Archive | August, 2010

Crying allowed here,here and……Here

26 Aug

One of my pet peeves is sitting in the movie theater …(especially a movie for adults) and I hear a child crying. Even when I took  my 3 yr old to see Toy Story 3 I prayed he wouldn’t get upset and start up his crying fits because the popcorn spilled. I feel embarrassed for myself!!!  So instead of just complaining  or not taking him at all I decided to do my job, Find places where crying isn’t frowned upon in theaters….because its for…KIDS after all. Then I said Heck! Lets add a couple of places where you can hang out with your child past their bedtime….The city is beautiful at night, why not share the experience with your Tot.

 

 

Mom & Me Movie Matinee
Up to 100 parent-child pairs regularly attend these community-minded Brooklyn Heights screenings, and some even help to pick the movie of the week from the theater’s lineup. As for infant considerations, soundtrack volume is softer than at typical shows, changing tables are available in the restrooms, and films with startling noises, such as gunshots, are usually nixed. Lights in the theater are kept lower than at the city’s other parent-child film programs to accommodate kid-free moviegoers;bawling babes are a part of this particular cinematic experience so I suspect that the unaccompanied are mostly interested in the matinee price. Ages 2 and under.
United Artists Court Street Stadium 12, 106 Court St between Schermerhorn and State Sts, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn (718-246-8170). First showing on Wed. $8.50, children under 2 free.

Rattle & Reel
The indie-minded and their babies head to Sunshine Cinema for films culled from the art-house’s current offerings. Elevators deliver you to the sprawling subterranean theater, where the volume is lower and the lights brighter than at your average screening. Additional parent-friendly amenities include changing tables and soundtrack-pumping speakers in the restrooms, a stroller check, prize giveaways. Ages 18 months and under.
Sunshine Cinema, 143 E Houston St between First and Second Aves (212-330-8182, landmarktheatres.com). Wed at 11am. $12.50, babies free.

Crybaby Matinee

These Upper East Side matinees serve parents in search of the latest blockbuster. A “stroller valet” service and changing tables are available, in addition to the customary lowered volume and raised theater lighting. All ages.

City Cinema East 86th Street Theater, 210 E 86th St between Second and Third Aves (212-734-4169, readingcinemasus.com). Wed at 11am. $12.50, kids $9, children under 5 free.

Here are some Kewl places to go with your child past bedtime:

Catch a view
Play late-night tourist with your tot. The Empire State Building Observatory (350 Fifth Ave between 33rd and 34th Sts; esbnyc.com) is open until 2am, with the last elevator heading up at 1:15am. The Top of the Rock conservatory (30 Rockefeller Plaza, entrance on 50th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves; 212-698-2000, topoftherocknyc.com) closes a bit earlier (midnight), with the last elevator ascending at 11pm.

If your little one is afraid of heights,(which I am) take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry (1 South St at State St in Manhattan, or 1 Bay St at Wall St in Staten Island; siferry.com); it’s free, it’s open all night, and those soothing vibrations could put a cranky baby to sleep in no time.

Just Browsing
If GOODNIGHT MOON just doesn’t cut it anymore, the Lincoln Center Barnes & Noble (1972 Broadway at 66th St; 212-595-6859, barnesandnoble.com) lets you browse books until midnight.

Indulge your sweet tooth and then share some with your lil one
Though most sugar shops are shut by 10pm, celebrated cupcakery Magnolia Bakery (visit magnoliacupcakes.com for three Manhattan locations) serves its goodies until 12am on Fridays and Saturdays. If it’s ice cream you crave, many Ben & Jerry’s shops (visit benjerry.com for locations throughout the city) dish out multiple flavors until midnight seven days a week. The eponymous treats at Donut Pub (203 W 14th St at Seventh Ave; 212-929-0126) are at hand 24 hours a day!!

Have Fun!!!

CC

summer is almost ova!!!What to do before it’s too late!

24 Aug

Look here mamas, the Summer is almost over and school is about to start.That means early morning hectic-ness, why do I have to wear this and I don’t wanna get up mornings. So bid the summer goodbye with these kewl places to go.

Visit Coney Island
At new-this-year Luna Park (enter at Surf Ave and W 10th St, Coney Island, Brooklyn; 718-373-5862; unlimited-ride wristbands $26–$34), take a spin on the swirling swings of Lynn’s Trapeze, one of 11 kid-friendly rides.

Make some waves
Dodge the dog days at Central Park’s Lasker Pool (Central Park, enter at Central Park North and Malcolm X Blvd; 212-534-7639; free), which offers a cool and shallow respite from the humidity. At the Children’s Museum of Manhattan’s “City Splash” exhibit, tykes learn about conservation as they play in waterfalls.

Watch a movie outdoors
Bring tots to a free movie part of the River to River Festival (Elevated Acre, 55 Water St between Broad and Old Slip Sts;  free tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 6pm; screening 8pm). Sit down on a blanket and belt out classics like “Somebody’s Getting Married.” Click here for the complete roundup of alfresco film series in the city.

Catch a soon-to-close exhibit
It’s your last chance to see two exhibitions with big kid appeal: the American Museum of Natural History‘s “Lizards & Snakes: Alive!” and “Amazon Voyage: Vicious Fishes and Other Riches” at the New York Hall of Science.

Arthur Ashe Kids Day

Check it out if you don’t  don’t mind spending a little cash, catch the House of Mouse music stars at Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day.

Get on the water
From August 28 to 30, enjoy the Tug and Barge Tour (Pier 6, Furman St at Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn Heights; R.S.V.P. to 718-624-4719; free). The Waterfront Museum and Showboat Barge will dock near the historic tugboat Pegasus; kids can board both vessels for public tours, and sail New York harbor on the Pegasus.

Slurp an unforgettable frozen treat
There’s not a Dairy Queen to be found in the five boroughs, but that doesn’t mean your little ones will be deprived of a dipped cone. The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck (location varies; biggayicecreamtruck.com (you read correctly) The average cup/cone $3) offers its own variation, the Salty Pimp ($5), a vanilla cone with sea salt dipped in sweet chocolate. If your tot prefers a fruity treat, hustle them over to People’s Pops (locations throughout the city; peoplespops.com; average pop $3) for a Greenmarket-fresh ice pop; past flavors have included sweet blueberry cream and a perfectly tart lemon-and-basil shaved ice.

Take a weekend trip

Baltimore, Maryland
Celebrate the sea and its inhabitants at the National Aquarium. The exhibition “Jellies Invasion: Oceans Out of Balance” looks at how thriving jellyfish are changing the balance of aquatic ecosystems (501 E Pratt St, Baltimore; 410-586-3800, aqua.org; adults $25–$30, children ages 3 to 11 $20–$25).

Philadelphia
Only 99 miles from NYC, the home of the Liberty Bell is an ideal destination when you’re strapped for time. Be sure to visit the Please Touch Museum (Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park, 4231 Ave of the Republic, Philadelphia; 215-581-3181, pleasetouchmuseum.org; $15, children under 1 free), where tykes can get their hands on a huge sculpture of the Statue of Liberty’s famous torch. The piece is composed of found objects, including action figures and license plates.

Bethel, NY
If your kids can’t wait to see DJ Lance Rock and the Yo Gabba Gabba! gang at Radio City Music Hall in October, head upstate to the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (200 Hurd Rd, Bethel, NY; yogabbagabbalive.com; Aug 27 at 1:30, 5pm; $39.50–$59.50) to catch an earlier show. Rapper Biz Markie is scheduled to appear, as are other special guests, in the lush environment

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