Visiting NYC with unlimited money

Here's the situation. My wife is a temporary nanny for a family visiting NYC. The family is very wealthy: thus money is not a factor. The kids are age 5 & 7. They have a 24 hour car service (thus, can go outside of Manhattan). This is the kids first visit to America.

She needs ideas for what to do in NYC with these kids. They have been here for a month already so they have already done all the things you normally think to do: Broadway shows, museums, zoos, parks...

Anyone have any creative ideas? A soup kitchen would be nice... but I don't think the parents would buy off on that (unfortunately).

Oh to have unlimited money....

Are they in Manhattan? Brooklyn?

Brooklyn Children's Museum
The Transit Museum (the big one in Brooklyn)
FAO Schwartz
The Children's Museum in Manhattan
The water taxi
Statue of Liberty
Horseback riding in Prospect Park

...I can give you more details of any of these strike a chord.

Ethic food: Flushing Chinatown, Bay Ridge Greek, Flatbush Caribbean, Greenpoint Polish.

Okay, maybe five and seven YOs won't like it. But I would. Can I come?

Brooklyn Aquarium

Subject: Re: Visiting NYC with unlimited money

Mpmav1 wrote: Here's the situation. My wife is a temporary nanny for a family visiting NYC. The family is very wealthy: thus money is not a factor. The kids are age 5 & 7. They have a 24 hour car service (thus, can go outside of Manhattan). This is the kids first visit to America.

She needs ideas for what to do in NYC with these kids. They have been here for a month already so they have already done all the things you normally think to do: Broadway shows, museums, zoos, parks...

Anyone have any creative ideas? A soup kitchen would be nice... but I don't think the parents would buy off on that (unfortunately).

Oh to have unlimited money....

I'd be happy to let them take me shopping for wine.

Montauk.

what climate are they coming from? And do they come from a city/suburb/farm? You don't need to mention the country if you don't want, but knowing what kind of place they come from helps to come up with unique ideas.

damnit i was coming in here to tell you to have said person meet me and my friends for dinner....at per se


but then I saw that they are children. plan=thwarted.

Ruska B wrote: Are they in Manhattan? Brooklyn?

Brooklyn Children's Museum
The Transit Museum (the big one in Brooklyn)
FAO Schwartz
The Children's Museum in Manhattan
The water taxi
Statue of Liberty
Horseback riding in Prospect Park

...I can give you more details of any of these strike a chord.

Manhattan... in an unbelievable hotel.

Good suggestions... while they've done most of these already, I don't think they've gone horse back riding.

booklaw wrote: Brooklyn Aquarium

They've done the Manhattan Aquarium... think this still be worth going?

shishkab wrote: what climate are they coming from? And do they come from a city/suburb/farm? You don't need to mention the country if you don't want, but knowing what kind of place they come from helps to come up with unique ideas.

Hot climate (think middle east), but they travel a lot. They had a blast in Central Park in the snow... so they are happy doing anything with any weather. Actually good kids!

Carmen wrote: damnit i was coming in here to tell you to have said person meet me and my friends for dinner....at per se


but then I saw that they are children. plan=thwarted.

Kinda funny: unlimited money, and my wife has eaten more chicken fingers in the last 3 weeks than in her entire life! Oh well.

The Planetarium
Roosevelt Island Tram
NY Waterways boat tour
Helicopter tour of the city (if money really is no object- I got to go as a kid because my brother won an essay contest)
Definitely the ethnic neighborhoods/food idea above is great
The Tenement Museum
The Met- arms and armor room especially, also the Temple of Dendur

How long are they here for? When the weather gets nicer, also consider Wave Hill in the Bronx, Botanical Gardens (Bronx or Brooklyn), Coney Island/Boardwalk

mpmav1, I don't know of any Manhattan Aquarium.

If you're talking about the New York Aquarium, that is the one in Brooklyn.

How can I get a gig like your wife's? I could totally leave my kid with a sitter for a chance like that!

Ice skating either at Rock Center, Skyrink (indoors) or Prospect Park
Sony Wonder (that's only a couple of hours at most)
The Cloisters
Rock climbing at Chelsea Piers
Bowling
Desert at Serendipity
American Girl Place (for Girls) and Forbidden Planet (for boys)
Butterfly exhibit at the museum of Natural history
Liberty Science Center (I think it has reopened)
Go to the top of the Empire State Building
Dave and Busters in Times Square (think Vegas Casino for kids with a bar for the adults that accompany them)

I spend too much time with little people

Also, tell your wife to grab Time Out plus any of the neighborhood papers she comes across. They always have kids events listed such as movies, theater, shows, etc.

There are fancier boat rides than the ferries and such, possibly a trip up the Hudson if they like boats.

There are some places where you can play on a trapeze and I think they'll take 'em pretty young. A google search should yield a few options.

Powerplay in Brooklyn (and surely other gyms) has an easy rock wall that might be fun for the kids and maybe your wife, too.

To add on to an already great list:

Liberty Science Center in NJ
If they are young girls - tea party or movie at American Girl Place NYC
South Street Seaport Exhibits - the Peking and the Bodies Exhibit
Puppetworks on 6th Avenue
Melody Lanes Bowling


Time Out NY Kids is also a great source for ideas and activities in NYC.
Also I have found this website helpful: http://www.parentsknow.com/

homeowner wrote: Ice skating either at Rock Center, Skyrink (indoors) or Prospect Park
Sony Wonder (that's only a couple of hours at most)
The Cloisters
Rock climbing at Chelsea Piers
Bowling
Desert at Serendipity
American Girl Place (for Girls) and Forbidden Planet (for boys)
Butterfly exhibit at the museum of Natural history
Liberty Science Center (I think it has reopened)
Go to the top of the Empire State Building
Dave and Busters in Times Square (think Vegas Casino for kids with a bar for the adults that accompany them)

I spend too much time with little people

Also, tell your wife to grab Time Out plus any of the neighborhood papers she comes across. They always have kids events listed such as movies, theater, shows, etc.

GREAT LIST! :shock:

The institute of culinary education (recreational division) has some cooking classes geared for kids, and some walking food tours that might be good for some kids if they're interested and mature for their age.

http://iceculinary.com/

I need to stop thinking like a poor person but I don't know how to think any other way. I mean, my local public library can give us a bunch of fun.

Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre: "Peter Pan & Adventures in Never Land" http://www.cityparksfoundation.org/index1.aspx?BD=17009

Shadowbox Theatre
http://www.shadowboxtheatre.org/index.php?select=main

Hall of Science
http://www.nyscience.org/events

Museum of the Moving Image
http://movingimage.us/site/about/pages/index_families.html

Stamford Museum "Let It Snow Weekends"
http://www.stamfordmuseum.org/

homeowner wrote: Ice skating either at Rock Center, Skyrink (indoors) or Prospect Park
Sony Wonder (that's only a couple of hours at most)
The Cloisters
Rock climbing at Chelsea Piers
Bowling
Desert at Serendipity
American Girl Place (for Girls) and Forbidden Planet (for boys)
Butterfly exhibit at the museum of Natural history
Liberty Science Center (I think it has reopened)
Go to the top of the Empire State Building
Dave and Busters in Times Square (think Vegas Casino for kids with a bar for the adults that accompany them)

I spend too much time with little people

Also, tell your wife to grab Time Out plus any of the neighborhood papers she comes across. They always have kids events listed such as movies, theater, shows, etc.

Great ideas! And, yes, Time Out for Kids is a great magazine for tips on where to take kids. also check out this website:

http://www.fieldtrip.com/ny/index.html

If you're into the food-related tour idea, I really enjoyed a tour I took with Savory Sojourns.

Disclaimer: Addie Tomei, the person who runs these tours, is a family member of mine. But the tour Mrs. C and I took was honestly great, and I'd be recommending this regardless.

I'd also suggest that you find out if the kids have a favorite sport. There are plenty of sports related things going on in the city even for pretty esoteric sports.

Indoor Water Park in NJ...

http://www.cocokeywaterresort.com/Locations/mountlaurel/play/indoor-waterpark/index.aspx#

Here's a good list of stuff to do, courtesy of Mommy Poppins:

http://www.mommypoppins.com/ny-kids/100-things-to-do-with-your-kids-in-ny-before-they-grow-up/

Not all are seasonally appropriate, and many have been mentioned, but there are some good ideas on the list!

fun stuff.
damn, I need to get money.

damn, I need a child.

Get them a LAZERTAG set and bring them to the Hall of Minerals at the Museum of Natural History.

Great ideas everyone! Keep um coming!

If you're willing to go to Staten Island, they now have the only remaining year-round indoor roller rink in New York.

http://www.rollerjamusa.com/