy’ options that both adults and kids can enjoy. Trust me – the city is not just about the exciting nightlife or the fine dining restaurants for adults. Young visitors also have a lot of choices to do, see and enjoy in this city of cities.

Here are the Top 10 things that my kids really enjoyed (and so did I!):

1. Broadway shows

No visit to NYC is complete without experiencing the glitz, glamour and entertainment of Broadway, the heart of the city’s performing arts scene.

Get yourself to Midtown Manhattan’s Theatre District where dozens of historic venues hold musical and drama shows every night of the week. There’s something for everyone here!

My kids and I checked out 2 amazing shows – The Lion King and a live performance by the musician Yanni.

The kids loved the former but I especially loved Yanni’s show because watching him live has been on my Must-do list for years. And he didn’t disappoint!

2. Statue of Liberty

Lady Liberty is an awe-inspiring sight, even if you feel you’ve overdosed on her visuals in Hollywood movies!

We sailed to the statue by ferry and enjoyed gorgeous views of this gorgeous city. You can take a ferry ride either from Battery Park in NYC or from Liberty State Park in Jersey City. Either way, you will be close to Lady Liberty in 15-20 minutes max. Tickets are very reasonable – 12$ for adults and 5$ for children between 4 & 12. Children under 4 can ride on the ferry for free.

By the way, did you know that the statue was a gift from France to the people of America?! As American as apple pie? Not quite ☺

We also visited Ellis island after visiting the statue. You will be greeted with beautiful views of statue on one side and the Manhattan skyline on the other.

3. Gulliver’s Gate

This is one attraction that the kids go absolutely gaga over!

Gulliver’s Gate is an interactive and fully immersive world of miniatures spread over a 50,000 square-ft area. Check out 25+ cities, scenes, cars and a bunch of other modern-day things – in miniature! Master craftsmen and artisans from all over the world have poured their hearts and souls into creating this wonderful small world with a big personality. Don’t miss it!

They have made miniatures with working models in some places which can get unlocked with a key that they provide at the entrance. You have to insert the key in a button which turns green and the models start working. It was fun to see buses moving, trains passing through tunnels, ski lifts operating…

We were lucky to find an actual Gulliver staff working on some maintenance work of the rail tracks. It made me look like the real Gulliver.

Make sure you visit the Brooklyn bridge and other attractions of New York before you come to Gullivers gate as it will be fun to see them in miniature size here.

4. American Museum of Natural History

My son absolutely loves anything to do with the natural world. Dinosaurs, birds, snails, plants, weeds – show him anything green or four-legged, and he wants to explore it, come rain or shine!

He was especially stoked with our visit to the Natural History Museum. If you have seen the Night at the Museum movies starring Ben Stiller, then this amazing place will look somewhat familiar to you.

This NYC icon is packed with a number of life-sized exhibitions of animals and people through the ages. The planetarium, 3D digital theatres and butterfly conservancy (open in winter only) are also must-sees.

We were in there for over 3 hours (that felt like 10 minutes)!

5. Walk through Central Park and explore the Central park Zoo

Central Park is another NYC icon that you must definitely explore if you have kids with you. The park is huge and encompasses hundreds of attractions – from Belvedere Castle and Bethesda Fountain/Terrace to a carousel, boat rentals, carriage rides, street musicians etc. There is a zoo as well.

My suggestion would be to cover the Central park zoo first in the first half of the morning and then walk around the park. The Central park zoo is the one they show in Madagaskar film and my kids were super excited to go in to see if the same animals were there but alas reality is different from films 🙂 Prepare your kids not to expect Marty there 😉

However there are many other animals you can enjoy. We particularly loved the white snow leopard and grizzly bear.

After visiting the main zoo you can visit the deer park. Here you can feed the animals. Make sure you check the feeding times beforehand. This park is also a lot of fun for kids with fun photostops and viewing platforms.

Take my advice – don’t be in a hurry when you get to Central Park. Take a picnic and enjoy some down-time with your kids.

We climbed a rock and made that our picnic spot. What better than the view of tall skyscrapers from top of a rock in the middle of tall green trees with a box of your favorite flavour of pringles.

If you are a Hollywood movie buff this bridge will catch your attention as it has featured in many films as the proposal bridge.

I loved the Central park. It was a welcoming contrast to the bustling city right outside its gates. Once inside the park you will get transported to a calm and serene world. I call this the ‘breathing spot for New yorkers’

6. Jones Beach

Jones Beach State Park is not in NYC but on the south shore of Long Island. Home to a 6.5-mile long beautiful white-sand beach on the Atlantic Ocean, Jones Beach offers many activities that both adults and kids can enjoy. We especially loved strolling the boardwalk, exploring the historic exhibit and learning about the marine environment at the Jones Beach Nature Center (my son again!)

Swim, relax, eat – do whatever you like. You will have an unforgettable time!

7. Manhattan Bridge walk

Bridges are such a great representation of human progress, don’t you think?

Manhattan Bridge (Brooklyn to Manhattan) has a pedestrian path where you can walk (or even run across!) just for the sheer fun of it. And you won’t even have to dodge crowds – a wonder of the world in itself, if you ask me! The bridge offers some amazing views of NYC and plenty of selfie opportunities as well!

We got down at Brooklyn Atlantic avenue station and started walking from there towards brooklyn downtown. After a hearty lunch at our favorite Panera bread we chose to cross over to Manhattan via the Manhattan bridge rather than Brooklyn bridge so that we could get a good view of Brooklyn bridge from there.

The final part of the bridge overlooks chinatown and gives an excellent view of midtown Manhattan ahead.

After crossing over we walked across Chinatown and then walked towards pier 16. There are may cyclists and walkers walking here. This place will give you excellent views of both the bridges.

Keep walking towards pier 16. Here you can spend some time relaxing or head to pier 17 for unwinding. Pier 17 has many restuarants and the atmosphere becomes very lively in the evening.

   8. Chinatown

Step into NYC’s Chinatown and you will feel as if you’ve stepped into China!

The sights, sounds and smells of this distinctive little enclave will transport you to a land in the East even while your feet are firmly rooted in the West!

Gorge on some authentic Chinese delicacies, visit chinese temple, slurp some fragrant green tea (I did!) or just people-watch (my personal favourite activity!). And if you’re in the mood, you can even sign up for an acupuncture session or get your aura read! My kids loved Chinatown!

9. World Trade Center (Freedom Tower) 

Probably the most poignant tourist experience I have ever had..

Both my kids were born after 9/11 but they’ werent too young to know about its history. So the visit to the WTC was a tourist activity-cum-history lesson rolled into one! The world trade centre has a 9/11 memorial plaza which is a huge park with man made waterfalls in the footprints of the tower. The names of all those people who lost their lives is etched in bronze on the walls of the 2 twin pools. 

We also took the SkyPod Elevator and climbed 102 stories in less than 50 seconds. Scary and exhilarating at the same time! I somehow like to see the skyscrapers of New york from ground rather than from top of a tower.

If you visit NYC around Independence Day (4th July), do experience the holiday and the city from the One World Observatory. I’m told it’s an experience like no other!

There are other lookouts to choose from like the Empire state and Top of the rock.

10. Times Square and ambling in Manhattan

NYC’s Time Square is a microcosm of humanity in all its varied colours, features and races. Explore the area’s history, enjoy one of the many free concerts held here or simply walk around absorbing its unique vibe. If you’re in NYC for shopping, then this is the place to be.

Even my kids, couldn’t get enough of Times Square and Manhattan. An afternoon well spent!

Since we were in New york for 10 days we had ample of time to visit all areas at a leisurely pace.

We walked around the rockfeller centre and 5th aveneue. There is a huge Lego store which my kids loved. From there you can visit St Patricks Cathedral. From there we kept walking towards Trump tower with a stop at Lindt store;)

I explored the shopping district of Soho with a friend as my kids are not into shopping a lot. This area has asome very good vegan restaurants so you can head for a hearty dinner once you are dead tired shopping. I had some good fun with a friend here while my kids caught some netflix at her house. Well it was Mama’s day out!

We also walked across the financial district where the world famous Bull stands. You can walk Chinatown Brooklyn Soho and financial district all in one day if you plan well.

One other thing that you can also experience is a ride across Manhattan in one of the trikes. They are a little expensive but its nevertheless a fun experience.

You can just keep walking and walking and walking in Manhattan and if you are a photo maniac like me you can just keep clicking and clicking and clicking in Manhattan!

There are hundreds of other things you can do in NYC but these were my favourite 10!

If you have kids, take them to NYC for a holiday. They will thank you for it! And then leave me a comment and let me know about your experiences!