New York is the greatest place for kids. When my daughters were a little younger I would buckle them into the double stroller, pack up a couple of sippy cups, hard boiled eggs and rice crackers for lunch and go see the sights. We would do the playground hop, stopping at every playground on our way across town. My destination was either City Bakery (for a chocolate cookie) or the Cupcake Cafe across the street in Books of Wonder (for a cupcake). It was a dilemma, cookie or cupcake - which one to consume? I never had to worry about it being fattening because pushing the double stroller was such a work out. I always tried to time my expedition to coincide with the farmers market in Union Square so that I could purchase my groceries and tie them onto the stroller. The only thing I had to be careful of were the moments when my daughters would charge towards the swings, leaving my ... [more]
New York with Kids, Victoria Kann
Crossing Town
New Yorkers divide religiously along East Side/West Side lines. But occasionally they are known to travel to the Other Side. If you find yourself in such an unlikely position, you might take a cross-town bus: they run along 66th/67th Streets, 72nd, 86th, 96th, and 110th. These are, however, some of the slowest buses in the MTA's roster, famously clocked at an average of about four miles per hour. So you might also consider walking, enjoying the park along the way, and grinning as you pass the bus unloading its charges.