More New York City Tips:Food and Lodging

Excerped from Fodor's Travel Wire

An Insider's Guide to NYC
Tired of Broadway shows and the annual trek to the Met? Try one of these activities on for size on your next trip to the Big Apple.
Indulge: Get your Grom on
Turin-based gelato importer Grom opened this summer on the Upper West Side to high-decibel hype, small $5 servings, and hour-long waits. Five months on, the small cups are still pricey but the lines have shortened. Judge for yourself whether the full-fat milk, organic eggs, and artisanal flavors like pistachio, grapefruit, or lemon are worth the hype. The store's slogan, "Il Gelato Come Una Volta" (roughly translated as "Ice Cream as It Once Was"), proclaims its commitment to old-fashioned scoops. Warning: many a visit to the gelateria have turned into full-fledged Grom-a-thons.

Eat: Dine like a local
Walk beyond the blaring neon lights of Times Square and the pulsing crowds at Grand Central to find the restaurants where real New Yorkers dine. You can start by making a beeline for 50th Street's Toloache, (photo, right) a bustling new Mexican brasserie that has local foodies talking. Don't miss the chipotle-accented guacamole, the Negro Modelo-braised brisket tacos, or beef short ribs braised in pomegranate sauce.

If you're looking for a great meal around Grand Central Terminal, skip the restaurants in the station and head down the street to Benjamin Steakhouse, just a block south inside the Dylan Hotel. In this stylish space, outfitted with dark wood paneling, leather banquettes and cream accents, you can treat yourself to dry-aged prime cuts that arrive still sizzling, incredible "cream-free" creamed spinach, and extravagant seafood platters. Not in the mood for a big meal? Take it easy with a martini or a glass of Malbec in front of the crackling fire.

New York City with Kids

I'm sorry to be so lame by posting second hand info lately, but hey, it's the holidays and I'm busy making a closet into a bathroom.

This one is from Fodor's Travel Wire, also see Our Kid-Friendly Guide to New York City

New York City with Kids
Even though much of New York is focused on the adult pursuits of making money and then spending it, kids can run riot in this city, too. Below are our Top 10 kids' favorite attractions.

American Museum of Natural History. This museum contains more than 30 million specimens and cultural artifacts. Exhibits range from dinosaurs to gems and minerals, from life in the sea to cultures from around the world to the ends of the cosmos.

The Bronx Zoo. The Bronx Zoo is the country's largest metropolitan wildlife park, home to more than 4,500 animals, including endangered and threatened species. Kids can peek at a subterranean naked mole rat colony or watch big and beautiful endangered cats through the glass at Tiger Mountain, a not-to-be-missed exhibit.

Central Park. Central Park is to New York as the sun is to the solar system. Need to let the kids burn off some steam? Head to 67th Street and 5th Avenue for the tree house playground. A playground at 99th Street (east side) accommodates children with disabilities. Other playgrounds are on the east side at 71st, 77th, 85th, 95th, 108th, and 110th streets and on the west side at 68th, 81st, 85th, 89th, 91st, 93rd, 96th, 100th, and 110th streets.

Central Park Zoo. A perfect destination for little ones, the zoo is walkable and stroller-friendly, and even the youngest tot can see the animals from low-lying or low-sitting carriages. Three climatic regions -- the Rain Forest, Temperate Territory, and Polar Circle -- form the focal points.

Children's Museum of Manhattan. Exhibits in the five floors of exhibition space change frequently. You can follow the dream-adventure of Alice in Wonderland or bring literacy to life with Clifford the Big Red Dog and his friend Emily Elizabeth. The fun continues with a special Dr. Seuss celebration, where your child's imagination can run wild.

Museum of Modern Art. Nicknamed MoMA, this museum maintains the world's foremost collection of 20th-century art: more than 135,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, architectural models and drawings, and design objects.

New York Aquarium. Alongside the cotton candy and amusements of Coney Island, this aquarium is home to more than 10,000 species of marine life, including beluga whales, giant sea turtles, sand-tiger sharks, and sea otters.

New York Botanical Garden. Nearly 50 gardens and plant collections make up this landmark. Its hands-on activities, imaginative exhibits, and fanciful gardens are exciting and inviting.

Sony Wonder Technology Lab. You're not just going to just see technology here; you will become part of it during an adventure through four floors of hands-on educational fun. Don't despair if you and your kids are not techno-whizzes; helpful guides throughout the lab will answer your questions and offer assistance.

South Street Seaport Museum. Whether it's a concert, a show by street performers, guided tours, or family programs, there's always something happening at the museum. Family Gallery Guides direct you around the world's largest collection of items related to New York's port.

Kid-Friendly Guide to New York City

New York City is a great place to goof around with kids. Let them choose the pace and you'll all have a ton of fun. There are many kid-friendly attractions in and around Central Park; use this as a home base and you'll always have a bench close by to relax on while kids to burn off excess energy. Just don't forget to pack the snacks!

We feel strongly that family travel should be fun but educational, so we look for one or two aspects of an area to learn about and then choose our itinerary based on that.
Read also the first installment of city guides for kids for overall strategy advice; and please, add to this wiki-map by clicking "Contribute to This Map" below.

The points on this map came personal experience and some discussions at Fodor's Forum about taking kids to NYC. the below info is aditional advice from the Fodorites.

"Here's a long list of Central Park stuff.
After goofing around in Central Park and its adjacent attractions (and a decompression session back at the hotel) plan an early dinner along with an evening boat ride past the Statue of Liberty lit up for the evening. This is a nice way to wind down an event-filled day (also a good photo-op for little photographers). "

"Before you leave check for free kids events:
NY Magazine and gocitykids.com"

"In May & June NYC streets are filled with fairs and festivals. Check to see if the Big Apple Circus is in town, or something else of that nature..."

"Blue Man Group is still a favorite of 5 year olds."

"Kids love just looking around NYC -- allow time for the kids to experience New York - a hot dog or pretzel from a street vendor, lots of subway rides, Times Square, Central Park, the excitement of all the big buildings in the Times Square area and Downtown (Wall Street area)."