New York with the kids

You could hardly say my kids have been starved of American culture. In fact I often have to remind them that we don’t have trash, use parking lots or ride in elevators. But I was keen to dispel their belief that the US was behind the TV screen and show them the 3D reality in all its glory. New York was our next stop, writes Diane Evans.

It may not seem the most obvious US destination for a family but with the offer of an apartment close to Central Park with all mod cons, it was a no brainer. Both my husband and I had been to the Big Apple before but I had been short on time and knew there was a lot more on offer.

The list is endless. If you’re there for a short break, you’re probably limited to the highlights –  Empire State Building, the Guggenheim Museum, Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island, the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) and the ‘Met’ (Metropolitan Museum of Art) – all of which are included on a City PASS which saves money and time in queues and can be bought ahead.  But if you can extend your trip, you can take your time in Manhattan as well as exploring the neighbouring districts.

We had 12 days and still didn’t run out of options. You may find children glaze over by the third museum, despite how fantastic they are, as in addition to the ones highlighted on the City PASS , there’s the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, Children’s Museum of Art and the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space museum to name but a few. If this is the case it may be cheaper to buy tickets individually.

Regardless, it’s worth a visit to the HQ of marketing firm NYC and Company, or at www.NYCgo.com, where we found knowledgeable, friendly staff, lots of information and computers for use. It was here we booked our tickets for a New York Yankees baseball game and picked up various leaflets and tips.

The subway is very easy to use once you establish which are ‘local’ trains and which are ‘express’ trains and exactly what the difference is, which we had by… er, day 11. Walking is also nice although don’t underestimate the distances and be prepared for some hard sell from bike rental firms, sightseeing buses and theatre touts.

Initially we rattled around the tourist spots  – Times Square, Empire State Building, Liberty and Ellis Island cruise, Top of the Rock observation centre (best at dusk) and my favourite, despite my eight year-old’s best intention to ruin the tranquillity, a cycle around Central Park followed by a picnic.

But we also had time to visit Brooklyn and Prospect Park, watch Baseball, enjoy a Broadway show and sample the buzzing atmosphere and restaurants of East Village and Lower East Side where the immigrants moved in the 1900s to create Little India, Little Italy, China Town and so forth. Greenwich and Soho are easy to kill some lazy time in and there is stunning architecture at Central Station and the art deco Chrysler Building.

Dubbed ‘the city that never sleeps’ for good reason – if you’re pushed for time you can visit the Empire State Building until 2am as well as shopping until very late at night. Attractions are always open so bear this in mind when planning your itinerary.

To round it off, we went for the obligatory shop, having arrived with the suitcases half full, and I indulged on a visit to American Girl with my daughter. It felt very extravagant to be purchasing a relatively expensive lifelike doll but the European and US shoppers thought nothing of buying matching doll and daughter outfits as well as booking a photo session and salon appointment for, yes, the doll. I stretched as far as afternoon tea for three as I was hungry.

Despite the pace, poverty and scams (watch out for taxi drivers’ extra charges and supposed ‘fast track’ entry to attractions), New York feels safe and welcoming.  Don’t expect to tick off everything in one go – instead make sure you allow time to get a feel for the city. You can always go back…