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Food and Drink
Chinatown dumpling/food crawl (end with ice cream at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory)
“You don't need to book anything, just look up a few different spots and go for pork buns and dumplings and the obligatory Nom Wah stop of course.”
Dim sum in Flushing, Queens Chinatown
Russ and Daughters for brunch
Queens Night Market
“Queens Night Market is an absolute must must must before you go.”
Italian dinner on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx
Saraghina Pizzeria with Shantell Martin’s murals
Sharing pizza at Giuseppina’s in South Slope
Chelsea Market
“Especially Los Tacos No. 1!”
Industry City food court: Japan Village, Li-Lac Chocolates, etc.
Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda Fountain
Covenhoven beer and games
A cocktail at The Dead Rabbit
A cocktail at the hidden Campbell bar in Grand Central and the King Cole Bar with the Maxfield Parrish mural
Your favorite bagel!
Museums and attractions
The Cloisters
“Just beautiful.”
Intrepid Museum
“I spent the night there with the kids and it was super fun.”
Cathedral of St. John the Divine
The Met (and have lunch on the steps)
MoMA (and get Halal Guys outside)
American Museum of Natural History (Check out the brand new Gilder Center)
The Noguchi Museum
“Especially art at Rainey Park and open studio programs.”
The Morgan Library & Museum
“Peek at the Morgan Library’s secret staircase.”
Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island
Crack is Wack mural by Keith Haring
City Reliquary in Williamsburg
SPYSCAPE museum
International Center of Photography
Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Museum of the City of New York
New York Aquarium in Coney Island
Festivals and things to do
Lunar New Year Parade & Festival (February)
Fleet Week (May)
Coney Island Mermaid Parade (June)
“So New York City— even more fun if you walk in the parade.”
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Concert in Prospect Park (June)
Summer Movies Under the Stars in Prospect Park (July and August)
South Slope Derby (August)
Battle Week (August)
“Did you know The Battle of Brooklyn was one of the most important battles in the American Revolution?”
West Indies Parade (Labor Day)
The Great Pupkin (October)
“It’s a dog Halloween costume competition. We’ve done it every year since being in Brooklyn, including bringing our out of town wedding guests to the event - it blew everyone’s mind. It’s family friendly with loads of kids, non chaotic seating on the steps and often there are whole family entries with kids getting involved. This year there was a dog pulled out of a giant purse dressed as Mary ‘Puppins’ while three children dressed as chimney sweeps danced to Chimchimminy. Fort Greene park also has its harvest festival, aimed at kids (pumpkin patches, a train ride, haystacks) on the same day.”
Park Slope Children’s Halloween Parade (Halloween night, 6:30pm)
NYC Marathon (November)
Watch balloons inflate for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade the day/night before
Dyker Heights Holiday Lights (December)
A comedy show at the Comedy Cellar
Skating or boating or the splash pad at LeFrak
Brooklyn Nets game
Brooklyn Cyclones game (Coney Island)
Broadway show
-Kids’ Night on Broadway (February) - kids under 18 can get a free ticket
-Broadway Week and Off-Broadway Week - 2-for-1 tickets
-TKTS - cheap same day Broadway tickets
Axe throwing at Kick Axe
Rock climbing at Brooklyn Boulders
Bronx Zoo
“Stop at Arthur Ave on the way back.”
Parks and outdoor activities
Green-Wood Cemetery
“Green-wood Cemetery day and night (Niblo’s Garden is a magical and kid-friendly event at night) and sunset on the highest hill is great.”
Greenwood Park
“Visit before 7pm to play bocce.”
Take the ferries all around
-Staten Island Ferry
-“Brooklyn Bridge Park to Domino Park is fun and up to Socrates Sculpture Park.”
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
“Anytime, but Halloween and cherry blossoms are great. If you go the day before the big cherry blossom festival you can often see the rehearsals and miss the crowds the day of.”
Washington Square Park to picnic and people watch
Kayak on the Hudson at Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse
Walk or run the six-mile loop in Central Park
Visit Belvedere Castle in Central Park
Battery park Esplanade and SeaGlass Carousel
Walk the Brooklyn Bridge
Swim in NYC's Free Floating Infinity Pool
Ride the Roosevelt Island Tramway
Chinese Scholar's Garden on Staten Island
Apple picking (see member-reviewed venues here)
Cool Down at Rockaway Beach
Bear Mountain State Park and Harriman Lookout
Find more family-friendly hikes here!
SplashDown Beach water park in Fishkill
Neighborhoods
Grab a coffee and walk the Chelsea Flower District
Walk around Vinegar Hill
Walk around Sunset Park and go to Industry City
Miscellaneous
Bookstores
“The Strand - Greenlight - Books Are Magic are a few of our favs.”
Movies
“Alamo Drafthouse, Nitehawk, Metrograph, BAM, and Film Forum Jr for kid movies.”
Shipwrecked Indoor Mini Golf
