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Take to the rails Riding the subway may not be very relaxing when you’re packed in with the puffy-coated throng during rush hour, but hop aboard an N train on a Saturday afternoon, and your kids will be treated to an awe-inspiring skyline view as the train hits the elevated tracks in Queens. They will happily stare out the window while you zone out in your seat. If you have a little extra time, get off at the Broadway stop in Astoria and investigate the cool vintage costumes and animation stations in the never-crowded Museum of the Moving Image (35th Ave at 36th St, Astoria, Queens; 718-784-0077, movingimage.us); grab some Greek pastries at one of the local bakeries on your way back to the train. Other transfixing views can be seen from the L to Canarsie, the 7 to Shea Stadium, and the B or Q to Coney Island. If you have an entire afternoon to kill, ride the A train all the way out to Far Rockaway—you’ll pass by Jamaica Bay, where your little bird-watchers can try to spot geese, warblers and woodcocks from their seats.
Tumbling toddlers If your kids are at that stage when they’re too old for epic naps but too young to sit through a movie or read a book, your best bet is to let them run around like banshees at a safe, padded play space until they pass out. The Toddler Adventure Center at Chelsea Piers is a bargain at $11 per session (Pier 62, 23rd St at the Hudson River; 212-336-6500, chelseapiers.com; call ahead for daily hours). Check the schedule at Baby Moves in the West Village for supervised open-play hours; it’s $12 a session, or free if you’re signed up for a class (212-255-1685, babymovesnyc.com). Apple Seeds (10 W 25th St between Broadway and Sixth Ave; 212-792-7590, appleseedsny.com) and Kidville (kidville.com; four locations in the city) have luxe play spaces with state-of-the-art climbing structures and toys, but you have to buy a family membership, ranging from $395 to $995 per year, to get in the door. The ultimate in relaxation can be had at Citibabes (477 Broadway between Grand and Broome Sts, third floor; 212-334-5440, citibabes.com)—pay for a massage or facial at the on-site spa, and a babysitter will supervise your toddler in the play space for free (all you have to do is pony up for the $2,000 annual membership fee).
Sleep under the stars It might be the soothing, disembodied voice of Robert Redford, or maybe it’s the dark room and stirred memories of field trips from your youth—but the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History (Central Park West at 79th St; 212-769-5100, amnh.org) has a long and illustrious history of putting NYC parents to sleep. Your outer-space-obsessed child can enjoy the “Cosmic Collisions” show (ages 5 and up; the experience may freak out preschoolers), while you enjoy some downtime under the nighttime sky (adults $26, children $17; includes museum admission).
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shara
Sun, Apr 13, at 05:00pm
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dena-kaye waldron
Sat, Feb 23, at 04:15pm
count the piggies quiz i counted 13
