Our teens and moms girls adventure to New York City is getting close. With the hotel and Broadway show set, and going to the top of the Empire State building identified as our number one priority, its time to think about where to eat, shop and take advantage of the cultural opportunities that only the Big Apple has to offer. Here is the short list of New York City teen and tween treasures we considered for our trip.
Museums
- The American Museum of Natural History – with 45 display halls, an IMAX theater and planetarium this museum can be an all day event. We probably won’t have that much time but the dinosaur fossils, meteorite, and gem stone exhibits are high on our list. This spring and summer the museum is hosting a Silk Road exhibit. An exhibit of live tropical butterflies will be in place until the end of May.
Statue of Liberty
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art – home to the works of Rembrandt, Titian, Van Gogh, and many other masters this is another must do, if only for a short visit. After studying Jackson Pollock in school seeing his work is a priority.
- Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty - this iconic entry to New York, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty is studied extensively in middle school social studies. Ellis Island tells the story of our daughter’s immigrant great, great grandparents who entered the US through its doors. This spring and summer, the Statue of Liberty is offering the opportunity to ascend to the Crown (with pre-reserved tickets). There is currently no elevator service available at the Statue so be prepared to ascend 168 stairs just to get to the top of the pedestal! It is 354 steps to the top of the Crown. Accessible only by boat, leaving from Battery Park, you get a great view of the New York City skyline as part of the bargin.
- Saint Patrick’s Cathedral – construction began on this gothic wonder in 1858 although it didn’t open until 1879. It is the largest gothic style cathedral in the United States. Thanks to ongoing restoration efforts a tour of the Cathedral provides a glimpse into an amazing architectural past.
Restaurants
Thanks to Twitter friends for help with restuarants, particularly @NewYorkGuest for some great tips. The top recommendations so are are shown below but we are still open to more suggestions.
- Ellen’s Stardust Diner, a 1950′s retro home to singing waitresses and waiters servng up chili, ribs, burgers and more on Broadway at the corner of West 51st Street.
- Serendipity3, on East 60th Street is venerated as the home of Frozen Hot Chocolate.
- Jekyll and Hyde Pub in Greenwich Village might be a little too creepy for our girls but it gets rave reviews for those looking to eat their burgers in a haunted house populated by vampires, werewolves, mummies and Frankenstein’s Monster.
Shopping
Amid the theater, museums, tourist attractions and restaurants you know teen girls will demand time for shopping too.
- Berkely Girl on Columbus Avenue gets high marks for tweens but may not be hip enough for teens. They are known for tee shirts and accessories.
- SOHO boutiques come highly recommended although we are told the names change constantly!
You can tell we need some more help on shopping ideas, particularly in the Times Square and Rockerfeller Center area where we will be spending most of our time. We’ve heard that Shop Gotham offers walking shopping tours, but that seems more appropriate for older teens.
This post is part of our series about planning for our New York City trip with teens.
