Prioritizing family travel has been one of the best decisions we’ve made. That whole “18 summers” ad really hits home when they get to high school, and we were determined to make the absolute most of these years. Yes, travel can be a lot of work with planning and logistics, and there will be a 100% guarantee of bad attitudes, but the memories you’ll make and the hilarious stories that you end up with – are 100% worth it.
We’ve been to New York City 3 times in the last 3 years and despite the sweltering heat one summer and the often gritty and smelly streets (especially in the summer), my two teens say NYC is one of their favorite cities in the United States and continually ask when we can go back!
The Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island are obvious must-do’s with your teens in New York. But beyond the obvious, I’ve put together a list of things we did in NYC that EVERYONE loved. Everything mentioned here we have actually done with our two teens and got their firm stamp of approval.
Let’s dive right in!
Best Things to Do in New York City with Teens
1. Walking Food Tour of Greenwich Village
The Walking Food Tour in Greenwich with Nice Guy Tours was a HUGE favorite with our teens. You’ll get to sample a variety of iconic NYC foods, get some exercise, and hear a little history about each eatery, the food, and its relationship with the city, and the surrounding area. They provide water as well which is a nice touch, especially when it’s hot out.
The Village, as its also known, has a rich history of being a hub for artists, writers, and musicians in the 20th century. Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix used to hang out here. It’s also home to NYU for any future college considerations.
The first stop was Faccios’s Deli which is one of the oldest and most iconic delis in the city. Once you step in, you know it’s legit. It almost feels like a step back in time and everything looks like it hasn’t changed since the day it opened. Jerry Seinfeld got sandwiches here on an episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. You’ll get to sample some of their charcuterie and it was delicious. We came back later and got 4 sandwiches and no joke I think the bag was like 8 pounds. They were also epically mouth-watering; My 17-year-old was in HEAVEN.
We then walked over to Bleeker Street Pizza where they’ve been serving up some of New York’s best pizza since 2004. Their stand out is the Nonna Maria slice, a family recipe with two kinds of mozzarella, garlic-y marinara, and topped with some truly amazing parmigiano-reggiano cheese.
No NYC food tour would be complete without and bagel stop and Hudson’s Bagel is one place who’s bagel still lives rent-free in my mind. I was also super pumped to visit Russ and Daughters, which is a little more well known, but the sample we tried at Hudson’s was amazing. The texture was perfect, loved the chewiness, and the cream cheese, delish. It also wasn’t toasted, which in my mind is crucial, but Hudson had me rethinking my ways.
I remember seeing Pommes Frites featured on a food travel show and being utterly entranced but I had no idea it was in New York. You can imagine how excited I was as we walked into the unassuming shop which had authentic written all over it. It’s a small and cozy establishment with an old-world rustic feel. Let me tell you, the fries were amazing. Their secret is frying the potatoes not once, but twice for extra crispiness. And if you think you’re going to get away with just ketchup, think again. They have over 35 sauces with flavors like warm peanut satay, truffle mayo, and dill lemon. So good.
Next stop, Artichoke Pizza where you’ll get to try another NYC iconic food, the artichoke pizza, which was, wow, amazingly flavorful but I could not eat more than one slice with how rich it is. Pro tip, bring the Lactaid. You know who you are.
You’ll also stop at Mamoun’s Falafel where you’ll sample their, well, falafel (New York restaurants don’t mince words). Mamoun’s has been making some of the best Middle Eastern pita sandwiches since 1971. Falafel is made of a mixture of chickpeas (or fava beans), fresh herbs, and spices that are formed into a small patties or balls then fried to crunchy goodness on the outside, soft on the inside deliciousness. Served up with a drizzle of tahini – yum.
Last stop, Molly’s Cupcakes. Again, the cupcake craze went full throttle in New York and everyone talks about Magnolia’s, which to be fair, is on my list to try, but I will say, Molly’s was way worth the stop. Super cute shop and the cupcakes were so moist and flavorful. The perfect ending to a great food tour.
Chelsea Market
Chelsea Market has become one of New York’s premier food halls and marketplaces. Located in the heart of the meatpacking district, the market has over 40 places to eat ranging from yummy tacos to pizza to crèpes. The current IG craze is about the noodles at Very Fresh Noodles which they hand pull right in front of you. We stood in line for about 30 minutes and ordered their signature dish which is the Tingly and Spicy Cumin Lamb which features noodles and sichuan peppercorn which is what gives the tingly numbing feeling. My personal take is they were pretty good, but not 30 minutes in line good.
The surprise find of the market visit that day was the tahini soft serve at Seed and Mill which we noticed at the counter next to use as we were in line for noodles. They got my attention with their sign that read – award-winning vegan soft serve sundae. My dairy-fearing, dessert-loving self was intrigued. I tried a sample and WHOA – creamy, light, nutty…yup, one please. The sundae was even better, with a halva crumble base (halva is a fudge like dessert made from sesame seeds) and tahini drizzle. Love that it’s oat milk based and gluten-free! My teenage daughter and I gobbled it up. I love a surprise find.
Don’t miss Posman Books, where I guarantee you’ll end up buying something adorable you didn’t know you wanted.
Chelsea Market is also a great place stop for fresh seafood, prime cuts of meat, artisanal cheese, fresh produce, and imported Italian dry goods. I introduced my 15-year-old to marzipan (it looked like a tiny peach) for the first time! It wasn’t her favorite, but she liked trying some things she’d never seen before.
3. Little Island 9
If you haven’t heard of Little Island yet, it’s a public park that just opened in 2021 as part of the repair and reactivation of the iconic Pier 54, which had been damaged by Hurricane Sandy. This unique space is made of pathways winding up and all around the park, and the kiddos had a great time just wandering and seeing what views they would discover next. They also got a kick out of the various interactive art installations and metal music makers you could step on or hit with mallets to make sounds.
In my opinion, the best time to go to Little Island is in time to catch the sunset and linger to take in the stunning city views at night. It wasn’t crowded at all the night we went, and the vibe was relaxed and peaceful.
4. Chinatown food crawl (self-guided)
This was another BIG hit with the teens!! I saw this awesome reel by NYC food content creator @briancantstopweating, taking followers to a few different Chinatown eateries and sampling their best dishes. Everything he ate looked so scrumptious we had to do it.
First stop, Deluxe Green Bo. We had a group of 8 and they were able to seat us right away. In addition to the hot and spicy wontons that Brian recommended we also got the scallion pancake, cucumbers, and my favorite – the chicken rice cake. If you’ve never tried Chinese rice cakes, it’s a must. Chewy deliciousness and texture heaven.
Next, Spongies Cafe for its light and fluffy cloud bread. They have a lot of different flavors. Brian highlighted coconut and ube and the coconut was my fave.
Next up we had the famous Mei Lai Wah Pineapple buns and Roast Pork Buns. My kids are pork bun fanatics and these ranked up at the top of their list. It’s window service and usually has a bit of a line but it goes fast. Not to be missed.
Chinatown is also a great place to pick up a few NYC souvenirs that teens will love at prices you’ll love. T-shirts, tote bags galore, small accessories, mugs, caps, you want it, they probably have it! If you’re looking for a way to explore Chinatown that feels less tour-y, this is a fun and unique experience.
5. SOHO for more Shopping
Being the fashion capital of the world, SOHO (which incidentally stands for “South Of Houston) is a great spot to check out various big-name shops and smaller boutiques to pick up a souvenir that will remind you of your trip, even if it doesn’t say NYC on it! A stroll down iconic 5th Avenue is a great place to window shop and browse what’s coming next in fashion trends.
6. Times Square
I’ll be honest, we have a love/hate relationship with Times Square, but you have to go there at least once. It’s conveniently located in Midtown Manhattan, so it’s easy to get to. The vibe at night vs the day is completely different.
During the day, it’s the usual hustle bustle of people and tourists milling around taking photos and hanging out. Sometimes there’s even some live music. But at night, it definitely gets way more crowded and feels more like a club! There are usually big groups of people surrounding street performers with super loud music, and the hundreds of billboards are really going. It definitely defines bright lights, big city, and it can get pretty overstimulating for some, so I would say swing by for the experience but no need to build in a lot of time unless you want to!
There are a few stores you might want to stop by, but most everything is a chain or tourist shop. The Sephora did come in handy when I realized I had forgotten to pack my trusty eyeliner!
7. MOMA (Museum of Modern Art)
If you have art-loving or even art-curious teens, the MOMA is a MUST. There are SO many works by iconic artists, and it’s actually a great way to get a little crash course on some of the great artists in a short amount of time.
There might even be a few that your kiddos might recognize from school. My kid’s favorite was the impressive Water Lilies room which depicts the iconic water lilies in Monet’s garden at Giverny, outside of Paris. The work is composed of three separate panels placed side-by-side.
Overall the painting is about 6 feet high and 42 feet wide!! Not to be missed. The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh is the other iconic piece. It is usually located on the 5th floor, but on our recent visit, it had been loaned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, so if it is a must-see for you, check with the museum before heading over.
8. Friends Apartment Building
Over the summer, we started watching FRIENDS with my teenagers, and they love it. As a Gen X-er, this makes me happy. Watching the show together has prompted a lot of conversation ranging from fashion and hair, to dating and social norms. And while the show was filmed in LA, they were both VERY interested in seeing the outside of Monica, Rachel, Chandler and Joey’s apartment building, irl (in real life). The facade of the apartment building is located in Greenwich Village, so it’s an easy pop-over for a quick pic if you’re hanging out in the area, which you absolutely should be doing!
Friends apartment address – 90 Bedford St, New York, NY 10014
9. Full Day Must See Small Group Tour plus One World Observatory Ticket Big NYC Guided Tour
If it’s your first time to NYC, we highly recommend this tour. Yes, it’s a 7-hour experience but stay with me, it actually went by so fast and the pace is great. The teens LOVED it and did not complain once. It was super efficient and a really fun way to see SO many attractions without having to figure out where everything is and the best way to get from one to the next.
Our guide was amazing. Super informative, entertaining, engaged, and on top of getting us from place to place. Plus it’s a small group with no more than 15 people on your tour. We had 7 on our tour including ourselves. There’s one stop for lunch and plenty of bathroom breaks. The teens still talk about this tour and how much they loved it. Well worth the money and time.
Tip: Our lunch stop was in the Financial District between Broad St and William St. We got Lobster Rolls at Luke’s Lobster (4.3 Stars on Yelp, 1,261 reviews) 26 S. William St, near Broad, New York, NY 10004. A delicious treat.
The tour starts in Times Square and ends in Lower Manhattan. We either stopped at or passed by:
- St. Patrick’s Cathedral – if possible, you go inside.
- Rockefeller Center
- New York Public Library
- Chrysler Building
- Grand Central Station
- New York City Subway Station – you’ll ride the subway twice on this tour.
- Trinity Church – Attention Hamilton fans!
- New York Stock Exchange
- Charging Bull
- Staten Island Ferry – one of the BEST free things you can do in New York, hands down. You get an amazing view of Lady Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Manhattan skyline!
- 9/11 Memorial – My kids ask a lot of questions about 9/11 after learning about it in school. I’m glad there is a place where those who lost their lives can be remembered and honored by the next generation. It is beautifully symbolic and peaceful. The 9/11 museum is here as well. Museum admission is on your own.
- The last stop was the One World Observatory experience (ticket included), which was amazing, to say the least. I won’t spoil anything but just know the elevator ride is jaw-dropping. We were lucky to have a pretty clear day and we could see straight to New Jersey and beyond. Photographers, be sure to check out the Oculus Center and the stunning design work of Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
10. Central Park Bike Tour/Carriage Ride
Another must Is Central Park. On our first visit, we did the Bike carriage tour and it was awesome. The temps that day were well over 90 and being that hot and humid, anything with a breeze was welcome. If the weather is chilly, they also have blankets.
Either way, if you feel like taking a break from walking and want to see all the major landmarks scattered throughout the park without having to locate them all yourself, this was the perfect way to see it all. Our tour guides had tons of knowledge and suggestions for the surrounding area and gave us plenty of time for photos at each stop. The whole family loved it. Highly recommend.
11. On and Off Broadway Shows
Two under the radar shows my teens LOVED.
No visit to the Big Apple is complete without going to see a show! And yes, some might travel to your city, but there is something about seeing a show in NYC that is just a special. Some of the best ones that will appeal to teens and parents alike that are still currently running are Wicked, The Lion King, Hamilton, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Back to the Future and several others. Now, if a big Broadway Show production isn’t your cup of tea, I have a couple of under the radar suggestions. The first is The Office! A Parody Musical.
My teens love The Office and quote from it regularly so they were pretty excited about this one. Tickets are less than $100 each which is already a win and the theater is small so every seat is close in and you can really catch all the hilarious facial expressions, etc. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but every character was so on point with their voices and mannerisms. The show moves seamlessly through the countless memorable scenes of The Office’s 9 seasons and hits on all the major inside jokes. A must-watch for any Office fans.
The next show is Peter Pan Goes Wrong. This comedy is about the fictitious Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society as they attempt to stage a production of Peter Pan while battling against technical hitches, flying mishaps and cast disputes with hilarious and disastrous results. There’s audience interaction, and seriously, the actors were just so fun to watch. At the time of writing this post, they even had some special guest starts upcoming, like Neil Patrick Harris, Daniel Dae Kim from Lost and Bradley Whitford. It was 4 thumbs up from this crew.
As of February 2024 Peter Pan Goes Wrong has been replaced by Broadway Goes Wrong, a show with the same hilarious antics with a murder mystery at the center of the story.
12. Harry Potter Store
If you’re got a Potterhead, you know you’re going to have to make a stop at the Harry Potter Store on Broadway near the Flat Iron Building. It is truly impressive, and the multi-floor design on the inside makes you feel a little like you’re walking inside Zonko’s.
In addition to all of the merchandise you could possibly want, the store also features a ton of fun interactive exhibits to see. Lots and lots of movie memorabilia and interactive displays like the elevator that mimics the flue powder system, etc. You can also refresh yourselves with a butterbeer in a keepsake cup. It can get crowded inside, but it’s definitely worth a stop. Open daily.
13. Swing by Cornelia Street
A must-stop for fans of Taylor Swift, aka Swifties!! 23 Cornelia Street is where Taylor rented while hers was being renovated. This was a must-stop for my teenage girl. The building itself has such a unique look and made for some great photos. Don’t miss the lyrics on the sidewalk out front.
14. Walk The High Line
If you’ve just eaten your way through Chelsea Market, take some time to digest by taking a leisurely walk on The High Line. Opened in 2009, The High Line is a 1.45-mile-long elevated linear park, greenway, and rail trail created on a historic freight rail line on the west side of Manhattan.
There is an entrance just steps from Chelsea Market, and you can walk amongst the treetops in either direction, which take you past various unique features of the park, such as fountains, art installations, and sitting areas where you can take a break or people watch. Several sections have cool views of former warehouses and sections of the meatpacking district. We love this addition to the city!
15. Sit down and Enjoy an Excellent Meal at Dante
If I could eat at only one restaurant in NYC, it would be Dante, located in Greenwich Village. And not just Dante, but specifically the original of their two locations on MacDougal Street. The Dante location on Hudson is also gorgeous with its IG worthy entrance but the original location is smaller and cozier, which I love. The decor feels like a modern bistro and it is gorgeous from every seat.
I definitely recommend reservations because of its solid icon status. It was also voted the world’s best cocktail bar in 2019. And let me tell you, it lives up to its win in spades. For example, they don’t just feature the most delicious Negroni ever, they feature 16 Negronis with their own menu!!
The same goes for their legendary martinis. I’ve heard dinner reservations are tough to get but honestly, happy hour is where its at AND they have $10 cocktails including Negronis from 4-5 pm!! The server was so knowlegable on the nuances of the various cocktails and my cocktail-appreciating husband was really blown away by the complex and unique flavors.
Teetotalers, no worries, they feature several delicious and unique mocktails that were obviously created with thought and intention. The food is also next level. My carb afficionado daughter declared their pistachio pasta one of the best pastas she’s ever had. We will be showing up here every NYC visit from now on.
16. Get some Gentile Gelato and take in the city sights
My family loves Gelato. It’s become a bit of a tradition to get a gelato to enjoy while walking around after dinner. This spot wasn’t even on our radar until we got into town, but after doing a quick search on Yelp, we knew we had to try Gentile Gelatieri.
They started making gelato in 1880 in South Italy and now have 4 locations across the city and guys, this is serious gelato. Oh, and they have vegan sorbets too. The flavor board alone was impressive – Noce E Fichi (Walnut with Fig Jam), Melone (Cantalope Vegan), Anguria (Watermelon), along with the usual suspects like Stracciatella (Milke Cream with Chocolate Chips).
The folks working there were so helpful and cheerfully offered many samples so we could get exactly what we wanted. It was really tough to choose, no lie they were all spectacular (still thinking about the watermelon). I was seriously torn between the fruity flavors vs the chocolatey ones. Can’t choose between cup or cone? No problem, even if you get a cup, they top it off with a cute little cone! After the first night, we had to go back, and we’ll be back again every time we’re in town.
17. Russ and Daughters and Kat’z Delicatessen
When I say these two establishments are iconic, I mean it with a capital “I.” The Lower East Side of Manhattan has been blessed with two cornerstones of New York establishments within minutes of each other.
If Katz’s looks familiar to you fellow parents, it might be because it was where THAT scene (you know the one) from When Harry Met Sally was filmed. Whether or not you choose to share that tidbit with your kiddos is all you, lol, but I digress…we are here to talk SANDWICHES.
Kat’z Deli is New York’s oldest delicatessen dating back to 1888, legendary for their delectable, mouthwatering pastrami sandwich. The pastrami comes piled high on white bread with no condiments, but all the locals know your basic order is “Pastrami, juicy, on rye with mustard and pickles on the side.” No ketchup, no mayo – mustard.
Also recommended is the corned beef on rye with mustard or Reuben dressing. Katz’s Reuben is also a favorite with Swiss cheese, Kraut and Reuben dressing. Some other local favorites are the potato latkes served with applesauce and sour cream as well as matzoh ball soup.
Russ and Daughters is your next stop just a 1 minute walk away. The order there would be the iconic bagel with lox sandwich. Lox is actually different from smoked salmon in that it’s brined and not smoked. The name comes from the Yiddish word for salmon, “laks.” (I was today years old when I learned this). They also have Gravlax, a Scandinavian specialty of salmon cured and brined with salt, sugar, dill, and other ingredients.
Aside from salmon, there are a myriad of other specialty salads prepared with quality and flavor excellence that made them famous. If you like your bagel a little more front and center, you can get a simple (and generous) schmear of cream cheese and call it. They even have dairy-free options.
Conclusion on the best things to do in NYC with teens
This is, of course, a small taste of what we think teens and really your whole family will love doing in New York City! I would love to hear your thoughts on these ideas and others to add to this list! Please share in the comments and sign up for my newsletter to keep up with the latest!
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