As we wrap up the first 5 days of our 16-day East Coast trip which we happily shared in part 3 of this 6-part blog series, we can not contain our excitement for our next adventure…
This time we are headed to New York City!
Getting There
From Boston, we took a bus to the Big Apple. I was anxious at first because a 5-hour trip may be too much for Hendrix. He is not that comfortable yet with sitting, Thus, doing so for long periods of time is more challenging for him. The bus gives us little options on what we can do in case he gets bored, tired or restless. But just like his big brother, Hendrix never fails to surprise me. He hardly complained throughout the ride. He took naps, ate his snacks and just entertained himself with his Ipad or the scenery outside his window. I am so proud of how he handled himself.
Aside from the taking the bus, other options of getting to NYC from Boston is by the Amtrak (train) or by a domestic flight. Fastest way will be taking the airplane but it is also the most pricey.
Since we will be taking the bus, we decided to choose a morning trip. In that way, the kids are still energized for the long day ahead. Traffic on the highway was not that bad but the moment we started to slow down, we knew that we were already in New York.
By the time we got to New York City, it was already rush hour and traffic was quite bad. The bus dropped off all of its passengers at Port Authority Bus Terminal which is in 8th Avenue. Finally, our feet landed on New York!
Accommodations
My first reaction when checking out hotels in NYC was on how pricey and small the rooms are. The closer to the city, the more expensive it is. AirBnBs are not allowed in the city so if one wants to stay within walking distance of famous sites, hotels will be the only option.
However, nearby cities that are worthy alternatives are New Jersey, Queens and Brooklyn where the hotels are more reasonably priced (a big thank you to my friend Jeff for helping me out on this). There are also Airbnbs available so you can widen your options. The disadvantage is the distance from the city. If you will be staying in any of these, you had to consider the travelling time getting to and from your travel itinerary.
For us, since we have quite a number of gears with us; big luggage, bags and stroller, space is important. We also needed to do some laundry. Having a place that will allow us to do that for free is a plus. It is for these considerations that we decided to book to an Airbnb in Brooklyn.
We are quite happy with our home in Brooklyn. The place is at the basement of the house of a family of five. It is clean, spacious and functional. It is great that aside from doing our laundry, we were also able to make use of the kitchen for our meals.
Getting Around New York
The easiest, fastest and most convenient way to go from point A to point B in New York is by taking the subway. Our home in Brooklyn is near two subway stations which are both roughly about 30-45 mins away from the city. A bonus to add up to the experience is we pass through the iconic Brooklyn Bridge everytime. Another option is by taking the bus or the cab but since traffic can be really bad, taking these can increase your travel time and costs.
Around New York
When we say NYC, of course the first thing that comes to mind is the Statue of Liberty.
To avoid the crowds, we took the earliest schedule of the river cruise. We like the idea of going around without much of the crowd. However, we were surprised of the number of tourists already taking the first trip of the cruise.
Heinel had fun at the open deck. It was such a good day; with just the right amount of the sun and cold breeze blowing as the cruise ascends.
Heinel was so interested with the symbolic importance of the Statue of Liberty. He happily shared with us that the 25 windows in the crown represents the gemstones found on the earth while the seven rays symbolizes the seven seas and continents of the world. The woman of the statue is Lbertas, the Roman goddess of freedom.
A trip to the Statue of Liberty will not be complete without our customary family photo.
Aside from the tour around the statue, tourists can also opt to see the view from the Pedestal or from the Crown. Heinel and I decided to take the stairs going up the Pedestal. Going up the 215 steps is entertaining as there are fun facts that we can read about the statue at some level stops.
This is the stunning view from the Pedestal.
After going around the Pedestal, Heinel and I decided not to go up the Crown as the lines to the elevator are really long and we do not want Daddy S and Hendrix to wait further for us. However, it is said the Crown has a stunning view of Manhattan and Brooklyn, as well as the the Staten Island and Verrazano bridge. If one has time, it might be worth checking out.
While we are going on a tour around the Pedestal, Hendrix was relaxing by the food hall. Some view he has there.
Aside from the Statue of Liberty, another spot to see while in Liberty Island is the Ellis Island. It has a museum and former immigration and inspection station. It considered as a important symbol in the history of USA as it was the point of entry to the country from those arriving in Europe. We decided to skip this tour for the mean time with the hope of being able to check it out once we come back.
All those walking really got us hungry. So off we go to Daddy S’ must-see while in NYC, Shake Shack.
Daddy S and Heinel are both hamburger lovers and they are definitely happy customers by the time they finished their burgers. At this time, Shake Shack is yet to open in the Philippines so it is a good thing that we got to try it in its origin state.
After filling the tank, we’re off to our tour. Since Daddy S and I are both accountants, we could not pass up the chance to see the financial district of NYC to see The New York Stock Exchange.
Daddy S wanted to see this because it is one of the shooting locations of one of his favorite movies Wolf of Wall Street (starring Leonardo de Caprio). Incidentally, the Stock Exchange is parallel to the Federal Hall.
Also known as the “Birthplace of American Democracy”, Federal Hall is where the 1st Congress was held and where George Washington was sworn in as the USA’s first president.
We also went to see the famous Charging Bull in Wall Street which is said to bring luck to those who touch it. Unfortunately, there was a big group of other Asian tourists when we got there so we did not get the chance to take photos by the Bull.
It was not only Daddy S who has a movie in mind when we said NYC. For Heinel, New York automatically means The Plaza Hotel, the setting of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Heinel grew up watching parts 1 and 2 of this move during the holiday season as it has become a family tradition.
The Plaza Hotel changed a lot since the movie which was shown in the 90s. It was noon by the time we got there so we decided to have lunch at its lower ground floor food hall. It was cool seeing the hotel and even rode the same elevator that Kevin McCalister took. There was a major facade renovation at that time which is why we were not able to take any pictures. It is a good thing that from Central Park, there is a good view of the hotel (the one with the flag).
Speaking of Central Park, I was amazed with how enormous the park is! I am used to seeing the Park in the scenes of movies, particularly romantic ones so I really thought that it is just a small one. These are my boys ready to spend their energy at the park 🙂
It is vast with so many activities to do for the whole family. The kids will definitely love being here. Imagine a massive park where they can run around freely, even climb rocks to their heart’s desire? Perfect for those with tons of energy to spare. 
All those running, jumping and climbing will surely make the young ones hungry and thirsty. Well, there are a lot of refreshments and snacks sold at the park. 
We also explored the Central Park Zoo as the energy of the kids start to wind down.
Hendrix personally loves this part of the park. He was animated hearing the chirping of the birds and even watched some sealions play . 
Another activity that children will love to do while in the park is this remote controlled sailboats which can be rented for a fee. Heinel had fun maneuvering the boat to the pond and learned how the air and the direction of the sail affects the movement of the boat.
Aside from the remote controlled ones, families can get to ride these boats and sail around the park. It was a good day during our trip and it was nice seeing all these boats going around.
A famous landmark on Central Park is this fountain wherein scenes from the movies are taken especially during the winter. I for one, could not miss taking a photo here.
I love going to parks. Whenever we travel, I try to include at least one in our itinerary. What I love about Central Park is that it is right in the middle of the city.
With all the tress surrounding the park, it somehow tunes out the hustle and bustle of the city life just outside its walls. A good place to relax, unwind, spend time with family, friends or just some alone time.
Another good activity to do with the kids just across Central Park (at Theodore Roosevelt Park) is to see the largest natural history museum in the world, The American Museum of Natural History.
As soon as you get inside the entrance hall of the museum, you will be welcomed by a replicas of dinosaur fossils. This will surely excite the kids as they wait for their turn to go inside the exhibit halls.
There are several exhibition halls inside the museum which houses different dioramas of the ecosystem of mammals, birds and reptiles. 
The most popular of the halls is the fossil hall where most of the museum’s collection of dinosaur fossil remains are displayed.
Hendrix loved the reptile hall. He seemed fascinated by the snakes, tortoise and even this preserved crocodile.
I personally loved the Human Origin halls which traced our history and examined the origins of human creativity. With all the technology that we have now, it just amazes me how people of the earlier times have similar functional tools minus the machines and electricity.
Heinel, on the other hand, likes the Rose Center for Earth and Museum where a Cosmic Pathway is displayed.
Visiting the museum was a great learning activity not just for Heinel and Hendrix but to us parents as well. One of the many things that I love about travelling is that our children gets to learn even outside the walls of their classroom. Lessons on natural history, solar system and animals were easily incorporated in this trip to the museum.
Speaking of history, we also visited a major landmark in the US which is significant to not only their history but of mankind, the 9-11 memorial.
The National September 11 Memorial is a tribute to the men and women who lost their lives in the September 11, 2001 terror attack at the World Trade Center, Shanksville Pennsylvania and the Pentagon. The names of those who died are inscribed on the panels surrounding the Memorial pools.
While solemnly looking into the memorial, we explained to our children the significance of this site and how acts of terrorism leads to the lost of lives of innocent people; how their loved ones and family’s lives changed since then.
Seeing all the names brings a heavy feeling to my heart. As we headed to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, I prayed for all the names written in the memorial as well as their families. I also prayed that such terror will never happen again.
Going to St. Patrick’s Cathedral brought that warmth feeling again. It has always been my dream to see the church.
We even got the chance to see their choir’s rehearsal. I can just imagine how Sundays are like in the Cathedral during church services.
Another landmark in New York just across St. Patrick’s Cathedral is Rockefeller Center.
As someone who really loves Christmas, one of my childhood wish was to see The Christmas Tree at the Rockefeller Center, which incidentally is one of NYC’s famous holiday attraction. Although it was spring when we came and there is no Christmas tree, my heart still leaped from happiness as I tick off one item in my bucket list.
For music lovers like Daddy S, Rockfeller Center is also known for housing an entertainment landmark, Radio City Music Hall.
As we were walking around Rockefeller center, we saw some queue outside for some entertainment shows. Among the popular ones are “Saturday Night Live” and “The Tonight Show”.
When in NYC, the two best places to be in at night are in Broadway and Time Square.
Broadway is also the longest street in NYC. The street is much more alive at night with its bright lights and lively music coupled with people in costumes walking around. You will also see several interesting merchandise by the street as you walk around. Our eyes can not help but wander around with all that is happening around us.
Broadway is also known as the Theater District. It has always been my wish to see a play in Broadway like the Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Miss Saigon and Les Miserables. But since we are with our kids, I know that it will be unlikely for us to see it. However, my heart leaped when I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
I am such a big Harry Potter fan. The last book released, is not a novel but actually a screenplay of The Cursed Child. I had so much fun reading it and I know that will be amazing to see it come to life in a play. Daddy S was all for me watching the play while he takes care of the kids but somehow I really felt guilty leaving them behind so I passed up the chance. It will be part of our “next time in NYC” list. 🙂
Coming to New York will not be complete without seeing the reason why it was called the City of Lights. We ended our NYC adventure by going to Time Square.
This side of the city is truly alive. All those bright led billboard ads are so interesting to watch. The whole street is close to vehicles so people can just freely walk around.
There are several mini-stages built around Time Square. Among those we passed by have comedy skits going on, some stand up comedy and talent shows. There are also several shops lined up the street so you can also do some shopping while in there.
Walking around Time Square, you might see some things that might not be kid- friendly. We definitely saw some and we can not prevent our children from seeing them so we just took time to explain what is going on. I think this part of life that when there are moments when we can not totally shield our children from some certain realities of the world. So i guess the way to handle it is to talk to them about it. It is best that they hear it from us, rather than from social media, or the internet.
So that ends our three amazing days in New York City. The one word that described our NYC experience is interesting. The city is alive and bustling with excitement; like life will go by so fast when you are here. Now i know why it was called the City That Never Sleeps. But while life in this city might be hectic, I cherish those moments when people seemingly in a rush, stops by and assist us when they saw that we seem lost, or how they give way to families with kids, and offer a hand to help.. those are priceless.
As we bid goodbye to NYC, we are now headed to a our drive to Pennsylvania and Washington!