Child-friendly New York with Apple Core Hotels

From a space shuttle to skating, and shopping to snail races –  child-friendly New York with Apple Core Hotels 

New York is a giant playground for families with its cultural, culinary and shopping experiences for families.  Children under 12 stay for free with their parents at Apple Core Hotels’ three properties in central Manhattan – Broadway @ Times Square Hotel, The Hotel @ Times Square and nyma, the new york manhattan hotel.  All three hotels are extremely family-orientated, with a number of spacious bedrooms comfortably sleeping a family of four.

All of the hotels are walking distance from some of New York’s key attractions such as the Empire State Building, Fifth Avenue, Grand Central Station, Times Square, the Museum of Modern Art, Broadway’s theatres and The Rockerfeller Center, meaning that little legs won’t have to walk too far to find entertainment close at hand. Here are just a few of the family-friendly options:

Shop ‘til you drop:

• Presiding over Times Square (1514 Broadway), Toys R Us is a dream come true for little ones. Ride the 60-foot high in-store Ferris wheel, visit the giant roaring dinasaur or mooch around Barbie World – a sickly pink two-storey ‘house’ containing everything Barbie and Ken fans could ever wish for.
• American Girl® (609 Fifth Avenue at 49^th St) sells dolls named Caroline, Julie and Rebecca. Each has its own distinct look and the choice of dolls’ accessories includes a horse and carriage, ice cream parlour and melange of pampered pets.
• The world-famous FAO Schwarz (767 Fifth Avenue at 58^th Street) provides all-day entertainment and families can even book a 45-minute private tour and have breakfast at the store’s famous Big Piano.  Alternatively, visit during normal opening hours and check out the breathtaking window displays and test-drive the mind-boggling range of toys.

Culture:

• The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum (12^th Avenue & 46^th Street), on the River Hudson, not only houses the space shuttle Enterprise, but also a USS Growler submarine and a British Airways Concorde.  Visitors can listen to recordings of real-life conversations between Enterprise pilots and ground control and The HUBBLE@25 space exhibition is in residence until September 2015, commemorating the 25^th anniversary of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope.
• Slightly further afield, the city’s oldest museum for kids, Brooklyn Children’s Museum (145 Brooklyn Avenue) has a permanent collection of 30,000 objects (including a shark’s jawbone), a fantasy architect studio (Building Brainstorm), science exhibitions and a garden and greenhouse area with snail races and mud pie making.  The World Brooklyn cityscape has a row of child-sized shops where children can make lanterns at Chinese New Year and dance along to projections of Russian ballet at the ‘theatre’.

Entertainment inside and out:

• Broadway and its many theatres are all within walking distance but, if you’re looking for something a bit different, head over to the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater (79th Street and West Drive). Formerly a 19^th century Swedish schoolhouse that moved to Central Park in 1876,  the theatre holds magical marionette ‘puppet’ plays for children, bringing to life tales of princesses, genies and giants.  During the festive season, The Three Bears’ Festive Bash will take place daily at 11am and 1pm with tickets priced from $7 pp.
• Don’t miss the much-loved Big Apple Circus, too – a travelling circus complete with trapeze artists, contortionists and stuntmen all dressed in eye-catching, and often sparkly, costumes. This season’s show takes place at the Lincoln Center and runs until 11 January 2015 (tickets from $25).
• Most of New York’s skating rinks open from November until the spring.  There are around 15 skating rinks in the city, including The Rink at Rockefeller Centre and the Trump Rink in Central Park – both offer skating lessons for an additional charge.
• Central Park dominates New York and its amazing space contains no less than 21 playgrounds, several restaurants, a castle and a zoo.

Rumbling tums:

• Most kids love mac and cheese and S’MAC serves about a dozen varieties, from plain options to more exotic fare such as brie, roasted figs and shitake mushrooms.  There are three restaurants in Manhattan, with the closest located at 157 East 33^rd Street.
• Cupcakes are a New York institution and Magnolia Bakery is the place to try them.  The Red Velvet Cupcakes are a classic but cheesecakes, cookies and brownies are also worth saving some space for.  There are five stores in New York including one at Grand Central Station – a 10-minute walk from The Hotel @ Times Square and a foodie destination in its own right.
• Once a humble hot dog cart in Madison Square Park, Shake Shack serves up some of New York’s finest burgers and hot dogs in various locations including Grand Central Station.   You will struggle to choose between a cheeseburger topped with Applewood smoked bacon, chopped cherry pepper and ShackSauce and the Chicken Dog served with apple and sage sausage. There is also a monthly custard calendar serving different flavours of delectable frozen custard.

A one-night stay at The Hotel @ Times Square starts from $149.99/approx. £94 per room per night (two adults/two children aged 12 and under sharing) plus taxes*.  Excellent free-of-charge amenities include WiFi internet access throughout the hotel, continental breakfast (think fresh bagels, jams, cereal and yoghurt), free calls nationwide, 24-hour business centre and in-room coffee makers.

Apple Core Hotels’ three independent boutique hotels are located in Midtown New York City – The Hotel @ Times Square, Broadway @ Times Square Hotel, and nyma, the new york manhattan hotel. Just a few blocks from Grand Central Station and the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the hotels are easily accessible from all the city’s airports – JFK, La Guardia and Newark – by taxi, bus or rail.

For more information visit www.applecorehotels.com.

Ends/6 November 2014   

*Taxes of 14.75% + $3.50 Occupancy Charge per night for standard rooms (i.e. 2 Double Beds or 2 Queen Beds) and $5.50 Occupancy Charge per night for the two-room suite.

Press: For further information and photography call Julia Farish or Camilla Colley at Travel PR on 020 8891 4440 or email j.farish@travelpr.co.uk or c.colley@travelpr.co.uk.