East Coast Sue Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I have a 9,7,5 yr old and a 5 month old baby. Any advice on a one day walking field trip around Wall Street and the World Trade Center vicinity? My husband will be working in the area for several hours and we might make the trip with him, but I would need to have a plan for me and the kids while he is in meetings. I am interested in hearing from anyone who is familiar with the area. Would we be able to see anything on Wall Street, museums? Are there any inexpensive tours? Thanks for any advice. Sue, now in Delaware dd 9 dd 7 ds 5 dd 5 months! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Until a year ago, I lived just 2 blocks from wall street, but I am typing on a bb without a computer til friday, and there's too much to list-lots to do, btw!! Pm me and I will get back to u on friday if that's not too late for you :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 You could visit the Federal Reserve. I believe they're still doing tours of the gold vault. You might need a reservation. Trinity Church is also there. You could walk down to Battery Park and take the ferry past the Statue of Liberty; that's free. All that and lunch should fill your day. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 You could visit the Federal Reserve. I believe they're still doing tours of the gold vault. You might need a reservation. Trinity Church is also there. You could walk down to Battery Park and take the ferry past the Statue of Liberty; that's free. All that and lunch should fill your day. :001_smile: Kids have to be 16 or juniors in high school to tour the Federal Reserve Bank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 (edited) . Edited October 19, 2010 by Mejane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 (edited) We spend a lot of time in the city, and honestly, the Wall Street/WTC area is one of my least favorite places to be with kids. I'm sure others will disagree, but I don't think there's that much to do there. Battery Park gets boring pretty quickly, and the WTC site is depressing for me. (Maybe others would find it interesting, but we knew people who died there, and it's not a fun place for us to be.) Do you have the option of going somewhere else in the city instead? The biggest problem with the WTC area is if you want to go elsewhere, nothing super-interesting is right around the corner, so if you only have a few hours, it's almost not worth it. And I say this as someone who has BTDT many times, as my dh has clients in that area, and my ds and I tag along sometimes. Dh has another meeting there next week, but unless we can carve out the whole day and evening to do other things elsewhere in the city, ds and I will stay home. The Wall Street area just isn't "fun enough." Also, if you'll be on your own with 4 young kids, it could be difficult to keep track of everyone on such busy streets. Cat Edited October 13, 2010 by Catwoman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 The only thing I could think of was some cool playgrounds in Battery Park City or maybe Chinatown. Maybe also check out the South Street Seaport. Having lived through 9/11 (I have family that lives/works in NYC) I find the whole idea of tourists at a site where thousands of people died creepy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Having lived through 9/11 (I have family that lives/works in NYC) I find the whole idea of tourists at a site where thousands of people died creepy. I agree completely. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
East Coast Sue Posted October 14, 2010 Author Share Posted October 14, 2010 We actually lived just outside of NYC on 9/11/01 and several of our neighbors were firefighters who perished that day. I am reluctant to visit ground zero- it is just as you said- not a tourist destination b/c of so many that died there... I would like to show the kids Wall Street but I don't know how much is accessible to tourists with kids...Could we just take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty? Is that doable? Not climbing the stairs inside the statue- just walking around and taking pictures. I am so not a city person...but my kids want to see some of the sites. My kids haven't been to a big city before so just the sights, smells,etc... could be a new experience for them! I am unsure of how kid-friendly this adventure might be- bathrooms? playgrounds? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 (edited) Not quite in the area, but not that far either. FAO Schwartz is a great place for kids! Might be hard on the budget though. I'm not entirely sure if it's walkable, because we used the tourist bus to go around that area. This is the address: 767 5th Avenue @ 58th St Oh, and if you're a computer geek, the Apple Store is just next door :) ETA: I just checked on Google maps, and it's not really walking distance with young kids, although it would depend on where exactly your hotel is. Edited October 14, 2010 by CleoQc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 (edited) Info on Liberty Island ferry: http://statuecruises.com/ferry-service/welcome.aspx Edited October 14, 2010 by Mejane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyD Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 (edited) I live in the Battery Park City area, two blocks from the WTC. I agree that it's not the best part of the city for educational field trips. However, if the weather is decent, there are some great playgrounds that are good for older ones as well as littles -- my favorite is Nelson Rockefeller park along the Hudson. The area right along the Hudson is actually a great place to hang out with kids, not least of all because there is very little traffic and a car-free esplanade along the river. The World Financial Center is a good place to grab a snack or lunch, the Irish Hunger Memorial (which is right next to the playground) is interesting, and my kids love to watch the yachts and other boats in the North Cove Marina. There are clean bathrooms in the WFC and across from the playground. There are also two new playgrounds in the downtown area that are geared for older as well as younger children-- West Thames, which is at West Thames St. and the West Side Highway (no bathrooms) and Imagination Playground at the South Street Seaport (yes bathrooms). Imagination playground is an 'adventure' playground, with movable blocks, pulleys, etc. rather than conventional equipment. The Skyscraper Museum is down more towards the Battery and has some interesting stuff. There's also the Museum of the American Indian at Bowling Green, which is free and supposedly has some good exhibits, but I haven't been there. The Staten Island ferry terminal is not too far and is a fun (and free ride). I see others have recommended Liberty Island, but honestly, I've never been down to Battery Park when the line for those boats isn't stretching halfway across the park. I'll watch this post, but feel free to PM me if I can help further. Edited October 14, 2010 by JennyD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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