This article is the final part in a series about visiting New York with children:
Part 1 | General Travel Guide
Part 2 | Uptown & Midtown

Here are our family’s favorite wallet-friendly destinations below 42nd Street and beyond the island of Manhattan.

West Village

The charming, Euro-flair West Village has a special place in my heart as Jane Street was my first home in the City, back when I was young and single.  While kids might not get as much out of wandering down the quarter’s crooked, brownstone-lined streets, there are a few playgrounds (with restrooms) you can bribe them with, such as the strategically located Bleecker Playground or the maritime-themed Pier 51 Playground in Hudson River Park.

The Downing Street Playround, with its jewel box-like setting, is near my favorite pizza place:  No. 28 Pizzeria at 28 Carmine Street.  Outside of visiting Naples, this is about as close as you’ll get to tasting real Italian pizza.  The owners and staff are Italian, and in true Neapolitan style, they only accept cash.

 

For a real Italian gelato to finish the experience, walk right by the lines at pricey G.R.O.M., and get a just-as-authentic scoop at Cones.

Another fun itinerary in the (far) West Village is a jaunt through the gritty yet glamorous Meatpacking District to the High Line, a park created on an old elevated railroad track (above 10th Avenue from Gansevoort to 20th St).  Enjoy some unusual views of Chelsea’s post-modern architecture and the Hudson River, then grab a bite at Bill’s Bar and Burger.  If you go in the late afternoon, you might catch some of the debauchery of the — believe it or not — decadent brunch party scene of the Meatpacking District.

Soho

These days Soho is more of a chic adult playground than an artsy quarter of cafes and funky shops, but there are still some vestiges from its more bohemian past.

For kids I would recommend the wacky and totally hands-on Children’s Museum of the Arts (182 Lafayette St. between Broome and Grand Sts.).  Besides all the messy paints and other art activities, they even offer their own take on a ball pit — great for getting the wiggles out if it’s yucky outside.  On Thursdays from 4-6 pm, the museum has a pay-what-you-wish admission policy.

When it’s time for grub, try Delicatessen for “international comfort food” like cheeseburger spring rolls, fish and chips, and some fun desserts like the candy-bar sundae.  Its open-air and casual vibe all year-round is great for families.

Statue of Liberty and Waterfront Parks

First of all, if you’re going to visit the Statue of Liberty, you must get reservations ahead of time, or expect to wait for an hour or two in line.

You’ll still have to go through a serious security checkpoint, but that didn’t stop us from bringing our own picnic food.  You can buy lunch on the island, but the food is greasy and overpriced, and there are plenty of tables and grassy areas for eating your own spread.

While nothing can compare to seeing Lady Liberty up close, you can get a gratuitous side view (and comfortable boat ride) on the free Staten Island Ferry.

Even if you decide to stay on terra firma, the gorgeously landscaped Battery Park is a great place to spend a few hours, taking in the sea air and the views of the financial district skyscrapers (and Lady Liberty, of course).  The Park, which extends all the way up to Tribeca, where it is joined  by the Hudson River Park, offers several cafe’s as well as playgrounds.

Two museums in the area have free hours:  the Museum of Jewish Heritage (free on Wednesdays from 4–8pm) and the National Museum of the American Indian (always free).

Wall Street and South Street Seaport

Also down at the tip of Manhattan island is the financial district and the seaport.  There is something deliciously atmospheric and sobering about the cavernous streets in this historic part of town, where money and power soak the air.

For a more light-hearted vibe, head over to see the tall ships docked at Pier 17 at South Street Seaport.  There is plenty of boat action on the river to entertain kids and, on the other side of the cheesy mall and food court, is a man-made beach in the summer.

In the summer, Water Taxi Beach, sponsored by the boats that shuttle from Manhattan to Brooklyn, Queens and New Jersey, offers the unusual experience of sand-sifting-through-toes and Brooklyn-Bridge-gazing.  The temporary beach even has a putt-putt golf course and a dance floor, which comes to life after dark with the over-21 crowd.  The food is reasonable (if mediocre), but if you want to consume elsewhere, we found the management was okay with allowing our kids to just play in the sand.

The seaport area can be a bit touristy, but if you wander off the beaten path, you can get a real feel of old New York.  Reminiscent of other historic seafaring districts like Annapolis, the Seaport has a distinct Colonial flavor that you won’t find anywhere else in New York.

An added plus?  TKTS now has a ticket booth here, so you can score half-price tickets to a Broadway show in plenty of time for dinner and a subway ride up to Times Square.

Chinatown

Kids will be duly impressed by the foreign-country quality of Chinatown.  We love wandering around, gawking at the beautiful Chinese lettering on all the signs, the curvy red-roofed architecture, and the colorful markets selling all sorts of unusual fruits, vegetables and sea creatures.

Adults and kids alike will love browsing the Pearl River emporium:  a kind of Chinese department store chock full of curiosities, trinkets and practical items that won’t blow your budget.

If you’re in the area on a weekend, a memorable experience is doing brunch, Chinese-style, in one of the many dim-sum palaces.  One of the most popular — also delicious and economical — is Jing Fong (20 Elizabeth Street between Bayard and Canal Streets), which we visited with a New York friend from Beijing.  The Vegas-banquet-style room is humongous and carpeted, so noisy kids won’t make a dent.  It’s easy to get intimated by the throngs of people waiting outside and the apparently arbitrary seating process (with loud speakers and a long escalator leading you up to the dining room when it’s your turn), but the place has buzz.

For another cheap and fun place to eat in Chinatown, my Chinese friends also recommend Quickly Shabu Shabu, where you can get Chinese fondue (meat cooked in hot broth) and bubble tea.

If you’re looking for an indoor activity, the Museum of Chinese in America is free on Thursdays from 11 am to 9 pm.

Bronx

There are many more things to see in this borough, but if you have limited time and/or tolerance for kid schlepping, most people focus on the two gems:  the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo.

The New York Botanical Garden, designed by the same landscape architect as Central Park, is grandiose and a delight for the senses.  There is a children’s garden and educational center, as well as trams which ply through the park and pavilions for picnics.  And it’s cheap too:  adults $6 and children (2–12 years) $1.  Plus admission is free on Wednesdays and from 10 am to 12 pm on Saturdays.

The Bronx Zoo will surprise with its majestic old-world architecture, as well as its vast leafiness.  Fully updated with all sorts of exhibits and attractions (including a carousel, monorail and delightful children’s zoo), the Zoo will add another facet to your sense of New York.  Wednesdays is pay-what-you-wish.

We liked getting to the Zoo via the plush BxM11 express bus, which makes stops along Madison Avenue between 26th and 99th Streets, then travels directly to the Zoo’s Bronx River entrance (Gate B).  The 2 and 5 subways will also drop you off (just 2.5 blocks away from the Asia Gate).

Brooklyn

Of course Park Slope is the place to be if you are raising children in Brooklyn, but here are some other ideas for experiencing the quieter side of New York.

The Brooklyn Heights Promenade is fantastic for its picture-perfect views of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.  Dream of being a New Yorker as you gaze at the neighborhood’s elegant brownstones, and wander along Montague Street where there are plenty of quaint places to grab ice cream, pizza or burgers.

Brooklyn Bridge Park is another fun destination right on the water, under the Manhattan Bridge, hence the moniker DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge).  The park also puts on a free summer outdoor movie series with some kid-friendly choices, and net fishing is organized by the Coastal Marine Resource Center.

If you like amusement parks, you might want to make the trek out to Coney Island.  It will take you an hour (or more) by subway from Manhattan, but if you are not familiar with East Coast boardwalk beaches, it’s worth the haul.  It’s a little run-down, with empty lots interspersed with family-run fun fairs, but it all adds to the colorful montage that is — in the words of a New Yorker my husband met — “big, funky New York.”

On Fridays from 3-5 pm, the New York Aquarium (right next to the amusement park) is pay-what-you-wish. Combined with a jaunt to the beach to dip your piggies in the water, it makes for a festive day.  And the kids will be in heaven.

This article is the final part in a series about visiting New York with children:
Part 1 | General Travel Guide
Part 2 | Uptown & Midtown