Activities for kids (ages 1 and 4) in Manhattan
We'll be living in NY this fall in the Morningside Heights area (close to Columbia U). We have childcare lined up for our kids (ages 1 and 4) but would like to take advantage of Manhattan on the weekends and holidays. What are your favorite activities for kids this age in New York? Proximity to Morningside Heights/ Upper West side is a plus, though we will certainly take advantage of the good public transportation in NY. We'd also be happy to hear about restaurant recommendations (for visits with and without kids). If you know of any good classes for kids, or resources for parents on the upper west side, that would be helpful as well.
Aug 10, 2016
Parent Replies
We just moved from Morningside Heights!
Parks: There's a park/playground in nearly every direction, no farther than 5 blocks away from campus. Riverside Drive has a string of playgrounds and green space (along the length of Riverside Drive) - all of them excellent, each one with a cute/quirky name like hippo park, turtle park and dino park! Many have a tot lot for the wee ones so your little guy won't be disappointed. Also look for Sakura Park on the northern side of campus (near 120th, I think) and Riverside Drive. Beautiful area, small playground but has a huge green space for soccer/frisbee, and a small trail that loops around the park - perfect for little bikes. Also across the street from Sakura - the tombs of President Grant and his wife - never too early for a teachable moment (for your 4-year-old!) - and the beautiful Riverside Church.
Story hour at BankStreet Bookstore is hugely popular - get there a bit early to get good seats for the little guys. Book Culture, the competing book store, has a great playspace for kids in the lower level of their store (perfect for a rainy day).
Here's a long list of activities from the Mommy Poppins site:
https://mommypoppins.com/morningside-heights-kids-columbia-things-to-do…
A hidden jewel for Morningside Moms - classes at Riverbank State Park. Classes offered in music, dance, swim... many options. Prices are unbelievably affordable and moms line up early to secure a spot. It may be worth looking at their class schedule to see if anything fits for your family. Our son also loved soccer classes with Super Soccer Stars - check out their website. There are many options for classes on weekdays and weekends - many in Upper West Side. They even have an intro to soccer class for wee little ones. So fun!
Other favorites include the Natural History Museum and the MET, of course. Both are easy to reach by the subway or the bus from campus. Both are also "pay as you will" - NYC moms typically pay $1 for each visit, an accepted practice as we are tax-paying city residents! Natural history is a fabulous place for little ones to run around, explore. The MET is a breathtaking museum but not as child friendly - they don't allow eating outside of designated areas and don't encourage running around for obvious and understandable reasons. A Columbia ID also used to get you free admission to the MET but I think they've recently changed this policy to accept only undergrad students (bummer).
The NYC Public Library in Morningside Heights (116th street) has a great children's section. Story hour can be hit or miss - depends largely on who the reader is. Manhattan is stroller-friendly (narrow ones are best so you can fit on the escalators!). New Yorkers are also absolutely wonderful and will help you in a heart beat if you need help with stairs on the subway. In my 2 years there, I've never had a bad experience.
Central Park Zoo is also perfect for little ones - not a huge zoo, very manageable for little feet to explore without getting exhausted. Central Park - so many playgrounds, trails, even a castle to explore!! So much to do here! Bronx zoo is a treat and definitely worth a family weekend trip if you can't make the free days on Wednesday.
Enjoy!!
The Natural History Museum (fairly close to where you're staying) is a magical place that would do well by a 1 and 4 year old. Central Park is across the street. For food, more likely for the adults, I like Ellen's Stardust Diner, which is in midtown, as the waiters take 5 minutes now and again to sing a Broadway or other show tune. Not fancy, crowded, but feels like New York. I don't suggest the Statue of Liberty tour--long, pushy lines at times, not great facilities when you arrive. If you really want to get close, take the Staten Island Ferry which goes right by. Have fun.
Richard
One of my favorite blogs has a post with her kids' guide to NYC. Some great ideas here and her kids are around the same age as yours.
http://cupofjo.com/2016/04/kids-guide-nyc-what-to-do-with-kids/