I was wandering through Soho last month and passed a store I hadn’t see there before. With a big ice cream bar in the window, of course I went inside. This is the new Magnum seasonal store at 134 Prince Street. It opened in April.
It’s glitzy and fun and would please any child and adult. Here’s how it works. At the counter you choose your ice cream type (hormone-free chocolate or vanilla), chocolate dipping type (Belgian dark, milk or white chocolate) and three toppings (they have 20 to choose from).
Magnum’s pop-up store is in Soho through mid-August. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
I saw the King Tut exhibit in the 1970s, traveling from Arizona to San Francisco just for the occasion. That exhibit brought 50 of King Tut’s tomb items around the country, causing mob scenes (well, a lot of people anyway) in the form of record attendance. I saw a fair amount of Tut goods in Cairo’s Egyptian Museum when traveling there in 1995. And then when another Tut exhibit came through in 2010 (with 50 moretomb items), and I saw it again in San Francisco AND New York (the advantage to living in both places during their run). Read more about that King Tut exhibit here.
Premier Exhibitions in NYC. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
So when I heard that King Tut was back in the Big Apple, with a new kind of exhibition, of course I jumped on the opportunity. I went for a press preview of the Discovery of King Tut, and then took the family back this past weekend. The big difference between the exhibits is that this exhibition focuses on the discovery of Tut’s tomb, and displays only replicas (more than 1,000 of them, versus the 50 genuine artifacts brought over previously). While it sounds a little disappointing that they’re reproductions, rest assured, you will not feel cheated. Here’s my review – King Tut exhibition with kids. Continue reading “Review King Tut Exhibition in NYC with Kids”
I got an early look at the Lord & Taylor windows last week, and wanted to share them with you! It’s easy to spot the store, with the greenery and lights.
Lord & Taylor’s holiday greenery. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan.
The Good Morning America Times Square lights during our segment. Photo screenshot from GMA airing.
We thought we had our 15 minutes of fame when we were on Good Morning America in 2011. But I am now on their email list, when they’re looking for families to feature for other segments. So when I got an email from a producer last week saying they needed 10 kids to appear on Good Morning America with Jeff Kinney about his 10th book Old School, it took me about one minute to respond. My son was at the tail end of their cut-off age, so I signed him up. He’d only miss 2.5 hours of school (granted, that meant we had to wake up at 5:15 to get into the city – and no they didn’t send a car for us, but that would have been nice), but it was a live studio segment. I put out a call for others on Facebook, and one friend made it in before they filled the quota two hours later. Turns out people came in from further afield – like Massachusetts and Maine. I’m glad I didn’t have to travel that far for the four minute segment! Continue reading “What it’s like to go on Good Morning America with Jeff Kinney”
If you find yourself on the Lower East Side and in need of something sweet and filling, head over to Doughnut Plant. I keep wanting to call it Doughnut Planet because that makes more sense to me. But alas, it’s Doughnut PLANT.
We don’t have any pets at our house (unless you count fish), but I do like dogs and cats. I first heard about cat cafes while watching the Amazing Race. And then I found out there was one in New York City – it’s called Meow Parlour. My kids freaked out and couldn’t wait to go.
The Meow Parlour in New York City. Photo copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan.
If you live or work in Manhattan, you might be more familiar with Chelsea Piers. With lots of sports classes for kids and adults, plus a workout facility, this is a regular spot for many. If you live outside of Manhattan though, there’s still plenty you can take advantage of during trips into the city.
Here are a few things to do with kids at Chelsea Piers:
Try out the high tech four story driving range at Chelsea Piers. Photo copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan.
Bowling
Bowlmor at Chelsea Piers is not your neighborhood bowling alley. With fun lights and upscale décor, they also have high end pub food including burgers and pizza, tacos, brownie sundaes, plus some awesome signature cocktails (not so awesome when bowling with your kids in the middle of the day, however). Continue reading “What to do at Chelsea Piers with Kids”
When I heard about the new ice cream place called 10 Below in Chinatown, where they made the ice cream in front of you in two minutes, I knew we had to go. Soon! I saw these pictures of ice cream rolls with cute toppings and it was a done deal. So I told my kids that we were going into the city to get ice cream, and they thought I was nuts. Sure, we eat ice cream. A fair amount of ice cream. But planning a trip to New York City just to eat ice cream? Well, we added in a few other things on the itinerary too, but planned to get there on the early side (and on a weekday before school started) to avoid the lines.
Don’t come to 10 Below if you’re in a hurry. You’ll have to wait no matter what time you come.
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People from around the world visit New York for so many different reasons—and all reasons are valid because NYC is indeed a place worth visiting at least once in a lifetime.
If you are travelling to the Big Apple for the first time, you’re in for what may be one of the best travel experiences you’ll ever have, so make sure that you make the most out of your stay.
There will be a few challenges though, because New York City is huge. Manhattan itself is large, and throwing the other four boroughs into your itinerary would require at least a few years to get in their nooks. Continue reading “Helpful Tips for First-Time New York Travelers”
