Last Friday, Beth shared with you her recommendations on how to have a great first trip to New York City with kids. She suggested kid friendly dining, classic New York City experiences (such as Central Park and Times Square), and tipped us off to the value of the New York Pass for families looking to visit several attractions around the city.
She also shared her love of the Omni Berkshire Place which is centrally located in Midtown Manhattan and it’s special touches just for kids which include “a backpack full of goodies given at check in, cookies and milk delivered to rooms at turn down, and a kids club where children can “decompress” by making crafts and snacking on gummy bears”. Parents, not to be forgotten, will love the friendly staff and luxurious attention to detail found throughout the property.
With all these rave reviews about these two New York City businesses we figured, why not do a giveaway? Luckily, both the Omni and New York Pass company agreed and, well, here we are! While we hope that our winner will want to head to the Omni Berkshire Place for they free stay, Omni was gracious enough to offer a free night at ANY of their properties to one lucky winner.
The Steal: Win a night at any Omni Hotel and 4 New York Passes!
Details: One lucky winner will receive one (1) night stay at any Omni property across the brand good through the end of the 2012. The winner will also receive four (4) New York Passes, 2 adult and 2 child two day passes (child is age 4-12). Normal restrictions such as availability and blackout dates will apply. Prize value approximately $800.
HOW TO ENTER TO WIN:
In an effort to make easier to enter, we are now using Rafflecopter. Simply click on the box below and follow the directions. The more you do, the more entries you will receive!
Rules and guidelines:
- 18 years of age or older
- US Residents only
Deadline to enter: Sunday, March, 4 2012 at 11:59PM PST
What is Monday Madness?
Every Monday, Trekaroo announces on our blog, either a fantastic giveaway or an incredible deal. It could be a green water bottle, a hotel stay on Maui or theme park tickets. Return every Monday to the Talking Trekaroo Blog for the details. Want a reminder? Become a Trekaroo member or follow us on facebook or twitter.
Thanks to Online Sweepstakes and CashNet Sweepstakes,.
Sharlene Earnshaw is Trekaroo’s Blog Editor in Chief.
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New York, New York, It’s a heck of a town! New York is a mecca of tourist attractions and has something to offer everyone, no matter your age, gender, or taste. You can find world class museums, theater, shopping, eating, and sporting events. With all this city has to offer, it may be hard to decide where to base your first trip to NYC but for the first timer, I think mid-town is the best place to be. There is so much in to do in this part of town traveling to other neighborhoods of the city is easy via foot, cab, or subway.
Where to Stay
Why am I discussing where to stay before anything else? Because that is how I plan a vacation. We pick a hotel prior to planning the rest of our itinerary, looking for something that can accommodate us comfortably, is central to many points of interest and is within our budget.
Read reviews of New York City hotels and which ones Trekaroo families recommend.
After a recent stay in the city, my pick is the Omni Berkshire Place. Located at 52nd and Madison, the hotel is just blocks from Rockefeller Center and the shopping of Madison Avenue, a short walk to Times Square, and a short cab ride to dozens of other attractions. If you are unsure of where you should take your family, a short chat with one of the concierge or doorman will point you in the right direction. For a hotel that boasts luxury, I wasn’t sure how my kids would be received. I shouldn’t have worried! The Omni features some wonderful touches just for kids, including a backpack full of goodies given at check in, cookies and milk delivered to your room at turn down, and a kids club where children can “decompress” by making crafts and snacking on gummy bears.
What to Do
One spot every first timer must see while in New York City is Times Square. It is one of those places that New Yorkers avoid and tourists love. The energy is palpable and the sites are spectacular, especially at night when everything is lit up, making Times Square a perfect place to people watch. Kids will especially love popping into Toys R Us where they can ride the Ferris Wheel or meeting an M&M in M&M World.
Central Park is must-visit for families. It is a quiet spot away from the chaos of the city where kids can run free, take a spin on a carousel, visit a zoo, take a carriage ride, ice skate or take in a free outdoor concert. The kids are sure to be surprised and delighted to find a castle in the park as well.
Be sure not overlook all the culture the city has to offer and make time to take in a museum. There are dozens of museums in New York City so you are sure to find one that appeals to your family. Your kids may recognize the American Museum of Natural History from the movie Night at the Museum, but even if they don’t, the dinosaurs, blue whale, and various other treasures are sure to draw them in. You may be surprised to hear that the Metropolitan Museum of Art has also been known to captivate kids.
Photo via Trekaroo user NewYorkSandy
If you have time, take in a Broadway show. The earlier you introduce your children to theater, the earlier their love for the theater can flourish! Some great family oriented shows include Lion King, Mary Poppins, and Stomp.
For some other great tips and insight check out 13 things I learned visiting NYC with 2 young kids which was put together by a Trekaroo dad.
Where to Eat
I’m not sure you can go wrong while eating in New York. Keep in mind, eating in the city isn’t necessarily for the budget conscious. For some fun themed dining that the kids will enjoy, you might want to give Hard Rock Café, Mars 2112, or ESPN Zone a try. For some family-style Italian specialties Carmine’s is a must (you’ll want to make reservations) and if you want a little something different than you’d expect in the city, head to Virgil’s Barbeque where they serve up some authentic Southern BBQ and some of the best wings I’ve ever had. After dinner, be sure to pop into Dylan’s Candy Bar where you can find sweet treats from decades past.
Simplify and Save
If you plan on being in the city for a few days, your family might want to consider purchasing The New York Pass. For one price you gain admission to over 70 sites. When you purchase your pass it comes with a guide book to help you decide what to see. There is even a kid guide that points out the best kid attractions. The more you use your pass, the more you save. On a recent trip into the city I had the chance to give New York Pass a try. It was great being able to choose from so many attractions, some of which have a fast track line so you don’t have to wait on the long general admission lines. We used our pass to hit Madame Tussauds and Top of the Rock
Stay tuned for a fabulous NYC giveaway on Monday!!!!
Disclosure: The author recently attended the Family Travel Conference in New York City and as an attendee was provided with a one night stay at the Omni Berkshire and two New York Passes. All opinions are the author’s own.
Beth Keklak is the Destination Guroo for PA, NJ, DE and loves to travel and explore with her husband and three kids whenever time permits.
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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. Congrats to Erin, lucky number 38! Enjoy your prize!
If you’re heading to New York City, one of things you must do even with kids is to catch one of the many amazing performances on or off broadway. While not every performance is suitable for kids, you can’t miss Voca People – the latest YouTube sensation to hit the stage in New York City. This alien a capella group has landed and will enamor you with their playful renditions of our favorite earth tunes. Your family will love the beautiful harmonies blended with quirky alien humor. The small intimate venue at the Westside Theatre assures you that there isn’t a bad seat in the room and plenty of opportunities for audience participation.
Watch more Voca People videos on their youtube channel.
“This show is a terrific combination of incredible vocals that recreate popular songs of our time, as well as entertaining comedy that often includes members of the audience. It’s an out-of-this-world experience that my family really enjoyed taking part in!” shares MsRigs who recently attended a performance of Voca People with her family.
Read Trekaroo’s full review of the Voca People at the Westside Theatre
The Deal: Family Four Pack for just $179 (45% off)
Regular tickets for Voca People are $79.50 and lower. Premium tickets are $110. Trekaroo families can purchase the special Family 4 pack for just $179 That’s an amazing 45% discount! So don’t miss this performance that is perfect for anyone 5 to 105.
Use this discount code at check out: VPFOUR4
THREE EASY WAYS TO BUY:
1. Click here to buy now at BroadwayOffers.com!
2. Or call Telecharge at (212) 947-8844; (Outside the NY metro area 800.872.8997) and mention code VPFOUR4
3. Or visit the Westside Theatre Box Office, 407 West 43rd Street (between 9th and 10th Avenues) and mention code VPFOUR4
Box Office hours are: Monday through Sunday, Noon to 6pm for advance sales. For day-of-performance orders, the box office is open until curtain time.
The Steal: Win 4 Tickets to a Performance of Voca People worth $318
One winner will receive 4 regular tickets to a performance of Voca People.
HOW TO ENTER TO WIN:
Step 1: Share this giveaway by clicking the Facebook “Like” button at the top of this page
Step 2: Leave a blog comment below letting us know that you did.
REALLY WANT TO WIN? YOU CAN ENTER EVERYDAY!
Get extra entries by repeating steps 1 and 2 once a day. But be sure to leave a new comment each time.
Get even more additional entries:
Feel free to do any or all of the following actions. Each action counts as an extra entry but be sure to LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT BELOW FOR EACH ACTION or the entry will not be counted.
- Fan the Voca People Facebook Page
- Fan Trekaroo on Facebook.
- Tweet a link to this giveaway via @Trekaroo using the Twitter share button at the top of the page.
- Click on the Google +1 at the top of the page to share this giveaway with your friends
- Subscribe to the Trekaroo Blog
- Follow Trekaroo on Twitter
- Post this giveaway on your blog
Rules and guidelines:
- 18 years of age or older
- US Residents only
Deadline to enter: Sunday, Aug 7, 2011 at 11:59PM PST
What is Monday Madness?
Every Monday, Trekaroo announces on our blog, either a fantastic giveaway or an incredible deal. It could be a green water bottle, a hotel stay on Maui or theme park tickets. Return every Monday to the Talking Trekaroo Blog for the details. Want a reminder? Become a Trekaroo member or follow us on facebook or twitter.
Thanks to Contest for Moms, Online Sweepstakes, CashNet Sweepstakes, and Sweepstakes Advantage and Contest Girl.
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My friends who live in New York City consider the Gramercy Park Hotel a hip and
trendy go-to spot for lunches, drinks after work, dinners at Maialino, spa treatments and
more. If the ground floor (or perhaps the roof terrace) is as far as you venture into this
boutique hotel, the art and eclectic vibe doesn’t scream “family friendly.” However, my 4
year old (experienced in 5 star travel) begged us to stay past the 5 nights we booked, and
even my hard to please husband raved about the experience. We all loved it, and I’m not
surprised that the hotel is also a top choice among celebrities and the jet set.
A Prime Location Away From the Hustle and Bustle
The Gramercy Park neighborhood is an oasis in a big city. There are no skyscrapers and it’s quieter. The subway is right around the corner as are numerous cafes, a wine shop, Walgreens, and other convenience stores. Hotel guests have a key to the exclusive Gramercy Park, a privilege normally reserved for area residents. This is now definitely our neighborhood of choice for future New York City family vacations.
Rooms in a Renaissance Color Palate
The rooms are paneled with gorgeous dark mahogany, offset by vibrant red and royal blue. Hand-stitched signature chairs are focal points in each room. Once I removed a silk throw from our sofa, I didn’t feel like a 4-year-old in our Avenue Suite was going to jeopardize anything. Despite the magazine worthy interior design, the room was very comfortable.
The living room completely closed off from the bedroom and bathroom. The sofa folded into a bed so family of 4 would fit in an Avenue Suite just fine. Our bathroom didn’t have a bathtub, though some rooms do. You can check the floor plans online. Amenities are from a “Best Of” collection (I love the wheat germ lotion). WiFi is available for a fee, though our signal was a little weak.
Dine In Or Out: The Choice Is Yours
Gramercy Terrace is on the top floor. It’s filled with lush greenery and gorgeous mix and match patio furniture. The weather was nice enough that they retracted the roof. What an amazing place to enjoy breakfast, lunch and/or a cocktail!
It’s hard to walk by the continental breakfast buffet with kids and not have them ask for it, though I should warn you it’s $29 per person and there is no kids menu here. We did receive a breakfast credit of $80 at Gramercy Terrace. We came close to maxing that each morning, even though my husband isn’t a breakfast eater.
Room service is available 24 hours a day, and if you are flying in from the west coast, you may be grateful for this when you arrive. There are kid friendly options.
One evening, we met some friends in the Rose Bar, where most celebrity sightings occur, for a few early drinks and appetizers. Our daughter was welcome, as it was early.
If you would like to dine at Maialino, the hotel’s popular Roman style trattoria, it’s best to make a reservation in advance, though they have several small tables in the front for walk-ins. I didn’t see a kids menu, but my 4 year old loves parma ham and stinky cheeses so we didn’t need one. Do make Maialino a part of your experience, if you think your kids can handle it. The buzz of conversation in the restaurant will hide the occasional squeal.
There are many restaurants that deliver to the Gramercy Park Hotel, for times when leaving your room would be a giant effort. The beyond helpful Concierge provided us with a New York Pizza delivery option that knocked our socks off.
Kid-Friendly Activities
Children’s Museum of Manhattan: The Children’s Museum is a preschoolers dream with Dora, Curious George, Diego and more to entertain them on multiple floors. Attendees seemed like they were mostly NYC residents who make the museum part of their summer time routine. It was crowded when we went, probably because it was threatening rain outside.
Read reviews of the Children’s Museum of Manhattan.
American Museum of Natural History: Your kids will be blown away by the dinosaurs. I remember seeing them when I was about 9 and they are still impressive as an adult.
Read reviews of the American Museum of Natural History.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Most of the art is advanced for young kids. However, our daughter enjoyed the Degas Ballet Dancers (thanks to Olivia on NickJr), Monet Water Lilies and the mummies. I bet we could have seen more, if we would have had a stroller.
Read reviews of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Central Park: Grab a hot dog, pretzel or gyro from one of the vendors and walk inside. Weave your way to the little carousel and rest your legs while you ride. Definitely set aside and hour or two to visit the Central Park Zoo. The penguins were a big hit with my daughter and it was a nice change of pace from the city streets.
Read reviews of Central Park.
Top of the Rock: The most spectacular 360 degree view of the entire city is here at the top of Rockefeller Center. Do bring some entertainment for the kids, as we experienced a wait on our way to the top.
Read reviews of the Top of the Rock.
Some Rest and Relaxation at the Hotel For Mom and Dad
Enjoy a facial or massage at the spa or perhaps work off your pizza at the gym. Babysitting can be arranged with a little bit of advance notice through the Concierge.
Gramercy Park Hotel Family Fun Offer
- 4 nights accommodation
- Daily continental breakfast for 4 at Gramercy Terrace
- 4 tickets to the Central Park Zoo
- 4 tickets to the Children’s Museum of Manhattan
- 2 tickets to the Central Park Carousel
- Preferred entrance to Top of the Rock for 4 people
- Gramercy Park Hotel teddy bar
$2,200 for the Deluxe double/double package | $2,600 for an Avenue Suite | $5,400 for a One Bedroom Suite connected to a Deluxe double/double.
My only caveat is that if your kids are particularly rambunctious, this might not be the place for you. Also, in line with other 5 star hotels in New York City, you can rack up a whopper of a room service (or bar) bill if you’re not careful. However, the Family Fun Offer is honestly great value for what you receive and we will definitely return.
Katie Dillon writes La Jolla Mom, a lifestyle site covering parenting, travel, cooking with kids, home management and local happenings. After seven years of expat life in London and Hong Kong, she is now grounded in the seaside community of La Jolla, CA with her husband and preschool aged daughter. She is also a 2011 Superoo!
The author received a complimentary night’s stay, a media rate for 4 nights, and the tickets in the family fun offer. Opinions are always her own.
Last month, my family and I spent three busy days exploring New York City. We covered a lot of ground on foot, on subways, and in taxis, but never so much (and in as enjoyable a manner) than when we spent a full morning biking the Hudson River Greenway and Brooklyn Bridge with a fleet of bikes rented from New York City’s Bike and Roll.
Bike and Roll (which has eleven NYC locations) offers guided tours along the Greenway and Brooklyn Bridge daily, but families can also opt to pedal off on their own at any time, which works great with packed travel schedules. We choose to partner our self-guided rentals with New York Water Taxi, experiencing their ‘Bike the Brooklyn Bridge, Water Taxi Back’ package, which includes rentals from Bike and Roll and vouchers for a water taxi ride from Brooklyn back to our point of origin (Pier 84).
A fabulous way to see a large amount of the city without worrying about navigation (and not getting tired feet!), we found this route to be much more relaxing than we’d thought it would be. The kids loved the bike riding, and three-fourths of the time, we were on bike and pedestrian-only paths paralleling the street and the Hudson River. During the stretches we did have to join traffic (in bike lanes), the route was well marked with green bike symbols and arrows.
The route took us south from Pier 84 (next to the Air and Space Museum) to Battery Park, at which point we retraced our last mile to Warren St, where we cut through the Financial District (just a few blocks in a bike lane) to the Brooklyn Bridge. (We could have shortened our route by not continuing to Battery Park, but the views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are well-worth the detour.) Once we’d crossed the Brooklyn Bridge (which was very cool, and again, easier to navigate than we’d thought), we followed signage to Fulton Ferry Park where we caught a water taxi back to Pier 84. The water taxi included a friendly guide pointing out the sights along the way, was not at all crowded, and afforded yet another great view of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and downtown Manhattan.
The Details: Cost for New York Water Taxi’s Bike the Brooklyn Bridge package is $49 for adults, $29 for kids, which includes bikes and vouchers for the water taxi. Should you prefer to experience your ride with a guide, you can do so through Bike and Roll for $49 and $35, respectively. Tours depart daily at 2 pm. One perk of opting to do the tour on your own is that you get the bikes all day, so your tour can be as long or short as you’d like. (Your water taxi voucher is not restricted to a particular time, so you could bike half a day before boarding one, or board one earlier on and ride longer afterward.)
Bike rentals are located at Pier 84, where you can join the greenway bike path immediately. Many types are available, including child-sized bikes, baby seats, and ‘tag-along’ trailers and seats (which I recommend for the under age five set, simply so you don’t need to worry about them getting ahead of you on the path and navigating traffic). No need to reserve ahead of time, but because their bike inventory changes as cyclists come and go, any given location may not have every size available at any one time. When we showed up at the Pier 84 location, for instance, they were out of child-sized bikes for our 10-year-old. He made due with a larger one, but we exchanged it at the next location (Battery Park). Allow for at least two hours to complete the tour from Pier 84, or three hours to do so at a more leisurely pace.
Tip: Bike and Roll lists an option for an ‘all day pass’, which is similar in price but only includes a discount on the water taxi (in addition to other attraction discounts throughout the city), but as families are given their bikes until 8 pm as part of the Bike the Brooklyn Bridge, Water Taxi Back package, so that’s the better deal. Rentals through Bike and Roll not including the water taxi start at $12 an hour. Tandem bikes, bike trailers, and baby seats were also available.
Water Taxi Tip: In addition to being a fun way to return your bikes at the end of your greenway and Brooklyn Bridge tour, water taxis are a great way to see the harbor. Their hop-on, hop-off passes are $25 and $15, and make for a great way to see the harbor and the Statue of Liberty up close.
To contact Bike and Roll:
212-260-0400
To contact New York Water Taxi:
866-989-2542
Disclosure: The author and her family experienced the Bike the Brooklyn Bridge tour as guests of New York Water Taxi. This hospitality came with no expectation of a positive review.
Amy Whitley is the founding editor of Pit Stops for Kids, a family travel resource covering kid-friendly resorts, attractions, outdoor adventures, and all the pit stops you’ll need along the way. She also writes for a number of print and online travel publications, and is a family travel expert at Best Family Travel Advice. She lives in Oregon with her husband and three sons, where they enjoy backyard adventures when they’re not traveling.
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