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There is so much to do in New York City with kids… and we are sharing the highlights of our 72 hours in New York City!
This was an awesome visit for us… short, but still awesome.
I still can’t believe how much we packed into those few days. Two days after we flew back to San Diego from Florida we were back on a plane heading to New York City! We chose an early morning, non-stop flight so that we would have as much time in NYC as possible. We flew into JFK, landing at 3pm and met our driver moments later… since we were traveling with carry-ons only. I think that’s one of my number one travel tips if you are traveling with kids or adults only. You don’t have to worry about lost bags or waiting for them to arrive on the conveyor belt. It’s the best way to travel for shorter trips. For longer ones we bring 1 or 2 checked bags for our overflow clothes and liquids. That way if one does get lost we still have enough clothes to wait it out or buy more.
Back to NYC…
Emmy was very excited to be in New York… and dressed for the occasion!
The drive from JFK to midtown NYC, (where we were staying) took about an hour. We checked in and started to explore! We walked up and down Lexington and some of the side streets, and then we stopped for dinner at Beyond Sushi on 14th St. It’s completely vegan and it filled us up for more exploring.
The girls all wanted to go to Times Square so we went multiple times while we were there.
Pete and I had both been there before. Pete said it was the same as all the other times he was there… but for me it was completely different. I was there on New Year’s Eve, 1995 and there was freezing (literally)… so this was totally a new experience for me.
It’s much better when you aren’t freezing!

We walked up and down the and in and out of stores…
We even went to the most awesome Disney store ever…
We stopped in Toys R Us… (which has since closed), and just had a good time being tourists. I mean, we really acted like tourists and it was awesome. We try to go off the beaten path on our travels, but this day we wanted to have the total visitors experience and I’m so glad we did.
Emmy, Ash and I had one thing on our minds .
Street food. We don’t have anything like this is San Diego. We had ice cream, pretzels, potato knish, cookies and more throughout our visit. The one thing we didn’t have that I’m kinda sad about was a NYC bagel. But that just means we will have to go back!
We also took a picture outside Radio City Music Hall.
Explored Rockefeller Center…
Bought ice cream at a drug store and enjoyed it at a corner park with the local kids! It was right by Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village. We stayed awhile and let Emmy run around, until the police and FBI came and shut down the street next to us for a double homicide. It happened while we were sitting there and we had no idea. Big cities I tell you.
For transportation we used Uber. It was much more reliable, cost effective and had quicker service than trying to hail a taxi (which we tried a couple times). The only time we had to wait was when we, and multiple other people were trying to relocate after the whole murder thing. 100% of the Ubers that picked us up were private drivers that work in between booked clients with Uber. So we were driven around in Suburbans.
Maddie did some research for us, and found Ellen’s Stardust Diner!
We were worried that there would be a long wait for dinner… but we were able to walk right in and be seated in seconds. It was so fun. The food was good (with huge portions) and they even had vegan and vegetarian options. The waiters and waitresses sing throughout your meal and they all had amazing voices. It was the perfect family dinner choice!
One of the days Emmy and I spent working.
We were here on a secret mission with Motrin to film a commercial with Kelly Ripa! We had a blast and while we were working, Pete and the older two were off having fun of their own. They even had lunch at Chef Chloe’s restaurant, which was one of Maddie’s NYC goals.
Back to seeing the sights… We boarded the boat to Ellis Island with a stop to see the Statue Of Liberty. This is a paid tour, but there is a ferry from the New Jersey side that is free. It doesn’t have stops like this one does, but if you just want to get close to The Statue Of Liberty, and enjoy a ride consider that one.
The skyline view from Liberty Island is the best around. It’s hard not to feel sad even with all the beauty because the Twin Towers are missing, but seeing One World Trade Center from this spot was breathtakingly beautiful. Liberty Island features the Statue Of Liberty, benches to relax on and a little food stand with snacks and coffee.
Pete and the girls went on the Statue Of Liberty tour. There are different ones available and the one all the way to the crown sells out months in advance… so they took the one to the pedestal.
This picture sums up how we felt about our entire visit!
My favorite part was stepping foot on Ellis Island just like my Great Grandma Did many years ago.
We took a self guided tour throughout the building and saw the many steps it took for each person that arrived to finally be able to step foot into New York City. We did a search in the official records for both my great-grandma and Pete’s Great-Grandfather and we found Pete’s Great-Grandfather!
The next day was “go home day” and we couldn’t believe how fast the days went.
New York City is so alive… at all times of the day. We loved the energy of the city and the people and we decided to see it from a different view before we headed to the airport, with a tour of the Empire State Building.
We got there early in the morning and there wasn’t a wait at all. Don’t buy your tickets from the people on the street. It’s just as easy, (and safer) to buy them inside the building. We ended up spending about 2 hours from entering the building to leaving so plan a bit of time.
This view of the city is something we will always remember.
As you exit the Empire State Building be sure to head left and then turn left on the next street… that’s where the world famous Macy’s store is!
We loved New York City and we can’t wait to go back!
Your kids are so much fun. Mine always complain when I bring them there LOL. They always say they’re bored – crazy, right?
I have been to NYC a lot (even as a kid) that place is amazing! There is so much to do I think I could go back a million times and find something new each time.
Lovely post! So glad you enjoyed the first trip to Manhattan and Staten Island. We have been traveling there with our daughter since she was six (she is now 13). Every trip is different because she is a different age and because there is so much to do there. We have written about things to do with kids in other parts of the city that you did not have time for on the first visit: Greenwich Village, Wall Street treasuring hunting, the Midtown Art Deco district, Central Park, Madeleine and American Girl, and of course the museums.
We look forward to reading about your discoveries in NYC when you return. In the meantime, we will follow your blog since we love comparing notes with other people who love family travel. Cheers!
Hi Kate and Mike! It’s nice to meet you! I’ll be sure to check out your blog too… I agree there are so many things to do in NYC. We can’t wait to see more during our next visit!
Checking out Times Square was definitely a good choice. I love that area. There’s so much to do in NYC!
There are a lot of great places to stop at! Hubby and I were there for about 72 hours and didn’t even touch half of what we wanted to do lol! Time to plan another trip!
It looks like you had amazing weather! My little one has been begging for the past year to see Lady Liberty, perhaps this summer.
You guys crammed so much into such a short amount of time – nice! I love mini vacations like this, long enough for a break but not so long that you start to miss home :-).
I love NYC so much and grew up traveling back and forth since my mom was born and raised in Brooklyn. I think my kids are finally old enough to make the trip and have a blast!
My kids have never been to NYC. I see a family trip in our future to check out some of these things. Looks like your trip was lots of fun!
I went to New York before I had kids, it would be a fun place to go again, especially because there is so much to see and do! Stardust cafe, looked really fun and I like places that give you a lot of food options and portions for your buck.
I’ve never been to NYC so I think it would be a great place to go. I’ve never really thought about it with the kiddos before, so that is one we’d have to see but looks like it would be fun!
I love going to New York and enjoy their Skyscrapers. I’m sure you had a wonderful time with your kids.
This looks like an amazing vacation! It is definitely at the top of my family bucket list!
I have been to New York twice. I would love to take my family along. They are not much for big cities like that.
wow.. sounds like you had an amazing trip. I’ve never been to NYC, can’t wait to visit soon
It looks like you had a ton of fun. There are so many fun things to do with kids in NYC. Times Square was my favorite.
A family can have so much fun in New York City. Great post Heather!
I haven’t been to NYC in several years but I think it’s about time to head back. There is so much today and it’s all so exciting and fun!
I have never been to New York. I bet it can be crazy yet exciting with kids. There is so much to see and for them to learn.
Never been to big apple yet but hopefully soon. LOve all your photos, glad that you made it to some of them. Moms are always left out in photos right?
I love NYC and almost lived there many moons ago. My husband and gone and my daughter too with her grandparents…but never the 3 of us together. I hope to plan a family vacation there soon. Thanks for sharing your adventure!
You guys had a blast in NYC. You only had 72 hours, but you went to a lot of places.
You guys had so much fun. I enjoyed looking at your photos. I would love to visit NYC someday.
Looks like y’all had a great time! We haven’t been there yet, but love the view from up top of the city!
I love so many of the things you’ve listed! I commute often to NYC to attend events! It sounds like you had a great time!
I grew up in NY and Jersey, I would love to take my daughter there to see everything I remember from when I was a kid. I know she really wants to see the city and of course eat the best pizza in the country!
It’s such a minor detail in such a clearly awesome trip but I can’t believe your first stop was for vegan food! Are your kids awesome and versatile eaters? Lol – seriously I’d love to hear more about this.
We were hungry 🙂 But really, two of us are vegan and the rest vegetarian so it wasn’t a hardship LOL.
I love love love NYC! I think it is such a wonderful thing for EVERYONE to experience. I am super excited that you got to visit Ellis Island. I went there for the first time when I was 12 and it was such a great learning experience.
Oh that pretzel! NOM NOM I have always wanted to visit New York City. I often wonder how people can live there, it so packed and seems like everyone is on top of each other. But, I still want to see things. It’s not super far for me to drive if I go through Canada. I should put that on my travel list before I move down south!
Touring New York City has always been a dream to me! The idea of all the sites, food, and people is so interesting and I would love to make a trip one day!
What fun! The last time and pretty much the only time I’ve been to NY was in 1994 lol I was 10 and still remember it!
It looks like you all had a wonderful time in New York. I have always wanted to visit New York City and so has my sons. They are men now but we still can go on a vacation there some day. Thanks for sharing your experiences and ideas.
NYC is such a great place for kids & families! We love living so close by! Looks like you had an amazing visit!
You all always seem to have so much fun! =) I have never been to New York myself but maybe this summer my family can go there.
When I think of visiting New York, I always want to go to the parks, and eat from the food trucks 🙂
I so want to visit New York. It has been on my bucket list for ages. Waiting for my kids to get a little bigger than we all can come.
I have actually never been to NYC, but my parents briefly lived in Long Island. I’d love to visit there someday, though!
Man, I loved this post as it brought back so many amazing memories of our trip last October. My husband and I went for my birthday and had a blast. Neither of us had been there, so it was very exciting. I am hooked, and can’t wait to go back again one day. Thanks for the pictures and wonderful memories.
NYC will do that to you, won’t it! We are already booking a trip back too! So happy to hear that you had such a great birthday visit!
They are not much for big cities like that.