I spent 60 hours in New York City, and nailed it

A New York minute is notoriously brief, but how much can you do in 60 hours with the kids?

New York is hard to approach fresh, without expectations. The city is too big, too iconic – it’s the backdrop to too many movies and shows, songs and books. 

As you crane your neck to look up at skyscrapers, catch the subway, drink in fancy bars or stroll the windy paths of Central Park, it’s hard to see it as it is. Instead, your experiences are built on years of absorbed stereotypes.

Not so with kids, or my three at least. At 15, 12 and eight, they’re old enough to have some cultural touchstones – Friends, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square – but young enough that these are flexible ideas, easily rearranged to let in real New York magic. That’s part of the joy of family travel: parents get to see the world anew through the eyes of their children, and watch their minds and worlds expand.

We arrived on December 27 – peak holiday season – with only two days to fulfil a long list of dreams: wandering through Central Park and twirling on the ice under the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree (my dream); absorbing the spectacle of an American football game (my husband’s); seeing the sheer scale of the city from above and the water (the kids’). And way more: cocktail bars and jazz clubs, Christmas magic and food cravings aplenty.

The Staten Island Ferry gives views of Manhattan Island and the city’s sprawl. Picture: Getty Images.

The scale

In this city of excess, there’s not much that’s free. An exception is the Staten Island Ferry, a 25-minute cruise past the Statue of Liberty giving views over Manhattan Island and the city’s sprawl. The sun was out, the seagulls wheeling as we stood on deck. Next to the skyscrapers, ”the old lady” seemed small. The kids were underwhelmed until we pointed out that the “ants” crawling on her crown were actually people.

Crossing the harbour opened conversations about history: the country’s colonial foundations, independence, and the huge waves of immigration that arrived here, at Ellis Island, transforming both the city and country. It’s easy to see NYC as a place of buildings and hustle producing money and culture, but the ferry trip gave wider context, as well as the excuse for ice cream.

The ferry provided us perspective, while Top of The Rock revealed the city’s ambition. In the heart of midtown’s impressive towers, the observatory covers the 67th, 69th and 70th storeys of the iconic Rockefeller Center. It gives incredible views over Manhattan, including the Chrysler Building and the Empire State’s Giant Peach-piercing needle. It’s tall enough to wow, while feeling like a particularly impressive roof garden, rather than a touristy viewing platform, with enough space to move and allow even anklebiters to see. Add in gorgeous afternoon light, the sheer size of the building (six blocks!), star factor (home of NBC Studios and shows including SNL, 30 Rock and The Tonight Show), the famous Christmas tree and ice-skating, and this one was a family hit.

The Top of The Rock reveals the city’s ambition. Picture: Alamy.

The culture

To get the feel of a city, you’ve really got to walk. (Even in winter, trailing kids.) We decided to get to the Rockefeller Center on foot, making the trip enticing with a picnic of meatball subs and cream-cheese bagels in Central Park. Billed as the lungs of the city, the park is also its counterpoint, its peace and beauty accentuating the busyness and scale of the surrounding buildings. It is huge (nearly 10km in perimeter), its winding paths designed for wanderings and hiding treasures – a zoo, ice rink, theatre and castle, a plethora of playgrounds, running tracks and lakes. We picnicked on a rock in the sun, listened to buskers and skipped through native meadows before popping out onto Fifth Avenue.

We were simultaneously overwhelmed and amazed by the holiday lights, window displays, consumerism and crowds. We passed everything from Trump Tower to The Lego Store to Cartier, and could later trace our route from Top of The Rock, adding context to the view.

Afterwards, we shuffled/glided around the crowded open-air ice rink with its spectacular view of the tower, its fountain and massive Christmas tree (a tradition since 1931). The experience captured the cheer of a cold Christmas, from the awesomely cheesy music to rosy cheeks and festive crowds, all lit by the glow of tiny lights. The only thing missing was falling snow. The kids still had energy (just!) for an evening walk back through the neon excess of Times Square, busily preparing for the New Year’s Eve ball drop.

According to my husband, sport matches reveal a city’s soul. He carefully considered his criteria – a passionate crowd, iconic ground, sheer cultural spectacle – before choosing the Pinstripe Bowl and a college American football game at Yankee Stadium to attend. Everything was massive: the squads (about 70 players), uniformed marching bands (50-plus), elaborate halftime cheers – even the beer came in one-litre cans. Not understanding the game didn’t stop us from enjoying the show – the crowd, blaring music, kiss-cam…

Not understanding the game didn’t stop us from enjoying the show. Picture: Getty Images.

The excess

Dominique Ansel Bakery is famous for many things, including its croissant hybrids (cruffins, cronuts with never-repeated fillings – fig and mascarpone, anyone?) and elaborate hot chocolates. On the first morning, we attempted to try them all. We failed, but very happily, and pastry overdose was ticked off the list.

We continued as we started: pizza slices as big as our heads, hot dogs with the lot, meatballs and sushi, and way more. A dinner at the original Black Tap, a craft beer and burger joint in SoHo, earned a spot in family folklore. The award-winning “Greg Norman” (a burger pairing the Shark’s Australian wagyu with blue cheese) slipped into my husband’s top 10, while my kids are still awe-struck by the elaborate Crazyshake. This milkshake/sundae/Insta-friendly beast began with a cookie-studded glass and was topped by a family-sized ice-cream sandwich.

Once the kids were in bed, we wandered to speakeasy cocktail bars for drinks of foam and smoke, ate classic Italian and listened to jazz in basement bars before falling into bed ourselves. Was this too much to cram into 60 hours? Probably. Did we make family memories? Hell, yeah.

The writer’s travels were assisted by New York City Tourism + Conventions.

Originally published as I spent 60 hours in New York City, and nailed it