Single mum with 2 teenage sons in New York

Hi Everyone! I%26#39;m hoping some single parent travellers might be able to help with our trip at the end of the year. (yes! I do lots of research before we go!) My sons will be 17 %26amp; 13 and we like to know all about a place before we go there so as to make sure we don%26#39;t miss anything. We%26#39;re going to a few places in the US and Canada before New York and then on to Europe. This is our %26#39;trip of a lifetime%26#39; so I want to make sure it%26#39;s great. If anyone can help out with tips on places to see, places to stay (is it better to stay in NJ rather than pay big bucks in NYC?) and places to eat (steakhouses!)etc it would be so much appreciated. Money will be pretty tight as we%26#39;re trying to see as much as we can in the 6-7 weeks we%26#39;re away. The kids are REALLY into ice hockey as well, so any tips on where we can see a game or anything to do with it would also be gratefully accepted. Thanks in advance! Sally.

Single mum with 2 teenage sons in New York

I would not stay ouside of the city since you will have to pay the fares to get back into the city to do the things you want, I think you should find a budget hotel in the city to make it easier on you. If you are going to times square, you shoudl go to the famous Carmines, which is in the theatre district (family style italian) but make a reservation before hand. You can go ice skating at rockefeller plaza, bryant park or central park. ou can catch an ice hockey game the Islanders at Nassau coliseum which is on long island just 25-30 minutes from the city you can get there by car or by train, also research beforehand.

Single mum with 2 teenage sons in New York

Hi Sally,

All I can say is ';I%26#39;m Jealous!'; 6-7 weeks travelling is going to be fab!! Your sons are very lucky!!

I%26#39;m sure you have this on your list but you simply have to go to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Empire State Building, Central Park and Time Square is unbelievable.

The Marriott Marquis in Times Square has a revolving restaurant which has great views of Times Square and over NYC. We also enjoyed a dinner cruise down the Hudson river, although I%26#39;m not that sure that two teenage boys would enjoy that sort of thing.

Although, I%26#39;m not sure about ice hockey maybe you could check out the New York Yankees site to see if there are any home games arranged for the time that you go. I%26#39;m english so I can%26#39;t say I really know a great deal about Baseball but it%26#39;s certainly something we%26#39;re going to do when we return to NYC this September. I think the experience and atmosphere would be fantastic and probably something your boys would enjoy. Their site shows seats for as little as 19$ each. Or perhaps the basketball at Madison Square Garden. Again, the boys might just enjoy it and even yourself!! lol

If you%26#39;re interested in seeing a Broadway show try the TCKTS booth in the middle of Times Square. You will be able to find cheaper tickets for shows, which may be better for your budget. (Don%26#39;t depend on it though, as not all shows are listed- due to the fact that they sell left over seats for shows later that same day)

We%26#39;ve just booked a suite in The Vinnci Avalon hotel on 32nd Street/5th Ave. We had a limited budget ourselves but the price was $239 prpn for a couple + $25 per extra person . The reviews on here have been good and so we decided to go for it. It%26#39;s 2 blocks from ESB and a 10 min walk to Times Sq. Try their site for photos and rates.

https:/鈥ndex.shtml

The above may not be a great deal of help but there maybe a few things to consider.

I%26#39;m visiting Oz next October for 6 weeks, Perth is our first stop for a week...I can%26#39;t wait!!!

Nikki

We%26#39;d love to help but you%26#39;ve really put too many questions all in the same post. You%26#39;ll have better luck (imo) if you separate out subjects like

where to stay

where to eat

what to see

For where to stay, you must give us an idea of how long you%26#39;ll be in NYC (some apts. would be great but may only rent for a week or more). There are endless discussions on the pros and cons of paying more and staying in Manhattan vs. commuting from elsewhere. In the end, no one can make the decision but you, but given the ';once in a lifetime'; nature of the trip, staying IN Manhattan would be better. If by end of the year you mean late Dec., prices on NYC hotels are not so bad after Dec. 18th but are very pricey on New Year%26#39;s eve. An apartment or an apt./hotel would probably be best option for you. Will the boys be willing to share a bed? That will make a difference on what kind of accomodation.

At the top of this section is a ';sticky'; with trip reports. They%26#39;re grouped together and there%26#39;s a section on those with teens that you should read.

Take a look at these trip reports written by families with teenagers. (More specific ones starting on page 2)

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k473200-鈥?/a> Collection_of_trip_reports_from_families_with_TEENAGERS-

Most are short trips by first timers. Go ahead and steal an itinerary! Congrats and have fun!

Thanks a lot everyone-some really great advice, as always from Trip Advisor travellers! Yes, I know I%26#39;ve left it open and asked so many questions-we haven%26#39;t quite refined all details yet, and the amount of time we spend in NYC depends a little bit on the cost of accommodation etc. We have a lot of time away with a lot of stops to consider as well, but we would like to have at least 4-5 days-perhaps Christmas or New Year as well.

Nikki-do you have all the info you need about Perth or could I return the favour and help out? Please let me know :-)