alone w/ 8yr old? where to go?

I am planning a trip in mid April with my 8 yr old son. We will stay at the Novotel (good location?) for $220/five nights. Please offer any tips, itineraries, suggestions for places and restaurants. I will rely on your advice!

We plan to do all the main NYC stops (Liberty, ESB, Top of Rock and save the museums for rainy days) but what else??

what all should we do in Central Park? How safe is it to travel the park -- it seems so huge, overwhelming?

Shows we hope to see are Spamalot and Wicked. What else can you do after dark with a kid besides wander around Times Square?

Help!

alone w/ 8yr old? where to go?

Before you go watch Spiderman, and a Night at the Museum. That should whet his appetite.

Don%26#39;t miss the Natural History Museum, even if it isn%26#39;t a rainy day.

alone w/ 8yr old? where to go?

Check out the NY family travel section here tripadvisor.com/Travel-g60763-s401/New-York-鈥?/a>

Also, as your date approaches, check http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/kids.htm for a complete listing of kid friendly theatrical events. These may change frequently so be sure to keep checking.

Also check http://www.gocitykids.com/choose/ for other kid friendly things to do.

Central park in April can be a lot of fun since it will give your son a lot of running around space. It%26#39;s really not as overwhelming as it may appear and is in any case quite safe. Here is the page on their web site which is specifically for kids http://www.centralparknyc.org/kids. With my kids (now 11 and 9) I always found that playground time is very important. Central Park has several great playgounds which are listed on this web site

I forgot to also give you the web site for the Central Park Zoo http://nyzoosandaquarium.com/5719085. It%26#39;s small but nice.

As to wondering around aftter dark. If you%26#39;re son still has energy he may just enjoy the lights around Times Square. Also, the Natural History Museum is, I belive, open late -- see http://www.amnh.org/

Although my 8 year old is a girl, some of the things she really enjoyed that may appeal to your son are:

Riding the Staten Island Ferry by the Statue of Liberty (free!) We gave her a disposible camera of her own to take photos with which she thought was really cool.

Shopping at Toys R Us, FAO Schwartz and Nintento World

Going to the Good Morning America taping and being on national TV

A carriage ride through Central Park

Broadway show

Gawking at Times Square

Ice Skating in Bryant Park (also free, but may be closed in April)

As for dining, she really liked Johns Pizza in Times Square and Ollies Noodles for Chinese. Eight year olds are easy to please!

Also, since we don%26#39;t have subways out here, it was an experience for her just to travel that way. Definitely invest in a subway pass. Good luck!

I`m wondering if WICKED and SPAMALOT will hold and 8 year old`s attention. I think much of both productions will go over his head, although both are colorful. You might consider the Broadway Disney productions....BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, THE LION KING, TARZAN and the delightful new MARY POPPINS. All these productions are targeted for children and adults as well, with special emphasis for the kids.

I wrote earlier. I am taking my 8 year old daughter in March. Five years ago i took a 9 year old. what kids remember is really weird. It is not what adults think of.

we live in a small rural area on a lake with lots of fishing and wildlife. I chose this life, but the kids didn%26#39;t. It is very important for them to see that other people live very differently. They are not used to any big city. Even an escalator can impress a rural kid. It is important for them to know that there is a whole big world out there. Sadly, most of the kids will not be able to stay in the area when they grow up because there will not be many available jobs.

The 9 year old was absolutely blown away by delicatessens and the sight of all that food. Subways and taxis were also on the list of cool things.

Seeing people that do not look, dress or talk by them is also high on the list of curiosities.

You probably won%26#39;t have to do much of anything to have a fabulous trip. I often forget the short attention span of kids. That is the only complaint I have. Otherwise, for me I rediscover the City all over again through the eyes of the kids.

Novotel is in an outstanding location, close to Broadway theatres, Central Park, Rockefeller Center and Fifth Avenue shopping. There is a delightful, casusal restaurant, Cafe Nicole, in the hotel lobby. It`s a bright, attractive space with floor to ceiling windows overlooking Broadway and Times Square. They have a great breakfast buffet. Try to get a window table at the far South end of the room with a great view. Definitely don`t miss the huge Toys';R';us store in Times Square. Check it out at ToysrusTimesSquare.com. Don`t miss the compact, beautiful and very kid friendly Central Park Zoo. The entrance is at 5th Ave. at 64th St. Serendipity 3 (E.60th St between 2nd and 3rd) is a great place for kids....whimsical decor, great kid`s menu, and amazing desserts. Check serendipity3. Also Virgil`s Real Barbeque at 152 W. 44th is a fun, very casual place that warmly welcomes kids and has an excellent menu for them

Thank you for the help--all great ideas and suggestions!

I agree that the overwhelming size of the city and the number of different people, the noise, smells and sights will truly be what catches his attention and likely be what he remembers most...

Also, as for the Broadway shows, even at 8, he is way past Disney..he WANTS to see Spamalot, loves Python and actually %26#39;gets%26#39; it. Strange kid...I%26#39;d rather pass on the Wicked just due to the fear of flying monkeys myself.

I think we will do what all we can, but enjoy the sights and take in the true NYC experience and just let him decide the rest.

Again, my thanks to you all. I will get him to offer a trip report when we return!