NYC with a 10 year old and pregnant mom

Ok I%26#39;ve been to the city as a single person and shopped, but haven%26#39;t taken my daughter yet. Now that she%26#39;s 10 she just has to go! I bought NYC with kids from Frommer%26#39;s, and New York City on $90/day, but with the amazing local experts on here, nothing beats your expertise as far as Im concerned. Im pregnant and high risk, so I can%26#39;t walk for miles, but I can walk atleast 1 at a time, 2 with breaks. My daughter has been raised in a tiny tourist town called Lake George Ny where it%26#39;s pretty quiet and safe, we don%26#39;t even need to lock our doors, so this is going to be a real shock to her system. My first trip, I don%26#39;t think I closed my mouth for the first few hours lol. Anyway, as far as places to stay, we prefer under $250/night and child friendly. She has to stay in the same room as us, and won%26#39;t sleep if there%26#39;s alot of noise. We know she has to see Museum of Natural History, my fav, and we%26#39;d like to take her to see the Intrepid. Are there alot of stairs on that? We toured a navy ship in albany and we had to do alot of tight spaced stairs where you had to go down facing the stairs, kids between adults. It was amazing, and just a small ship nothing huge so I think we%26#39;ll love the Intrepid, though I could be wrong. My daughter would like to either see the Today show or Regis %26amp; Kelly, I know it%26#39;s strange but she loves watching them with my mother. She isn%26#39;t a ';girly girl'; so no need for American girl doll stuff or anything like that. I heard F.A.O closed then reopened, should we go or is Toys R Us better? Is the subway safe for her? Bronx zoo worth it, or is that really a destination in itself without going to manhattan? Thanks for any help everyone! By the way we%26#39;re planning in August, no dates yet, but we%26#39;re open for any weekend anytime.

NYC with a 10 year old and pregnant mom

well as I often do when I suggest hotels on this site, try Hotel Beacon. 75th and Broadway. You can probably get two souble beds and it is about 5 blocks away from the Museum of Natural History. As far as subways are concerned of course they are safe for your 10 year old as long as you go with her. Also keep in mind that there are alot of steps in the subway. Otherwise you could take a cab or for $2.00 a bus.

NYC with a 10 year old and pregnant mom

LGP, August is HOT and HUMID here. I worry about YOU in that kind of weather. You must take it easy. At minimum, PROMISE you won%26#39;t stay in Times Square. It%26#39;s just too crowded and frantic (and filled with tourists). As they say, it%26#39;s a nice place to visit but I wouldn%26#39;t want to live there.

I agree with Mariff that the upper westside (near the Mus. of Nat. History) is a good idea. In addition to the Beacon, the Excelsior Hotel is right across from the museum and has some 1 bedroom suites that should fit your budget in August. The Lucern, On the Avenue (listed as On the Ave here) and the Milburn are other options in that area.

If you%26#39;d rather stay in midtown, I highly recommend one of the Affinia hotels (suites). The Shelburne Murray Hill is very nice and has a rooftop bar with nice views. The Affinia 50 is closer to Central Park.

The Salisbury is another popular midtown suite hotel near Central Park. (Make sure to check rates on quikbook.com vs. hotels%26#39; own sites).

I usually think of the Intrepid as a boys%26#39; thing. It%26#39;s right near the pier for the Circle Line Cruise if you%26#39;d like to do that. YOu should consider one of the enclosed bus tours like Marvelous Manhattan or NY Party Shuttle. They give a good overview for a first time visit. I DON%26#39;T recommend you take the hop on/off as you%26#39;ll have to sit upstairs in the heat. NOT a good idea imo.

As for the subway, I don%26#39;t suggest that either for you. Platforms get very steamy while you wait for trains and lots of stairs. Take buses and taxis.

The Today Show is easy. For Regis %26amp; Kelly, it%26#39;s hard to get tickets. Not even sure if they do live shows in August. They may take off then. Check their website.

By all accounts, Toys R Us is better than FAO Schwartz but Schwartz is near the entrance to Central Park so why not pop in to see the BIG piano.

Stop for a frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity (near Bloomingdales) and stop at Dylan%26#39;s Candy Store (owned by Ralph Lauren%26#39;s daughter).

You MUST take her to a Broadway Show. Look on broadwaybox.com for discounts. Hairspray or Wedding Singer might be fun.

Thanks NYWhiz! Times Square can just be a drive by thing for her, I agree with the too many people thing. I want her to be able to see what an amazing place it is and want to go back, dont have to do it all at one time. I%26#39;ll avoid the subway, as I am not supposed to do stairs, I forgot about all the stairs and how hot it is down there..only rode them once briefly when I was 16 lol. Maybe we%26#39;ll skip the Intrepid since we%26#39;ve already seen one navy ship anyway. Do you or anyone know anything of The Bentley 500 East 62nd Street at York Ave New York, NY 10021 it%26#39;s upper east, is that too far from M.O.N.H? Anything nice to see on the East side? I%26#39;m so clueless lol thanks again both of you for your great tips!

I%26#39;d suggest just going to the zoo in Central Park if you are planning on spending some time there. There is enough there to be interesting, but not too large! I also worry you are undertaking this trip in the heat of the summer with a high-risk pregnancy, but I%26#39;m sure you know best. Take taxis whenever possible; it really isn%26#39;t too expensive. I%26#39;m sure museums and most attractions have wheelchair accessable entrances so you can avoid a lot of stairs. You can take the Staten Island ferry for free (or is it a quarter now?) past the Statue of Liberty for a good view. Good luck!

The Bentley is not near much except some hospitals. It%26#39;s a nice but residential area also near the 59th st bridge into Manhattan. It%26#39;s pretty far east (on the East River). Is the price that much better than the ones I mentioned?

Thanks for the safety concerns. Im a nurse so I am well trained to be careful! I will try to rest often, and I have this great battery operated fan that also has a spray bottle attached, it%26#39;s just heaven on batteries lol. The Bentley was $136/night for great dates on quikbooks that%26#39;s why I asked, but if it%26#39;s that far then I wont really save any money considering taxi fees, it just looked so nice for the price. Thanks again for all these great tips, keep them coming! I promise I%26#39;ll be careful.. a mommy gets so sick of bed rest and nothing to do all summer, especially with a new hubby and a 10 year old who love to play!

First of all, congratulations! I know you will have a wonderful time in New York.

There are stairs on the Intrepid and some of them are outside on the deck, where it can get very hot. It is fascinating to see, but I was very surprised when my six year old daughter%26#39;s summer camp went on a field trip and we walked in and there was a 9/11 exhibit with photos and personal effects. It was beautifully done, but it opened up many questions I hadn%26#39;t expected to answer that day. One of her friends was hysterical that people had died in the planes on display, another was upset at the film they showed. Six is clearly not ten, but I was expecting to look at planes and the ship and we all got more than we bargained for.

I prefer FAO Schwarz to Toys R Us, as they have a better edited selection of toys and is better organized, but Toys R Us does have the indoor ferris wheel.

If she likes Museum of Natural History, the she might also like the New York Hall of Science in Queens. Yes, it is a subway ride, but once there it is air conditioned.

The Bronx Zoo is great, but it is mostly outdoors and you might be uncomfortable. The Central Park Zoo is a small gem by comparision, but is nearby. There is also a small amusement park, Victorian Gardens, in Central Park ,in Wollman Ice Skating Rink if you are so inclined.

Have a great time.

Time Out Magazine publishes Time Out for Kids which is an exhaustive listing of everything to do with kids in NY and might be well worth getting hold of before you arrive.

Ok so no Intrepid, no subway due to heat and stairs since I can%26#39;t do stairs. Central Park won hands down with the zoo and just fun people watching and free stuff to watch and do. Museum of Natural History is a must, Toys R Us beat FAO due to Ferris Wheel and prices, of course baby shopping in a toys r us 4 times the size of ours was a big deal to me! Baby stuff up here has gotten ugly since my daughter was born, im looking forward to shopping for baby strollers when Im there with so much more to choose from! Any idea of any cultural fairs going on this summer? We really are open to any thurs,fri,sat night thru july or aug, just want a fun family weekend in the city. Maybe Chinatown would be worth it to walk and get the cultural feel of it for my 10 year old? We love chinese food! My livingroom is all done asian too, so maybe if its worth it I could find something new to decorate with? Thanks again all, you are helping make this so easy on me!!!

cargo