Best of Manhattan 2024: Kids

BEST PLAYGROUNDS

John Jay Park

E. 76th to E. 78th St. between York and FDR Dr.

www.nycgovparks.org

Though it’d be worth the trip just to learn that this park is adjacent to a street called Cherokee Place, there are many other reasons to visit John Jay Park. First is the simple reminder of who John Jay (1745-1829) was a co-author of The Federalist Papers, the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, the second Governor of New York State and more. Happily, his namesake park lives up to honor. Among its many features are basketball and handball courts, a variety of children’s play equipment, some pull-up bars and one of Manhattan’s all-too-few open public pools. The park also features more than 100 trees and two notable black-painted welded steel sculptures by Douglas Abdell. Panoramic views of northwest Queens are a bonus, as is East River Esplanade access.

Adventure Playground

Central Park at W. 67th St.

www.centralparknyc.org/locations/adventure-playground

It goes without saying no one playground does it all. There are too many variables, too many styles of play for that to be true, especially in space as constrained as Manhattan. So while many kids consider jungle gyms, monkey bars, climbing ropes, slides and the like essential, there is another way, and Adventure is its name-o. In this case, the word is both a proper name and a concept. Instead of a playground featuring some or all of the aforementioned standard features, an adventure playground creates a unique, exploratory landscape. In this case, Adventure Playground, designed by architect Richard Dattner, offers a wondrous fortress-looking array of wood objects, walls, climbing structures, a conical pyramid-like slide and tunnel. Remarkable!

Seward Park

E. Broadway & Essex St.

www.nycgovparks.org/parks/seward-park

Located in the heart of the Lower East Side is Seward Park, a true community gathering place offering recreational activities galore. There is something for everyone: from rambunctious toddlers on the jungle gym, to teenage athletes bouncing volleyballs and basketballs, to men playing ping pong and women doing group dance exercises or calisthenics, or getting their badminton on and whacking the old shuttlecock around. Kids, too, can do most of these things and moreover, seeing all of these things together is an inspiration to all. Nearly as wondrous is the adjacent Seward Park Library, open every day but Sunday, and whose second-floor children’s section is among the best in city.

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BEST KIDS BOOK STORE

Barnes & Noble

1550 3rd Ave. at 87th St.

212-321-7563

www.barnesandnoble.com

Since its highly anticipated return to the Upper East Side in July 2023, B&N has reaffirmed its status as a local oasis for bibliophiles but book loving families as well. Though it’s not the most luxuriously appointed B&N (for that head down to Union Square), for a space that was previously a Duane Reade pharmacy, the company did alright. One demerit to mention about this location: because of its relatively small size, it offers neither a cafe, nor public restrooms, though a baby changing space is available by request. Fortunately, Whole Foods and Starbucks are neighbors, while a block away at 3rd and 86th the beloved and newly reborn hot dog monarch, Papaya King.

Strand Books

450 Columbus Ave.

212-473-1452

www.strandbooks.com

Though agoraphobes will beg to differ, we love the Strand and encourage all those who are able to visit the mothership headquarters at Broadway and 12th St. as often as possible. (The terrific used and rase book Alabaster Bookshop is block away on 4th Ave. too). When that is not possible, or you just want a quieter, more local and, practically speaking, more kid friendly— experience, this Upper West Side satellite location offers something like 82nd St. - the platonic ideal between size and intimacy. Among its broad selection of books and other Strand-branded gifts and New York-themed souvenir knickknacks, is a well-designed and stocked kids’ section. As any children’s bookstore should, there is a clean bathroom.

Books of Wonder

42 W. 17th St.

212-989-3270

www.booksofwonder.com

For the ultimate in affable, informed and exciting kid-lit shopping, Books of Wonder is the ultimate, the unique place which can’t be exceeded. Now well ensconced on the ground floor of a handsome building just a block from its former home on West 18th St., the shop continues to offer the widest possible selection of children’s books, old and new, in a congenial setting made ever warmer by its affable staff. Babies, toddlers, elementary school kids, teens and more all happily catered to, likewise bibliophilic parents who will linger over the shop’s remarkable selection of rare and collectible books. Bonus: the aisles are all stroller friendly and the bathrooms are welcoming.

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BEST KID-FRIENDLY MUSEUM

Museum of the City of New York

1220 5th Ave. at 103rd St.

212-534-1672

www.mcny.org

In the Museum of the City of New York, parents and kids alike have a most compelling partner in the exploration of place—their place! In addition to the remarkable NY At Its Core galleries, which offer a panoptic view of city history from the 17th century to the present, current exhibitions include Art Deco City: New York Postcards from the Leonard A. Lauder Collection (through February 17, 2025); Changing Face of Democracy, with special emphasis on Shirley Chisholm of Brooklyn, the first black woman elected to Congress (through July 20, 2025); and Above Ground: Art from the Martin Wong Graffiti Collection (through August 10, 2025). Check the calendar for an abundance of events, including drop-in activities and stories for kids.

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

Pier 86 (W. 46th St. and 12th Ave.)

212-245-0072

www.intrepidmuseum.org

“You’re going to need a bigger boat” is one of the iconic lines from 1976 movie Jaws— well, there aren’t too many bigger boats in Manhattan than the 872-foot long former Navy aircraft carrier, USS Intrepid. Built in Newport News, Virginia, and launched in 1943, the ship was decommissioned in 1974. Eight years later, it began its remarkable second life as a museum berthed at Hudson River Pier 86. Following an extensive two-year renovation, the Intrepid reopened in 2008. Other features include the Space Shuttle Enterprise; the Concorde supersonic jet; a virtual reality program on the Apollo 11 moon landing; a G-Force simulator; and a variety of movies. New York residents receive 50% off admission; while active-duty military and veterans get in free, likewise Library Culture Pass holders. Get your card today.

National Museum of the American Indian

1 Bowling Green

888-618-0572

www.mericanindian.si.edu

Even among the many glories of lower Manhattan, the National Museum of the American Indian stands out. Located in the historic Beaux-Aerst style Cass Gilbert-designed New York Custom Housing building at the foot of the Wiechquaekeck Trail, an old Algonquin trade route known today as Broadway, the museum is operated under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution—no road trip to Washington D.C. necessary. Besides its affecting stories of Native Americans, the museum also functions as a tribute to the city—and the nation— itself, and always strives to do good and improve. Exhibit A: the amazing New Deal era by artist Reginald Marsh on building’s second floor rotunda. Exhibit B: the museum is open 364 days a year—taking off only on Christmas Day, 12/25—and admission is always free.

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BEST RESTAURANT FOR KIDS

Midnight Express Diner

1715 2nd Ave.

212-860-2320

www.midnightexpressdiner.com

Film fans who recall director Alan Parker’s acclaimed 1978 prison movie Midnight Express might not expect a restaurant of the same name to be all that kid-friendly but such are life’s complexities: Midnight Express Diner, which itself opened in 1978, is very kid friendly, and—as with most diners—kids show that affection. Let’s start with their hours, which are all of them: that’s right, they’re open 24 / 7/ 365, which automatically elevates them to star status. Concerning the vittles, it’s a diner, with some of its Greek routes showing, the diner food that kids love: pancakes, waffles, French toast, crepes, hamburgers, hot dogs, fries. Some adults might opt for a salad, soup, panini or wrap—others might not. Beer and liquor for the grown-ups is also available.

Old John’s Diner

148 W. 67th St.

212-874-2700

http://www.iloveoldjohns.com

While those further uptown swear by the venerable Metro Diner at 100th and Broadway, Old John’s Diner nudges it out this year. First opened in 1951 at 66th and Broadway, it was displaced in 1998 when Barnes & Noble moved in. Ironically, the Lincoln Center B&N closed in 2014, while Old John’s lived on—at least until 2020, when COVID forced its closure. Enter Louis Skibar, a former Old John’s employee turned restaurateur with a passion for diners who revived both the space and the menu June 2021. Oh, how we cheered! Bring yourself and your youngins in and join the chorus ecstatic for such breakfast faves as Challah French Toast, Potato Latkes, Corned Beef Hash and Eggs. Soups, sandwiches, burgers and pasta are also available, as well milkshakes and both chocholate and vanilla egg creams. Huzzah!

Bubby’s Tribeca

120 Hudson St.

212-219-0666

www.bubbys.com

Bubbe—but sometimes “bubby” too (there are no rules in transliteration, just consensus)—is the Yiddish name for grandmother. While Bubby the restaurant doesn’t highlight the Jewish heritage of its chef and owner, Ron Silver, it’s there in the comforting warmth of the space and the menu, which among its mostly American fare, includes a House Smoked Salmon Bagel Plate and Matzoh Ball Soup. It goes without saying of course that Bubby loves kids, with an everyday brunch menu served 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and an all-day menu for children 12-and-under. Pancakes, mac n cheese, junior burger with fries, chicken strips: what kid can choose? And when the kid grows up, you can tell them the great writer Nick Tosches lived just steps away at 90 Hudson St.

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BEST TOY STORE

Mary Arnold Toys

1178 Lexington Ave.

212-744-8510

www.maryarnoldtoys.com

You don’t survive ninety-plus years in any business without being tough—and good. Mary Arnold Toys is both, with a vigorous streak of tenderness as well--as one would hope in an enterprise devoted, at its heart, to the delight of children. Though it’s changed location a number of times, it’s hard to imagine that, square foot for square foot, any iteration has surpassed the current store on the ground floor of the Lexington Arms building which stands like a colossus between 80th and 81st St. It’s not just “toys” either: games, art, stuffed animals, toddler bikes, scooters, backpacks, sports balls, puzzles, seasonal books, a smart selection of clothes, and musical instruments (button accordion $35). Upper East Siders between 66th and 86th St. get free delivery, while other Manhattan will pay a small fee for delivery or shipping.

West Side Kids

201 W. 84th St.

212-496-7282

www.westsidekidsnyc.com

One toy in, one toy out—that’s the rule for more than one space shy Manhattanite has followed. Getting the kids to go along with this edict isn’t always easy, however, especially when West Side Kids is around. A neighborhood favorite since their opening in 1981, they’ve moved into their current location in July 2023. Clean and friendly, it features a larger-than-you’d-expect selection of games, puzzles, arts and crafts projects, stuffed animals, books, balls, building blocks and more—basically, everything a child needs to fill—or overfill—their home with fun. The shops seasonal selections are also worth noting: Rosh Hashana books in September, election 2024 items in October, including “Kamala” and “Childless Cat Lady” socks. They tried!

Kidding Around

60 W. 15th St.

212-645-6337

www.kiddingaroundtoys.com

Funny how? That is the question one can answer in any number of ways, many of them neatly stacked on the shelves of this family-run West Village favorite. Opened in 1989 by owner Christina Clark, the store is noted for its exceptional customer service and, as this reporter can affirm, it’s just as satisfying to ask for help and hear an unexpected suggestion as it is to explore one’s own. Games, science sets, dolls, costumes, scooters, puzzles, puppets, stuffed animals and as the classic Andrea True Connection disco song goes, “More More More”—Kidding Around will have something to delight even the grumpiest of tired kids and caretakers.