In a world full of inconsistencies, there are fortunately a few steadfast constants. New York is one such invariable – it is a city of superlatives, skyscrapers and steaming manholes. Manhattan offers slam-dunk delivery on every expectation or preconceived idea you ever had about this energetic metropolis. The Big Apple may for some mysterious reason not be to your taste and the velocity of the New York minute could make you feel like you have Attention Deficit Disorder, but if you are peripatetic by nature and travel is your addiction, then having her blow smoke up your skirt or shorts is a must.
Manhattan is squashed between two rivers and can only grow upwards. Like trees in a forest seeking the sunlight, the world’s tallest and most handsome buildings rocket skywards. The surface is fractured and under construction, nowhere more obviously than at Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan. Wheezing subway vents blast out hot air reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch. Streets and curbs are patched on a daily basis causing spruced locals to dash to rendezvous in sneakers with their good shoes in their bags.
Overflowing with immaculate, cosmopolitan and affluent people, Manhattan is home to avant-garde style, fashion gurus, designer bagels, Broadway and The Donald. Everything comes at a premium and somehow it all looks, tastes and feels enhanced – a cross between Botox and steroids. Over eight million natives squeeze into this city where the traffic is insane, advertising is the loudest, brand stores the largest and the dialling code is 212 as these numerals are closest on a telephone pad. Tempers are the shortest, taxis the fastest, their drivers are the rudest, deli sandwiches the biggest and the lattes – well, they just are the skinniest and tallest. Central Park is an oasis larger than the principality of Monaco between the Upper East and West Sides of Manhattan – a welcome sanctuary from Walt Whitman’s “mettlesome, mad, extravagant city!”
Travel, New York and kids, I am happy to say, are not mutually exclusive and comfortably fit in the same breath with careful planning and only slightly modified anticipation. OK, to be fair, a vastly tailored itinerary and chances are they drop a sticky drink in your lap a third of the way into your economy-class flight to New York.
Another warning: if you plan to buzz on double espresso while you trawl stores on Fifth and Madison for Prada and Marc Jacobs then get high on exorbitant Manhattans or Highballs before grazing at one of the 130 eateries per Manhattan square mile, then save it for another trip. This is the allure of New York – it is in a constant state of reincarnation, which invites and inspires repeat visits, without young children.
With minimal luggage and an unrealistic wish list of family activities – scheduled on the hour, every hour and worthy of the Duracell Bunny – we arrived at JFK Airport. We hopped aboard the Air Train, changed to the underground, cruised into Manhattan and strolled to the Waldorf-Astoria. Literally, it was that simple even with our long-suffering 10- and 8-year-olds who claimed to have “jet-legs”.
Iconic international hotels have become a destination for many travellers, not simply somewhere impossible to swing a cat. Weaned on the Eloise books, I grew up reading these classics about a precocious six-year-old who lived on the “tippy-top floor” of a celebrated New York hotel in the 50s with her English nanny, dog Weenie and turtle Skipperdee.
She travelled to Paris and Moscow and her rebellious antics demystified the revered five-stars and left an indelible impression on me that hotels should be home from home, not exaggerated opulence. New York’s 117-year-old Waldorf-Astoria is exactly as a hotel should be – perfectly located, relaxed, welcoming and simply stylish.
In 1929, the original Waldorf-Astoria was demolished to make way for the Empire State Building and the new Art Deco skyscraper at 301 Park Avenue was opened as the biggest and tallest hotel in the world.
Manhattan is teeming with the greatest density of movie, TV, theatre and sports stars – more than any city in the world.
Superstar sightings and film or television shoots are so common that New Yorkers are blase about them. Apparently, many celebrities choose to live here because they feel a degree of anonymity compared to Los Angeles, where they are hounded by paparazzi and overwhelmed with autograph requests. Visitors not wanting to appear plebeian would do well to follow the local example and attempt to be cool. Tell that to our kids who staked out the Radio City Music Hall in the hope of meeting Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus.
More than 30 million tourists visit New York annually, butmost rarely see much beyond Manhattan Island and we were no exception.
Many of the attractions and sights are great for children but the cost of admission is expensive, queues long and the attention span of youngsters short, which means that when you eventually get in, your kids, like ours, are already “hot and bothered” and want out.
Travelling by taxi between the highlights can be time-consuming and costly, and while walking is the best way to sense New York, your offspring are not going to love you for it. We purchased two lifesavers: Subway Metrocards for travel and the New York City Passes with tickets to the most famous places of interest at half the price.
With a little planning and co-operative weather, you can have fun, avoid the queues and tick off your abbreviated child-friendly to-do list in three or four days.
Francis wanted to see every bridge spanning the rivers around Manhattan Island, stand inside the Statue of Liberty’s crown and peer down from the top of the Empire State Building. Alessandra had her sights set on the Top of the Rock at night and the Build-a-Bear store on Fifth Avenue. I wanted to wander through Soho and TriBeCa, have cocktails at the Four Seasons, people-watch in Times Square and Michael wanted to watch a NY Yankees game, see the girls from Sex and the City and stay out until 4am when the bars closed. That was not going to happen so we settled for cycling and picnicking in Central Park, shopping on the run, Mamma Mia! on Broadway and visiting the array of attractions in our City Pass booklet.
Our highlights were many. Standing atop the Empire State Building in the morning watching the city come alive is unforgettable. Taking the Circle Line cruise around Manhattan with its informative guides provides magical photo opportunities of the Statue of Liberty, the city skylines and close-ups of the bridges. The American Museum of Natural History is vast and stuffed full of enthralling exhibits and impressive displays.
Its magnificent planetarium with the Whoopi Goldberg-narrated Journey to the Stars space show is a hit. Before you go, check out the special children’s programmes from museum sleepovers to Nasa Mission workshops.
The Guggenheim’s spirals are simply fascinating and the museum has special audio guides for children although I think the Impressionists had little effect on our two. The Museum of Modern Art (aka MoMA) on the other hand is always worth a visit with its witty revelations that somehow fall under the heading of Art alongside Picasso and Andy Warhol. The stacks of hay bales, broken helicopters and computer innards wowed the kids.
Horse and carriage rides through Central Park with grumpy drivers are an expensive tourist trap but a visit to the nearby FAO Schwarz toy store is a must and rivals Hamleys in London.
Ending the day with a hot pastrami sandwich and cold beer from the famous Katz’s Deli and a late-night visit to Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Plaza) is magical. The 360-degree evening views are stunning from its three-floor observation deck and a fitting end to a spectacular trip.
Truthfully, we tried to do too much with the kids and I worried that we had snuffed out their love of travel and sense of adventure.
However, when Francis and Alessandra stood on the fifth floor of the MoMA and cheekily declared: “We know what modern art is. We can just stand here and scream and someone will buy us”, I knew the trip was significant. We had dragged them to the epicentre of the world and their sense of humour remained intact.
If You Go...
l Plan your itinerary ahead to maximise your time, as New York is expensive.
For information about the Waldorf Astoria, check out the website: www.waldorfnewyork.com. - Saturday Star