A new year brings a new series! I often get asked by friends and family from out of town where to go when they come and visit NYC. Although I am no expert, my (nearly) three years living in the city has allowed me to explore and find some of my favorite spots. I’ve decided to start a new series on the blog featuring places that my family has fallen in love with.
Since it is freezing here in NYC, I’ve decided to start the series off with some of my favorite places to take the kids in these cold winter months. I’ve come to find that it is incredibly easy to get cabin fever in the winter. Add a small two bedroom apartment and two little kids with tons of energy, you go stir crazy rather quickly.
Thankfully NYC is filled with so many places that are perfect for kids during the cold winter months. Here are some of our favorites:
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library Stephen A. Schwarzman building is the most gorgeous library I have ever seen. Harlan and I have been there for events before, but took our very first trip as a family to explore the grounds just a couple of weeks ago. As a book loving family, this place is perfect for us. There are exhibits to check out, a children’s reading room that is great for kids of all ages, and amazing architecture to swoon over.
Harlan and I take a day a month for our “date days” and this is definitely one that we will visit a lot this winter. Located just blocks from Bryant Park and Grand Central Station, the library is easy to get to no matter where in the city you are coming from.
Children’s Museum of Manhattan
The Children’s Museum of Manhattan is hours of fun for children of all ages. As much as we love going to the many museums around NYC, most of them don’t let Harlan run around and get her hands on things just as a curious three year-old wants to do. The Children’s Museum of Manhattan was made for little hands to touch and feel. There are five levels of exhibits, both permenant and changing. As a Nickelodeon lover, Harlan is quite smitten with the Dora and Diego exhibit that lets you explore animals and get a look inside Dora’s house.
She also loves driving the mini fire truck and city bus that is located on one of the floors of the museum. No matter what the age, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan is hours of fun.
Books of Wonder
Harlan is a book lover. She would much rather receive the gift of a book than a toy. Our family loves to frequent book stores on the weekend. We usually do a trip to Barnes and Noble since there is one close to our apartment, however on a special day we will venture down to Books of Wonder, which is close to the Flatiron District. This is the ultimate book store for children of all ages. The shelves are lined with favorites from my childhood as well as ones that Harlan has grown to love. As NYC’s oldest independent children’s bookstore, it knows just what children love and how to make them feel comfortable in the store. So whether you are a child or a child at heart, Books of Wonder is the place to sit back, relax, and get lost in a good book.
Dylan’s Candy Bar
This place is literally blocks from our apartment and although it is a tourist hot spot, it is one of our favorite places to go for a special treat. It is three levels stacked full of any kind of candy you can imagine. Harlan loves to pick out her favorite colored jelly beans and m&m’s. I love taking her upstairs to their cafe for a sweet treat.
Dylan’s requires a little bit of patience because it is often completely packed. If you have a stroller, don’t expect to be able to push it around the store. If we go with our entire family, one of us will stay in a corner of the store with the stroller while the other goes with Harlan to pick out her candy. If you go as soon as they open or a little bit later in the evening, it tends to be a little bit less crowded. But don’t let the people deter you from having fun in this ultimate candy store.
There are plenty of other great spots for indoor fun around NYC, these are just some of our favorites. Stay tuned for the next post in the I Heart NYC series where I will feature some of our favorite kid-friendly brunch spots! If you are taking a trip to NYC and want to know some of my favorite places to go or things to do, email me at lauren@amommyinthecity.com for a future I Heart NYC post!
For more indoor winter fun, check out this post I wrote for Big City Moms!
I was not compensated in any way for this post.
