I had one of those little birthday things a few weeks back. It was the kind of birthday where we joke about turning 29 for the umpteenth year in a row. Well, this year I decided to skip all that nonsense and just confront the truth. I was turning 39 9/8! Yep, you heard me right. I'm 39 9/8 and proud of it!
My birthday hit mid-week and a very busy one at that. So we celebrated before and after. Our family headed to NYC (one of my favorite places ever) for a little getaway chosen by the birthday girl herself. Yahoo!
Now most people would think we're completely nuts for choosing NYC for a birthday trip with a toddler. We love the city though and wanted Grey to experience it with us! He's becoming quite the little traveler with multiple flights under his belt already. Flights are a bit more challenging with a toddler, but as long as we come prepared, it typically goes fairly well.
One thing I've learned when traveling with an infant/toddler is that hotel rooms are horrible. It's hard to be stuck inside the same room after the child goes to bed. We have a few tricks up our sleeve for those instances, but we prefer to stay in a condo or some lodging where the sleeping space is separate from the living space. For this trip, we stayed at the Wyndham Midtown 45 in a one-bedroom Presidential Suite. It was the perfect size for Grey to run around in, and for us to have adult time after he went to bed.
It also has a lounge up on the 33rd floor, which has gorgeous views. It was a perfect spot for us to hang out while our room was being cleaned but an even more perfect spot for a glass of wine in the evening.
Now having a toddler with you in NYC does put a damper on the late night eating and night life, but it was worth it. Seeing his little eyes light up as he took in all these new experiences was priceless. The first evening, we walked through Grand Central Terminal...
...and Bryant Park (which was much different than I thought). It was gorgeous but oh so crowded and much smaller than I had originally envisioned.
The next day we ventured up to the Upper West Side to the Natural History Museum. Wow! That place was enormous!! Thank goodness I had done some research to know the areas to focus on when you have a toddler hanging around. I loved that you could pay whatever you wanted for admission - no set price, but I hated how bad the signage was around the museum. If you're just strolling along, you'll be fine, but if you have certain areas you want to check out...good luck finding them!
Grey started to get cranky a little sooner than we expected, so we headed across the street to the Diana Ross playground in Central Park. He loved it! The playground actually became something we'd do each day in whatever neighborhood we were visiting. I underestimated the amount of time he'd be in the stroller. So playground time was a nice balance to sitting so much.
Each afternoon we'd come back to the condo for Grey's nap, and Chad & I would take that down time to recharge and plan the evening. On this particular evening, we headed down to Times Square. We wanted Grey to experience it, but we didn't stay long. It's really a horrible environment for a stroller. There's just way too many people.
This was probably the crankiest day Grey had on the trip. Because we were in such a populated area, we had difficulty finding a decent restaurant without a wait and that could accommodate a high chair. This led to a crankier Grey, but we made it. We even managed a stop at a glorious cookie place in the Theater District! Delish!!
The next day we had planned to meet up with Chad's cousin, Eric; his wife, Jessica; and baby Andrew. Andrew is Grey's cousin and just 3 months younger. They live on the Upper East Side, so we headed up that way early to the Ancient Playground in Central Park. This was the best little playground! Grey loved it!!
Afterwards we had the most interesting walk to his cousin's place. The Ancient Playground is next to The Met, and they just happened to be setting up for The Met Gala.
We also ended up strolling by The Carlyle and just missed Rhianna's big entrance according to some lingering paparazzi. Just past The Carlyle, we ran into a photoshoot. Only in NYC, right?!?! We finally made it to Chad's family and had the best little visit. It was wonderful seeing everyone - especially little Andrew. I can't wait to get the boys together again!
That evening we headed down to the Flatiron District and grabbed some grub at Eataly! Yumm-o! It was my second time there, and I can't wait to go back. It was even Grey-approved!!
The following day, we headed over to Chelsea to check out The Highline. What an inventive thing to do with old railroad tracks!!
We planned our walk so that we would end at the Chelsea Market. This end of the highland has great lounging spots, as well as some snack & art vendors. Grey throughly enjoyed his organic grape popsicle!
Next we headed down into Chelsea Market. I also envisioned this differently and ended up being a bit disappointed. It would have been a great place for lunch - without a stroller. It was just crowded and the places are small. Don't get me wrong. It can be done, but we chose not to. Instead we headed over to Washington Square Park.
Washington Square Park has a couple different playground areas, and of course we hit up both of them. Daddy went to fetch us some smoothies while Grey and I played for a bit.
The next morning, we hit up Central Park Zoo. This is the perfect spot for tourists, as it's a small zoo and can be done in a couple of hours. It's also super clean and has a great children's section.
Afterwards we stopped for a bit at a food truck and ate while we enjoyed the beauty of Central Park.
That evening we had more delicious food in Little Italy...and some decadent cannolis that we brought back to our condo to devour. Grey-approved again!
It was a fun-filled trip and Grey really did well. He loved the subway, and the locals were always willing to give up their seat for him. I can't wait to go back when he's a bit bigger. I'm so blessed to have been able to take this trip with him and Chad. Lots of good quality family time in a city that we love.
Cheers!
