Last Fall we decided to go to New York City to visit my husband’s cousin before he moves to Canada. I was nervous and excited at the same time. I was excited thinking that I could shop ’till drop at Soho, but nervous as this would be the first time we were taking our then three year old to a big city. A little feedback for those of you who didn’t know me, I was born and raised in a big city in Jakarta, Indonesia, which is similar to NYC, but have spent the past 14 years of my life in this suburban Midwest of Columbus, OH. I never had a big backyard and had to go to a public park if I wanted to play in a playground. I was used to the hustle and bustle of traffic, pollution, chaos, and everything else any big cities have to offer.
During our trip to NYC, I learned that this Big Apple is truly the most non-kids friendly city in the US:
- While meeting up with our friends for a brunch who also have a little girl, we had to wait longer because we needed two high chairs, hence more space required
- Obviously most places are not designed for strollers easy access. You have to go up and down the stairs a lot. You’re lucky if you can find subways with elevators
- We barely stayed at home and already got a complaint from the neighbor below us because my son was running around the apartment
Here are a few tips on how to survive travelling to NYC with a toddler if you are a small towner like me:
Bring Umbrella Stroller
Umbrella stroller is the best because it’s so lightweight and easy to maneuver. You can easily carry the umbrella stroller (with your child in it) and go up and down the subway. If you’re travelling with a baby, chance is you are better off with a sling or baby carrier. I didn’t see anybody going around with a bulky travel system. Don’t even think putting your baby in a car seat and strap him in a taxi cab as people might laugh at you. That’s not how New Yorkers do, folks! Most New Yorkers use
Bugaboo Cameleon Stroller
Bring
Stroller Weather Shield
As an Ohion, of course I’m used to go everywhere by car. Here in New York, we walked a lot and went everywhere either by bus or subway. Parking was a hassle and traffic is just a waste of time. Having said that I really didn’t prepare for bad weather. This stroller cover is great to prevent rain, wind, and cold temperature. You can get it at any drug stores for less than $20.00.
Need a Nanny? Go to
Sittercity.com
My husband and I had a ticket to see David Letterman show. Obviously kids are not allowed, so we were struggling to find a sitter for our son since our cousin had a class at that time. I naively thought I could find a place like
Mangos Place
, which is an hourly daycare center. Turns out most New Yorkers use nannies as space is very scarce and opening up a daycare center can cost lots of money. Luckily our friends, who live in Queens, agreed to watch our son for the day. So it took us two hours from Harlem to Queens to drop off our son and headed back to Manhattan to watch the show. It was well worth it though, but in case you need a sitter, you’d better find it at
sittercity.com
.
Public Restroom is a Challenge
I also learned that not all public places in NYC offer public restrooms. You have a better chance to find one at Starbucks, big stores and hotels. Just act like you’re staying there or pretend you want to buy something, but change your mind and walk away. Besides, people are too busy to pay attention anyway.
Getting in and out of Subways with stroller
Your stroller will not fit in the revolving door no matter how tiny it is. Sometimes you can ask the ticket officer to let you in through the emergency gate. However when they are not around or you’re in a hurry to catch the train, just push the emergency door yourself. The alarm will make a loud noise but trust me, nobody cares!
Avoid The Mets and Any Non-kids Friendly Places
You are not allowed to touch anything at the Mets, and good luck telling your toddler not to touch those interesting pieces of artworks! There are so many places you can take your kids to, which I will list it on the next post. The Mets, or Metropolitan Museum of Art is definitely not one of them! There were also a few instances where we got stared a lot while eating out since our son was being too loud. Honestly I just pretend nothing happened.
We did have a good time but I also realize NYC is not a place for us.
Yes I am no longer a city girl.
Yes I live in a suburb and drive a minivan.
Call me Soccer Mom if you want to.
And yes I don’t get to shop at Soho or go to Fashion Show as I would dream of had I lived in NY.
But I’m happy as long as my son get to grow up in a house with a big backyard without neighbors complaining of him being just a kid.
Tags: New York City and Toddler , travelling to NYC
