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New York for kids

We had a wonderful time in NY. We stayed on the Upper East Side, not too far from Central Park and pretty close to a useful subway line. Here's what we did, besides visiting family:
  • Walked a lot. Ask Eleanor how much she walked: Amanda and Luke traded off being carried and riding in the stroller, both of which are not options for a 7 year old. "A few blocks" seems much longer when your legs are short.
  • Rode the subway. When I asked Amanda what her favorite part of the trip was, this is her answer. I think it made an impression on Luke, too: in the subway stations, when we were leaving, he continued to suggest that we "Get on that train!"
  • Walked and climbed in Central Park. I was not prepared for how big Central Park is, nor for how big the rocks are. I was told that they flattened the rest of Manhattan for buildings, but they left the huge rocks in Central Park. Good choice. We saw the Alice in Wonderland statue, among other landmarks.
  • Went to the Intrepid aircraft carrier. It's good for kids and adults, although perhaps a bit trying for adults trying to take care of kids... My favorite was the lifeboat, which they had mounted on some squishy material so it would rock---it was quite relaxing. Luke took the button and knob tour of the boat: I think he was trying to push every button and turn everything. Mostly that was OK, although the docents were surprised when he managed to take one of the phones off the hook. I also appreciate that they have an "Au Bon Pain" in the mess hall.
  • Saw Times Square, Rockefeller Center (of the ice skating rink) Hells Kitchen, Restaurant Row, Murray Hill...
  • Michael and I took Eleanor to the Metropolitan Museum of Art while the siblings went to the Zoo (with Uncle and Aunt, of course!). I could spend all day in the impressionist section, and then another day in the Egyptian section, and then another day in the Asian art section... We didn't see nearly enough. Eleanor didn't want to leave either.
  • We went to Battery park in the rain. Eleanor wanted very very much to see the statue of Liberty and to buy a miniature statue. Because of weather, time and crowds, we didn't take the ferry to the actual island.
  • Took the tram to Roosevelt Island and back, and then rode a bus to where we were staying.
  • Michael and I went out to dinner, but the proportion of restaurants in NY that we have actually visited is still exceedingly close to zero.
I'm sure I'm missing something, probably lots of things. I am pleased that we rode in an airplane, train, taxi, subway, tram, and bus during our visit, as well as visiting an aircraft carrier and a submarine. For 2 days, we were very busy. And I'm already making plans for the next visit...

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