Ok... So My wife and I have been to NYC over a dozen times, and it really feels like a second home to us... we've figured out where the Omega boutique is located...(always exactly 3 steps out of the hotel into the private car Omega sends)... but this time... we are bringing my Daughter (7 going on 25).. We have a quasi-plan of where to go, and mostly based on touristy crap that we did the first few times we visited... But I was hoping some of the locals would offer a few 'Insider tips' on where to go and what to see with kids... We're thinking a horse/carriage ride in central park to Tavern on the green, a visit to the zoo, maybe Aladdin on broadway... we think we'll get away without a visit to 'American Girl' since she already has her 'Canadian Girl' Doll (exactly the same thing, but costs less, is modest, courteous, and doesn't come with a gun)... We'd love to hear some ideas that we can't find on a google search... these are usually the best parts of any city... (and yes... the Omega boutique has already planned a small welcome for her.... I'm hoping that they will not be able to get the strap for the orbis Teddy bear watch made small enough, but they are incredibly industrious when it comes to soaking cash out of me...)
Let me think over this, I'll try to come up with a cool list of places to eat. As for sightseeing, you'll do that while you're walking to eat, lol.
Toys R us flagship store? Highline park or BK bridge walk (shell probably be on your shoulders)? Madame tussauds wax museum? Staten Island has some good restaurants once you get off the ferry, as well as botanical garden? (Might be better next time you visit in the spring though) Ice Skating at Rockefeller? I can't recommend Top of the rock enough, or the observatory at one world trade center etc.
There's kid friendly stuff in NYC? I figured you either left the punks home or sealed them in 17 layers of bubble wrap for their protection and hoped for the best. Hey now, that's technically NJ, isn't it?
Heaps of Aussie style cafe,s in NY http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-11/australian-cafes-boom-new-york/7404352
Hey Superdoc - check this out for possible self diagnosis: https://omegaforums.net/threads/we-should-make-a-database-of-acronyms-used-on-of.25526/#post-282941
Skip the horse carriage in Central Park. Rent bikes instead, and cycle round the park yourself. Make a stop at the pond in the north where you can go out in a rowing boat. Also make a stop at the swedish cottage in the north west part of the park. It's a "castle" there too, where you can overlook the turtle pond, and actually see turtles
Some tips from a lifelong New Yorker: Maybe you already knew, but nowadays you need reservations in advance for the Statue of Liberty, the tickets sell out. Ellis Island is at least as interesting and not nearly as popular. Central Park is a must, especially the zoo, nicely renovated but very crowded in good weather. Tavern on the Green is not, imho. Skating in Rockefeller Center isn't really recommended. The crowds and lines can be considerable, and there are better places to skate. If you are reasonably fit walkers, walking (or biking) across the Brooklyn Bridge is a blast. The Brooklyn side has become very chic, with top notch and in some cases quite expensive restaurants, and a nice park on the water. Speaking of water, for many years the Staten Island Ferry was the last one remaining but now there are now many ferries that will take you across various parts of the harbor and Hudson and East Rivers. All fun rides, check the schedules. And locals in the know check out the authentic Sri Lankan restaurants on Staten Island, a short cab ride from the ferry. Especially in warm weather, the Bronx Zoo is great for kids and the NY Botanical Garden next door is equally remarkable, but maybe less so for kids. The Museum of Natural History and Rose Planetarium are great for kids, but the crowds are large. The Chelsea Piers is a fun destination. While in Chelsea, if you're a walker, check out the High Line park, a converted elevated NY Central RR line. Lots of fashionable restaurants and shopping in that neighborhood too. But the best destination for food is Chinatown, the best one by far in the US IMO. Completely authentic restaurants and markets not just from every region of China, but also Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan. Much too large to see or dine in all of it in one day. I almost forgot: Governors Island in the harbor, for years a military base with limited access for civilians, is now a park open to the public and accessible by its own ferry on a seasonal basis. An excellent warm weather option, great for kids.
Not when it comes to property taxes for homeowners, my friend. Very much subsidized by the large commercial tax base. The real cost of living problem is the high price of everything else, from groceries to gasoline to auto insurance to you name it. And in the overall greater metropolitan area, the heaviest traffic in the US and deteriorating infrastructure.