New York City
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the oldest part of New York City. Here's where you get the ferries to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, also fun to bike along the Esplanade. Enjoy numerous parks with stellar playgrounds, water play areas, mini-golf, and ride the SeaGlass carousel.
The Battery Park
- One of our favorite areas in Manhattan, it's much more than spot where you take ferries to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. A long promenade goes up the Hudson River, perfect for walking or biking, plenty of playgrounds and grass to run around for little ones. Lovely shade, benches, flowers in summer, and it's cooler along the river.
Kids will have fun riding the unique
SeaGlass carousel
, like being a fish under the water!
Rent bikes
- Rent bikes at Bike and Roll and bike up the Esplanade (on the west side) all the way to Hudson River Park. With older kids or teens, bike up the east side to South Street Seaport and over the Brooklyn Bridge.
Battery Playscape – Playground with climbing structures, granite slides, elevated tree houses, playhouses, water play area, climbing wall and ShowBox amphitheater for plays, music, dance. We saw a charming puppet show about conserving animals of the Galapagos by Teatro Sea. Teardrop Park (Battery Park City) – Two acre green space with groves of trees, bluestone rocks, sloping lawn to roll down, water play in summer, long slide down the hill, a place to explore!
Rockefeller Park - Esplanade (Battery Park City) – This park has a playground with oodles of climbing structures, sand play area, picnic tables, restrooms.
And you can just sit on the soft green lawn (North and South Meadows) and watch the ferries, tugs and barges out on the Hudson River.
Hudson River Park
(North Moore St. and Pier 25) -
Mini-golf
with eighteen holes, snack bar, and large
water-play area
and playground.
Ferry to Staten Island
- The ferry to Staten Island is a super boat ride around New York harbor, and it's
free
! Pick up the ferry at the Whitehall Terminal, and ride to Staten Island, you don't need to get off, just ride back. The ferry runs every half hour, a one hour ride round trip. Avoid taking the ferry at rush hour, as commuters do use the ferry to get to and from Staten Island.
Tall Ship
Clipper City
- 1 ½ hours on a sailing ship around the harbor (hardy sailors can help with sails), late April to October. Ship departs from Slip 2.
Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (One Bowling Green, Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House)
- This museum is a treasure trove of art of the Americas - masks from the Northwest, amazing clothing from all over the United States, Navajo weavings, jade from Mexico and gold from Peru. The exhibitions change each year, but there's always something fascinating to see. The museum is free and open daily. (If the weather is bad, this is a good place to stop after you've visited the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island.)
