NYC Never Sleeps, You May Not Either!

     In New York City it is impossible for even teens to get bored, as long as they get to help pick what they do.  Mom might love the idea of going to an opera while teens and friends might rather shop.  As always, we think considering a range of options and letting the teens have a big impact on the choices is the way to go.   This is one of an ongoing series of post about our getting ready to visit the Big Apple.  

       Here are some of the attractions and tours that our teens are most interested in, so far.   Prices are approximate based on public information as of January 10, 2010.  As always, subject to change.  Remember, for most attractions age 13 and up counts as an adult — bye bye kid price discounts.    Check back as we’ll keep updating.  And add a comment with your own favorite

• The Empire State Building - there is always a line here so you need to make your own decision about whether you want to pay extra to shorten the wait time.  Regular tickets available at the building are approximately $20 including fees for those age 13 and up.  The ESB Express ticket ,which can be bought online ahead of time, is $45 for all ages.  After you get through security the ESB Express ticket allows you to bypass the line to buy tickets and takes you directly to the line for the elevators to the 86^th floor Observatory which towers 1,050 feet over the city.  Access to the 102nd floor observatory costs $15 extra but can only be bought at the building. If you are using the ESB Express ticket you can get the ticket to the 102nd floor when you get to the 86th floor.
• Top of the Rock – a three level observation deck that consists of the 67th, 69th, and 70th floors of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The upper deck is 850 feet above street level.  The lower decks include open air terraces.  Timed tickets can be purchased online ahead of time for $21 for adults and teens over the age of 12.   Several combo deals are available including NBC Studio Tours and the Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Mugging for the cameras in the windows at the Today Show  in Rockerfeller Center.  The show tapes live beginning at 7 am Monday through Friday.   The area outside the show’s ground floor windows are legendary for attracting visitors who want a chance to wave to the folks back home.  Whether the teens decide they want to get up that early is another question!  However, since there is no admission charge this is a decision you can make at the last minute. 

•  Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, located in Times Square, hosts over 200 wax figures of contemporary and historic celebrities, heros and villains.  The museum has a number of interactive attractions including an opportunity for your teen to do a pretend American Idol audition in front of a faux Simon.  There is also a 4D theater!  Tickets for those age 12 and up are $35 at the door or $28 if bought ahead of time.

 If You’ve Gotta Dance!

• The Rockette Experience,  The famous Rockettes generally only perform at Radio City Music Hall during the Christmas season.  If you are there other times you may see one during the Radio City Stage Door Tour.  Another opportunity that is available on selected weekends during the year is the Rockette Experience – a 3-hour class taught by a Radio City Rockette that covers the jazz and tap choreography from the Rockettes, including the world-famous Rockette kick line!  It also includes a “mock audition”, a Q&A and photo op with the Rockette teacher and the Radio City Stage Door Tour.  Participants need to be  age 10 or older with training in jazz, tap, and ballet.  The Experience is about $114 for the dancer and $34 for the chaperone.  The regular Radio City Stage Door Tour is given daily for $18.50 for those 13 and up.  For more info on this tour check out a  great trip report from NYCityMama  – Stage Door Tour .  She has also posted a very informative trip report about the nearby Madison Square Garden  All Access Tour

Pass Programs Can Cut the Bill but Buy Wisely

     There are several different multi-attraction discount pass programs available. These include:

• New York Explorer – offers an opportunity for you to bundle access to 3, 5, 7 or 10 attactions of your choice from a list of 30.  Prices for adults and teens range from approximately $70 for 3 attraction to over $200 for 10.  
• CityPass NY offers 44% discount on access to six major NY attractions including top choices like the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and the Museum of Natural History.

     For any discount program read the fine print carefully as there may be restrictions on when you can use them or they may offer only limited access to some attractions.  If you don’t make full use of the pass you have purchased it may end up costing you more money in the long run.

Meet the Locals With Walking, Van and Bike Tours

     The Big Apple also offers an amazing number of opportunities to get beyond the big attractions and learn more about the city on a more intimate basis.  Here are a couple ideas.  We will update these if we hear about more good ideas from readers.

• Bike and Roll  offers bike rentals for self-guided and escorted tours around Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Hudson River, and other city locations.  They offer hourly, daily and weekly rentals of a range of bikes.  Guided tours of Central Park are $45 on weekdays and $50 on weekends.
• NYC Detours - walking and van tours of Manhatten, Brooklyn and beyond suggested by our twitter reader @NYCPassion.  They have a number of walks already planned out to see Times Square, the bridges and other locations or can be hired to take you on a totally personalized VIP tour focused on your interests. 
• Big Apple Greeters – on a volunteer (i.e. free) basis, New York City natives will meet you and give you a tour of areas of town that interest you.  Sign up ahead of time on their web site.   They get rav reviews!

     We are doing a lot of research to get ready for our trip to New York City with teens.  This post focused on city attractions and tours.  Of course, you can’t go to New York without visiting the Great White Way, but we’ll look at the options for theater in another post.  We’ll also look at the museum, shopping and river cruise options in later posts as well.  You can find what we have learned about places to stay in New York City with teens and tweens in our previous post. 

Note - we took our trip in April 2010 and it was grand.  Visit our Teens Take New York City post for more info.