New York City Guide — The Touring Toddler

New York City with kids. The city that never sleeps, with babies that desperately need to. This is one of our absolute favorite places to visit, with endless things to do. I lived here a few summers ago and fell in love with the never ending surprises around every corner. Adding kids to the mix is a whole other story. Having a game plan is my number one priority for taking on Manhattan with two babes. I don’t want to be stuck on a corner with Google Maps searching “food near me” or “fun kids activities in the Upper East Side.” While I love spontaneous adventures, it’s still crucial to have a structured plan on what’s happening next. This allows for stopping into a cute ice cream spot you didn’t know was there, as you’re walking to a museum.

We were in town for two days with three shows, so we had until the afternoon to pack everything in. In April, we came to the city for a little bit longer, and went to the American Museum of Natural History and the Central Park Zoo. Both of these spots are on the outskirts of Central Park, which is perfect to run around in afterwards. The park is probably my favorite spot in the city for kids. There’s just so many classic New York activities, like row boats, sailboat races, and snacks all around the park. We had the most perfect weather this trip, so we spent a whole afternoon in the park, starting at The Plaza and making our way to The Met. The Bethesda Terrace and fountain is between these two, and is a great picturesque spot. Having gone to the American Museum of Natural History last month, we wanted something a little different, so we decided on The Met. Although there aren’t any interactive exhibits here, Joaquin and Luna really enjoyed it! We just watched Night at the Museum 2, which shows Degas' Little Dancer of Fourteen Years and Monet’s paintings, which Joaquin recognized! After running around the park, Joaquin was pretty wiped, so he was chill sitting in the stroller looking at the art.

Some other fun things we did was walk the High Line, which has unique views of the city. This is a perfect outing with nice weather. Chelsea Market is a stop off the High Line, so we got off for a snack break. There are so many yummy spots in here, where you can go from stand to stand trying new things. We tried every kind of taco from Los Tacos No. 1, which are insanely good (especially the carne asada). We also got hazelnut and raspberry gelato at L'Arte del Gelato, which was Joaquin’s favorite.