I spent one week in New York city traveling with my middle school age son and my Senior Mom. The trip originally started out as 3 days but there was so much that we wanted to see and do, our trip grew to a full week!
Stay
Since the city is large with many distinct neighborhoods, I chose two different accommodations, and we changed locations on day five. I’ll do a full hotel review in a separate post including our low mobility notes however both hotels from this trip were great for the varying needs of our group.
Conrad Hotel Downtown
We spent the first five days in downtown Manhattan at the Conrad Hotel Downtown, a Hilton property. This location is an all-suite hotel which made the rooms spacious with a living area with a pull out couch and a separate bedroom. It is in a good location for getting around downtown and a fun rooftop bar.
Manhattan Club
Our second stay was at the Manhattan Club in Midtown. The Manhattan Club is a timeshare location that also does nightly rentals like a traditional hotel. We had a one bedroom unit with a separate living room, a kitchenette and two full bathrooms. This was another very spacious hotel option especially for NYC standards. The Manhattan Club is one block from Carnegie Hall and just a short walk to Time Square.
Eat
Check out my post on the three food classic must haves when visiting NYC: Pizza, a street dog and a NY Bagel! Here are a few of our other favorites that worked well for the whole family:
Ellen’s Stardust Diner
ellensstardustdiner.com located at 1650 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
Singing waitstaff! Amazing talent in a fun, upbeat atmosphere combined with excellent diner food. They don’t take reservations so there is typically a line out front but it is worth the wait!
The restaurant has tables and booths on the ground level in addition to an upper floor that overlooks the ground floor so performances are visible all around.
Low Mobility Note: Nana was able to navigate to our booth on the ground floor with no issues and the host stored her walker while we ate.
Blue Willow
bluewillownyc.com located at 40 West 56th Street, New York, NY 10019
Blue Willow is an authentic Hunan and Szechuan restaurant and apothecary bar. The restaurant décor is moody and beautiful. The food was crisp, fresh and so flavorful – our favorites were the Pork Soup Dumplings and the Yellow Vermicelli.
Low Mobility Note: There are no steps at the entrance and there is seating on the ground floor. There is an upstairs as well so request ground level if that is needed. Nana was able to navigate to our table on the ground floor with no issues and the host stored her walker while we ate.
Au Cheval
auchevalnyc.com located at 33 Cortlandt Alley, New York, NY 10013
Known for the best burgers, I was really torn when I saw house-made fried bologna on the menu as well. I stuck with the burger and it did not disappoint. Located down a colorful alleyway, Au Cheval has a great space and vibe. We sat in one of the circular banquets and made a reservation ahead of time on Resy (recommended).
Low Mobility Note: There are no steps at the entrance, room to navigate a walker and all on ground level.
Le Café Coffee
https://lecafecoffee.com Multiple locations, in Union Square at 1454th Avenue, New York, NY 10003
With a number of locations through out NYC, I’d recommend keeping your eye out for Le Café Coffee if you need a quick coffee, quality breakfast or take away snack. We grabbed breakfast at the Union Square location before walking one block up to the park. The coffee was great and the banana toast (peanut butter, banana, sesame seeds, Nutella drizzle on multi toast) was a 10/10.
See & Do
I organized our activities during the week by geography to maximize our efficiency. With Nana’s mobility considerations, we prioritized ride shares and did not utilize the subway or other public transportation for getting around so grouping our activities together saved us time and money. Keep an eye out for a post coming soon with more details on these activities but here is a rundown of our week:
- Downtown:
- Brooklyn Bridge
- 911 Memorial & Museum
- Wall Street
- Oculus
- Loopy Doopy Roof Top Bar at The Conrad Downtown
- Irish Hunger Memorial
- 14th Street / Union Square Area: Halfway between Downtown & Midtown
- Union Square Park
- Climate Clock (formerly Metronome)
- Pizza Tour of Brooklyn (pickup location)
- Midtown
- National History Museum
- Central Park Pedicab Ride
- Times Square Stores – M&M’s, Hershey’s Chocolate World & Nintendo
- The Ride
- Rockefeller Center
- Moma
- RiseNY
- Broadway Show
- Midnight Moment, Time Square Arts
When visiting certain tourist sites in New York City, there are restrictions on bringing large bags or backpacks for security reasons so check out this post to know before you go. Don’t get turned away or have the expense of bag check… I share the best small travel purse and what to carry here.
Read my other NYC travel posts for more tips:
- Visiting the 911 Memorial and Museum
- NYC See & Do: The Brooklyn Bridge
- NYC Food: The Classic Three
- Ultimate NYC Trip Preparation: Amp Up Your Excitement
Adventure on!
