New York City with Toddler

Would I recommended taking a trip to New York City with a Toddler in tow? Absolutely!

Trying to pull him away from the musicians in Central Park

We have taken mini trips with our little one before (he turns 16 months this week), but just around Ontario.  This was his first experience on an airplane.  He was amazing!  Everything was "Wow" to him: the (free) mini water bottles (and cookies) while waiting to board,  the propeller, the buttons in the planes bulkhead that turned the lights on and off, the tray table...everything about the flight fascinated him (and kept him entertained)!  We flew Porter because they offered flights at the time of day we preferred to leave/return.  We used Legends car service (they provided car seat), to get from Newark downtown.

The Hotel was a miss.  We booked a suite at the W on Lexington using our Starwoods points.  The room was dirty...grimy...and dark...  It appeared as if the cleaning staff never dusted or vacuumed the corners, you know?  Well the big guy managed to get into those corners...  (We tried the Parker Meridian but they were booked solid...we stayed at the Parker last time and were quite happy.)  Oh and the room at W didn't have a tub.

Still, we were mid town, steps away from moma (boring for baby, mommy didn't get to spend as much time as she wanted), Rockefeller center, central park....times square, the department stores, and even central station were all within walking distance.

Waiting for the elevator to go to the Top of Rockefeller Center

The big guy's favorite part of NYC, if you permit me to speak for him, was the cars! (or as he says "DAR! DAR! DAR!") He seemed to really embrace the frenetic pace of the city...taxis, buses, people, construction, noise...all of these things kept him occupied in his umbrella stroller, allowing us to walk to nearly every destination.

oh oh!

The only thing missing from this trip was some fabulous fine dining.  At the end of a day, I didn't feel up to taming his octopus arms or eating with him on my lap, so we brought food back to the room the first night (pizza, pasta, salad)...and did nearby sushi and burgers on the next two nights (not sushi and burgers together, sushi one night and he spilled the sake, delicious burgers from Smith & Wollensky the next night and he wouldn't eat so we had to get snacks at Duane Reade on the way back to the W)...

Not that it was all average consumption - I had the best sandwich of my life from Sarabeth's in Chelsea Market.  Turkey on the most scrumptious bread ladden with yellow raisins and cranberries...yummers!

Taste buds are watering remembering that delicious sandwich from Sarabeth's

We picked up food from the
Chelsea Market to eat on the High Line...a great way to spend an afternoon with a little one.

Busy and windy that day at the High Line Park

Highlights (strictly mommy's point of view):
- that sandwich
- jcrew
- walking around and taking it all in (being there, not here)
- my first time walking around Chelsea


Ok, I know, I know...what's NYC without fabulous fine dining?  But I am not exactly what you would call a "foodie"...I am a breakfast person (The New York Luncheonette, a diner around the corner from the hotel,  was PERFECT for me!) , and I then go on to graze all day...so left to my own devices, dinner would never happen...


(Photos taken by my DH)