Category

New York City

New York City is a bucket list destination for many.  For us, it is the place we have called home for the past 9 years.  All three of our boys were born in Manhattan.  We like to tell family and friends from our hometowns in the Midwest, however, that we have been tourists in the greatest city in the world for this entire time.

It is impossible to digest everything New York City has to offer families in one visit, whether it be three days, a week, or 9 years, but we’ve done our best to highlight what we have learned in our time here.  We’ve curated countless itineraries and tips that we’ve sent to family and friends to inform the content linked from this page.

Before diving into our links, a few mind boggling facts:

  • Over 8 Million people call New York City home.  This means that roughly 1 in every 38 people in the United States of America live here.
  • The oldest building in New York City, called Wyckoff Farm, dates back to 1642.
  • New Yorkers speak approximately 800 different languages, with over 37% of New Yorkers born in another country.  Queens, in fact, is the most diverse urban area in the world.
  • Lombardi’s Pizza, featured in our Kid Friendly Restaurants post, is the oldest pizzeria in the United States.
  • The Empire State Building has its own zip code: 10118
  • If the state of Texas were as densely populated as NYC, it would fit the entire human race.

Whether you’re just intrigued by New York City or actively planning a trip, we hope you find our content useful.  If you have any questions, please reach out!

Family-Restaurant-Guide
New York City, Northeast, Road Trip Destinations

16 toddler-friendly restaurants in NYC that are local favorites

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People come to New York City for a variety of reasons, but after having lived in the city for nearly a decade, we can attest to the fact that the food really is top-notch.  There are plenty of food guides for a proper foodie trip to New York, but when traveling with toddlers there has to be a balance of unique and different from home versus requirements of the kids.  Luckily for New York City tourists, we have a solid list of 16 toddler-friendly restaurants in NYC where we frequently eat and recommend.

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May 1, 2021
View from Top of the Rock in New York City
New York City, Road Trips

Budget-friendly first time weekend in New York City

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After having lived in New York City for the past 10 years, I have helped countless friends and family generate itineraries for a weekend in New York City.  Rather than allow these plans to rot in the vast nothingness of my Gmail outbox, it would be a crime for me, a travel blogger, not to share some of them with the general public.  I have done countless flavors of a weekend depending on who is coming, but this is a budget-friendly first time weekend in New York City itinerary.  

When people come to visit for the first time, I’m typically asked for a mix of sightseeing the major attractions along with a few local off the grid recommendations.  I’m also told that people want to cram in as much as possible, so buckle on your walking shoes because I’m going to wear you out.

Note: I actually wrote this as an email to a friend and converted it to a post, so you can take comfort with the knowledge that these are authentic, genuine recommendations and not click-bait.

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March 10, 2020
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Subway in NYC
New York City, Northeast, Road Trips, Travel Tips

How to take the subway from JFK Airport

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Taking the subway from JFK airport to anywhere in New York City is the cheapest and most reliable option. Subways run on a schedule and are not affected as much by weather or traffic. If you are comfortable riding the subway and are OK with walking up and down the stairs to the subway stations, they are really the best way to navigate the city.

For those of you who are not as adventurous, we’ve got you covered with a guide to all of your options.

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February 12, 2020
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New York City, Northeast, Road Trips, Travel Tips

How to take an Uber or Lyft from JFK Airport

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Taking an Uber or Lyft from the JFK airport to Manhattan is almost identical to taking a cab. I prefer the Uber/Lyft option because the cars are usually nicer than cabs, I like getting my receipt emailed to me, and I don’t like fumbling around with my wallet when I have all my bags with me. Another nice option about Uber/Lyft is you can pre-arrange a ride including pre-arranging an Uber/Lyft family ride that includes a car seat. Finally, I just kind of like to follow the map on the app.

Of course Uber is not the only option, New York City offers many options for getting from JFK to the city. We cover all of them, but the size of everything here can be overwhelming so we are here to simplify some of the details.

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February 12, 2020
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NYC Taxi
New York City, Northeast, Road Trips, Travel Tips

How to take a taxi from JFK Airport

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Taxi is the quickest and easiest way to get from JFK to anywhere in Manhattan. It’s also the most iconic. We cover other options, of course, but enough people come to NYC with a little anxiety about hailing a yellow cab that we felt it deserves a post of its own.

We’ve seen a few other sites with brief instructions, but to ease your stress, this tutorial comes with photos from each terminal.

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February 12, 2020
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