How to Spend: 48 Hours in New York City, Winter Edition

New York dances to a completely difference tempo than our coastal sea-water life, and yet my heart beats to the tune of both. A harmony that plays together quite well, actually.

While traveling with kids can always make for an interesting time (read: busy, chaotic, fun, crazy, tear-filled and laughter-filled as well), I never bat an eye at the chance to do it. To be able to open their pallet to the culture and tastes of another city is something I’m always up for, and if you have the chance, just do it. Our road trips especially can be daunting at times, but they’ve made for some of the most fulfilling of memories. In fact, just after the holidays we packed up our clan to head north in search of cold and snow. And while New York didn’t quite give us the downpour of white fluff from a cotton sky, it still delivered in every other way. The recent snow storm there reminded me of our special time, just 48 hours in New York City with family. But they were 48 hours on New York City time, our family kept up in this winter edition road trip!

Omni Hotels has always been a favorite property of ours in many cities, so staying in their Manhattan property was a clear choice! I’m so very grateful for the opportunity to have this time with my family, and stay in a place we all love to be, with room for us to relax and unwind after a busy day of adventuring… and I’ll be sharing some more cool spots in the upcoming months as well! 

Where we Stayed: We opted to stay at the Omni Berkshire Place, right in Midtown Manhattan. I knew we wanted to take in Rockefeller Center (and the ice skating and the tree following the holidays!) and Central Park, and it would be much easier just steps away. Omni Hotels have always been perfect for family travels as they typically offer rooms large enough for our family to spread out in, and of course my kids are always excited to be greeting with activity bags on check-in and a delivery of milk and cookies on our first evening.

Where we Ate (Eating with Families): There are a million and a half places to eat in The Big Apple, but not all of them are ideal for large families if you can imagine, in both price and in their size. Many NYC buildings are small spaces, and well, we aren’t a small crowd. Another thing I’ve learned in my years of traveling with kids, they wear out. They get tired and that equals whiney and fussy. There are many ways to distract and avert attention, but sometimes, it’s SO much easier on everyone to just give in and relax together. This is another reason to have a hotel close by! Since we couldn’t leave the city without a good NYC thin slice, we picked up a pie on our first night and shared it together back at our room before little eyes fluttered to sleep. A few other easy in-and-out places while you are touring the city are Max Brenner for a full menu that the kids will devour too (it’s a chocolate restaurant!!), Melt Shop for gooey grilled cheese that will be eaten before a meltdown can happen, and a stop by Sprinkles Cupcake ATM. Ellen’s Stardust Diner is another place that delivers good food and fun, but without the typical price tag of Midtown, plus if you do linger long enough, the wait staff will break into song. And of course, my littles are always a fan of our stops at nearby coffee shops, they sip their hot chocolates like little connoisseur professionals. 😉
 
Quick Tip: Keep Open Table or Yelp available on your phone. I use these apps all the time when I travel and they’re so great for seeing what’s around when you’ve been out exploring all day and realize how hungry and ready to just sit and eat everyone is. This is how I’ve found many a great place to eat… and I always watch for the ratings and reviews!

I’m also loving this ULTIMATE NYC guide with 25 amazing tips for navigating the city with kids from Global Munchkins. 

It seems as though native New Yorkers tend to steer clear of the typically crowded Rockefeller Center and Times Square, but there’s nothing like checking them off your bucket list! Though we loved traipsing through the crowds to see the big tree at Rockefeller Plaza and all the fun window displays along 5th Avenue, we had also planned on taking the kids ice skating there, but found Central Park to be so much better for a family skate! The rink is larger and the prices are much more affordable.

Quick tip: Check out Rockefeller in the evening to see it all under the lights or even take kids to browse the newly remodeled Nintendo store, and then hit up the Wollman Skating Rink in Central Park during the day for an amazing skate. Times Square doesn’t have to break the bank either, kids will especially enjoy hitting one or two classics like M&Ms World, Disney or even just to see where the ball will drop on New Year’s Eve (they’ll LOVE being able to say they were there once you’re watching the countdown on TV later on)!

If you’re in New York during the holiday season, don’t miss these tips for breakfast with Santa at Rockefeller from Stroller in the City!

I can’t wait to share with you more of our #BlueWinterTour, and it was past time for me to share our 48 hours in New York City with family! Definitely send along your questions about traveling with little ones and I’ll try to get them answered. Where are some of your favorite family travel destinations?!

See more from our time in Nashville, New Orleans, Chattanooga and more in our TRAVEL section!

Thank you so much Omni Berkshire Place for making this trip possible! (Not a sponsored post, but our stay was provided!)