Day Trip to NYC for Person with Mobility Issues

[jen3kids]

My mil will be spend a week or so here with us for Christmas. Rather than getting her more stuff that she doesn't need and will have to cart back to her house, I was thinking of a family trip to NYC for the day. I think she would love it - museums, galleries, a show maybe???

 

But, she can only walk for short distances, 1/4 - 1/2 mile (at most) using her walker. A wheelchair is not an option for various reasons, although we could use one in the museums and I think she'd be ok with that. Are the sidewalks in NYC safe for older folks with walkers (ie. smooth, wide, etc)

 

Ideally, we'll take the bus up there and back. But, if we need to drive into the city, where do you recommend we park? Subways are very difficult for her with the walker and, again, she will not use a wheelchair. I could look into renting a scooter, maybe....if it would fit into the van.

 

And, what is the best place/way to get tickets for a show? Is there still the kiosk in Times Square to get last minute tickets? Do you recommend that?

 

What museums do you recommend, for the entire family? Kids, ages 15, 13, and 11. They are not thrilled with museums/art galleries, but they'll suck it up for one day for their nana!

 

 

Thanks,

 

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[jen3kids]

I think it would be a very tough trip for her if she can't walk much. Every time I go my feet hurt for a week after. Everything requires a lot of walking, standing, and waiting in lines. Even the huge museums require a ton of walking. Although like you said, maybe she could use a wheelchair in the museum.

 

My favorite museum is this one:

 

http://www.amnh.org/

 

You could spend the whole day there and not see everything. It's massive and takes a lot of time to look at everything.

 

I would not drive into the city. I'd take a bus. You could use taxis. Yes it's more expensive, but the subway would be tough under the circumstances.

 

Thank you for your advice. I do know she'd love a trip to NYC, and would love to stay for 3-4 days and do something different each day and be able to rest, but that is totally not affordable at this time.

 

Perhaps we'll pick one thing to do, like a show, and then see how she feels after that. We'd like it to be a surprise, but maybe planning it with her would be better so she could tells us what she can handle (or not). We did try DC with her a couple times and she was done in after the train ride down and only partway to the Smithsonian. Now we drive and park down there, but I don't think that is an option in NYC.

[AngelaNYC]

I also suggest taking the bus into the city rather than drive. Parking would most likely have to be in a garage that charges a fortune for the day.

 

I want to second the Museum of Natural History. It's one the whole family can enjoy. It's pay by suggested donation, and there are elevators and a cafe (which may be an easier place to eat lunch with MIL rather than finding an outside restaurant in short walking distance). The museum does require a lot of walking. The website says: "Wheelchairs are available for visitor use on a first-come, first-served basis at the Will Call desk directly inside the Rose Center/81st Street entrance, at the Main/Central Park West entrance, and in the parking garage. Please bring a form of identification for wheelchair use. For additional information on accessibility at the Museum please call 212-769-5250."

 

A Broadway show is a wonderful idea. Tickets average about $60-$100 per person. Off Broadway shows are great, too, and average between $30 and $60 per person. TKTS is always a good idea for same-day tix that are discounted.

 

Be careful visiting too close to Christmas because the touristy things get very crowded (museums, shows, galleries, restaurants, etc).

 

I know it's hard squeezing so much into one day, but if you can get to Rockefeller Plaza for a little while you won't regret it.

 

The sidewalks are fine to walk around on and you can get a cab to take you all from the museum to the show.

 

Have a wonderful time!! December in NYC is amazing.

 

 

My mil will be spend a week or so here with us for Christmas. Rather than getting her more stuff that she doesn't need and will have to cart back to her house, I was thinking of a family trip to NYC for the day. I think she would love it - museums, galleries, a show maybe???

 

But, she can only walk for short distances, 1/4 - 1/2 mile (at most) using her walker. A wheelchair is not an option for various reasons, although we could use one in the museums and I think she'd be ok with that. Are the sidewalks in NYC safe for older folks with walkers (ie. smooth, wide, etc)

 

Ideally, we'll take the bus up there and back. But, if we need to drive into the city, where do you recommend we park? Subways are very difficult for her with the walker and, again, she will not use a wheelchair. I could look into renting a scooter, maybe....if it would fit into the van.

 

And, what is the best place/way to get tickets for a show? Is there still the kiosk in Times Square to get last minute tickets? Do you recommend that?

 

What museums do you recommend, for the entire family? Kids, ages 15, 13, and 11. They are not thrilled with museums/art galleries, but they'll suck it up for one day for their nana!

 

 

Thanks,

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[AngelaNYC]

I couldn't handle driving through NYC. No way. You need to a be a special kind of crazy to do that. LOL

 

I would just plan carefully. But like I said, everything is a lot of walking, standing, etc. If you went, for example, to Radio City Music Hall, that involves standing outside in a huge line waiting to get in. Lunch, even at a little sandwich shop, involves waiting forever. But maybe with a show you could call ahead and see if they can get her seated right away or something like that.

 

We went to that natural history museum with the kids a few months ago. It was a Tuesday during the school year. We still had to wait in line for well over an hour. The kids were tired out before we even got into the museum.

 

I visit these places all the time - I'm in Manhattan at least 3-4x a month.- and there is never a line anywhere. The only time of year when things are crowded like that is Christmastime.

[Starr]

I would take a bus into the city and go to the MET. Use a wheelchair in the museum. Then take a bus to a show,(it's easy to take a bus down fifth avenue) work meals in close to either venue. It would be easier to get tickets for a show before you leave so you can easily plan your day. If you haven't seen much you should be able to get some discounts on line. I've gotten email recently from Disney.com for discounted Mary Poppins and my friends have been surprised what I found on line for other shows. The MET is admission by donation. Take some granola bars in your bag and save on snacks. You will have a great time!

[Catwoman]

Double post!

[Catwoman]

I couldn't handle driving through NYC. No way. You need to a be a special kind of crazy to do that. LOL

 

I guess we're the "special kind of crazy," but it's probably because both my dh and I grew up driving in and out of the city, so it's normal for us. (It's also pretty miserable at this time of year, but we're used to it.)

 

I mainly recommended bringing the car because of the MIL with the walker, though, because if they were walking around the city and she got really tired, it's not always that easy to get a cab, and it's not exactly a day at the beach getting to and from the bus (and on and off of the bus.) If they had a car, someone could go and get it, and pick MIL up wherever she was, thus saving her a lot of walking. They could use taxis when moving from one location to another within the city while MIL was still feeling energetic, but at least the car would be there if she got too tired and they really needed it.

 

My MIL's doctors were all in Manhattan, so we did a lot of the "drop Mom off, go park, go meet Mom, go get the car and pick Mom back up" routine, which sounds like a pain, but was a lot easier than getting on a bus and then dealing with taxis. And again, I don't do buses, so that could just be my own quirks talking here! :rolleyes:

 

But if the OP doesn't like driving in a LOT of traffic, my suggestion is pretty worthless. :)

 

I don't know what her budget is, but if they want to visit a lot of different places in the same day, perhaps she should look into hiring a limousine for the day. We have done that on several occasions, and it is very convenient. It would be perfect for the MIL. It sounds like an expensive proposition, but believe me, it's worth the money at Christmastime when the traffic is a nightmare and the MIL isn't too steady on her feet.

[Library Momma]

Just remember that if there is snow on the ground the sidewalks can be more difficult to traverse. I also seem to always hit long museum lines. Driving in on a weekday IMHO is nuts. Weekends aren't as bad and if you go early enough on a weekend it can actually be fairly quiet.

[armymomma]

I also think driving in can be more manageable. The trains can get crowded, By the time you purchase train tix, the parking is aout the same. I usually start the day off with MIL walking and end up picking her up somewhere. She loves to sit and look at the lights and the crowds. I would rather push someone in a wheelchair in NYC. The walker would make me nervous. You shouldn't have to wait in lines if she has a walker or a wheelchair, I would hope the theatres have a handicapped entrance. I can't vouch for this though. Also, scout out clean bathrooms! I just took my MIL from Idaho there last week. I did purchase a wheelchair/walker from Costco.com that is very lightweight and folds up. Have fun! Sounds better than more stuff. I am taking MIL to see Jersey Boys in Feb. for her Christmas present.

[UrbanSue]

We go to Manhattan all the time as a family and our ds8 uses a wheelchair. A big, huge problem with the NYC subway system is that they aren't all accessible. The main ones have elevators but make sure, if you decide to use the trains, that you look at the maps very, very carefully for that handicapped sign. Also, not all sidewalks have a curb break which I imagine would be a pain for a walker as well. And crowded sidewalks are a bear. They are plenty wide until you add in street vendors, construction scaffolding, oblivious folks who are texting and walking ... in a crowd.

 

New Yorkers, in our experience are quite friendly when someone truly needs help. More so than most other cities. But if you are planning some of the bigger attractions like Rockefeller the sidewalks are going to be impassable depending on when you go. I would do some googling around for best times on stuff like that. Sometimes attractions will bump disable folks to the head of the line but my experience on that stuff is with a cute little kid in a chair so we arouse a lot of sympathy.

 

I'd vote for driving as well. Parking is MUCH easier in the Village area or on the Upper West Side side streets than in either midtown or the Upper East Side. Easiest thing might be to do a lot of dropping off and picking up. I would get tickets and stuff in advance rather than fighting holiday tourist crowds.

 

Honestly, we have a great time when we don't plan too many activities but just kind of wander and snack. We like downtown quite a bit and it is significantly less crowded at Christmas than the rest of the island. South Street Seaport can be festive. Trinity Church is fun. Lots of history down there. Though . . hmm . . . we haven't been there since Sandy so you might want to look into that.

 

A note about the museums . . the admission fee is just suggested. You can pay whatever you want. I'm a fan of supporting the arts so we don't abuse that. But if your entire family wants to spend fifteen minutes looking at one room of the Met, you can pay accordingly. I know when I'm required to pay full price I tend to want to get my money's worth which is usually well past the point of boredom for the kids.