The Natural History Museum

Thanks to a 21st century upgrade, this 130-year-old museum now houses a state-of the-art Darwin Centre. In addition to millions of zoological organisms and botanical specimens, the Natural History Museum excites with its crowd-pleasing display of dinosaur skeletons and, of course, the rare and beloved 8.62 meter-long giant squid, Archie. 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

“The Met” is not only the country’s largest museum, but also the most encyclopedic, as its collection covers everything from Ancient Greek sculpture to contemporary installation work. Michelle Smith recommends tackling the massive museum( which has over two million square feet) in smaller sections. “During fall and winter months, I’m here with my kids every weekend,” she says. “Even if it’s just for an hour!”

Photo courtesy of: Sean Pavone Photo/Shutterstock.com 

Crosby Street Hotel

On one of the last peaceful and cobbled streets of Soho sits a New York hotel with a British twist. “I love the mix of English traditional with contemporary edge,” says Kelly Florio Kasouf. Despite the relative quietude of this particular stretch of Crosby Street, the hotel is in the heart of one of the best shopping districts in town. Stop in for a drink or a bite after visiting your favorite stores. There’s also a state-of-the-art screening room, complete with 3D technology, that hosts great events with old movies. 

Central Park Zoo

It’s easy to miss the zoo among the 843 acres of park that surround it, but to do so would be to pass up sightings of sea lions, snow leopards, exotic birds, and a wealth of other species not typically associated with the five boroughs. Check the zoo’s website for a list of exhibitions, current attractions and activities, and don’t miss a walk through the Tisch Children’s Zoo—a compact nature trail with a playground, a feeding station and a duck blind for the secret observation of pond animals.     

JCREW COLLECTION STORE

The ubiquitous purveyor of bright preppy basics created a special space for its 79th Street location. A inconspicuous entrance invites customers into a curated collection, in which features standard JCrew items stud pricier specialized items, many involving sequins. An attentive staff offers services that go above and beyond the shopping mall JCrew experience: a complimentary cappuccino at up-the-street Sant Ambroeus comes with purchases. 

Sant Ambreus

St Ambreous is an Upper East Side neighborhood staple serving panini, pastas, gelato, and freshly made Italian pastries to locals and an overflow of international tourists and art-world big wigs from museum mile. The menu, studded with classic fancy dishes, exudes an old New York, pre-foodie charm that speaks to the essence of this niehgborhood. Excellent authentic espresso and Italian desserts are the standouts in this casual fine dining establishment, and kids are well accomodated in the bustling crowd. 

TOLOACHE

Regulars rave about this upscale Mexican restaurant on the Upper East Side. And they add a disclaimer about the house salsa: itʼs addiction-inducing! The menu features not just one extra fresh guacamole, but a whole selection of takes on everyone's favorite appetizer. For adventurous eaters, Toloache includes some very exotic dishes like grasshopper tacos (!). More traditional Mexican fare is perfectly executed, too. Toloache might be a great place to start softening picky eaters. The atmosphere is warm and bubbly. Grownups should also be sure to try its specialty cocktails, which are famous at Toloache.