New York City with a Baby: Where to Stay, Where to Eat, and What to do in NYC with a Baby

When you think of baby-friendly travel destinations in the U.S., New York City is probably not the first (or second, or third…) that comes to mind. After all, the name of the game in NYC is hustle and bustle – it is a very fast-paced city that can be pretty overwhelming even without a little one in tow. But although it may be challenging, New York City with a baby is such a fun trip to do and totally doable!! With the right attitude and a solid plan in place, NYC can actually be an amazing trip to take with a baby. Plus, it’s the city that never sleeps, so your baby will fit right in! 😉

Probably the most important decision you will make is where you will stay in New York City with a baby. When you are traveling with a little one (especially if they are less than a year old), you are probably going to spend a LOT more time in your hotel room than you normally would. Most NYC hotels are known for being pretty cramped, so I highly recommend splurging here if you can.

When choosing a hotel to stay in with your baby in New York City, here are the top things I would recommend keeping in mind:

Location: You will want to minimize the amount of transportation you have to take around the city, so plan accordingly in terms of the location of your hotel. If you plan to spend most of your time in Manhattan, stay in Manhattan. If you plan to head to Central Park each day for a family walk, stay as close as you can so that you can pop over easily!
Room Service: Highly recommend booking at a hotel that offers room service (even better if it is 24-hour room service!). There will be nights where the baby is just a little extra fussy and you can’t make it out to a restaurant, so room service is going to come in handy.
Baby Amenities: Some hotels (especially luxury hotels) will have amenities such as cribs or pack-n-plays, high chairs, diaper pails, baby shampoo and lotion, and even tiny robes and slippers for your little one! Not having to hail your pack-n-play across the country is a huge win. Call ahead to make sure these amenities can be in your room ready to go when you arrive.
Service: Luxury hotels will go above and beyond for you, especially when you have a baby. It’s worth the price tag to have that extra level of service! Simply having a bellman unload and handle your baggage for you is GOLD when you have a baby!
Bathtub: Routine is key when it comes to traveling with a baby. The more you can stick to your at-home routine, the better your baby will do! For us, that means nightly baths as a part of our wind-down/bedtime routine. Not all hotels have a bathtub, so this is something I specifically look for when booking (especially in NYC).
Age of the Building: New York is a historic place in terms of architecture. Most places you are going to stay will be a bit older (especially the luxury hotels), and with that comes older features both inside and outside. Inside, you may experience older/slower heating and AC units. Outside, you may experience a lack of accessibility. For example, The Plaza Hotel, one of the most historic and well-known in the city, does not have ramps – only stairs. The staff is happy to help you lift the stroller up and down, but it’s still a bit of a hassle compared to other hotels at street level/with ramps.

The Best Hotels in New York City with a Baby

Here is my list of top hotels to consider with a baby in NYC (and what amenities they provide!). PS – keep in mind that if a hotel doesn’t have everything you need for your baby, you can always rent through BabyQuip! It’s such a genius way to ensure you have what you need to keep your baby comfortable (and to make your life easier!!) while traveling. We have rented the Slumberpod, baby bathtub, high chair, bouncer, and more! Less to pack!

The Langham New York Fifth Avenue

Photo courtesy of Forbes

Baby Amenities Available:

Crib
Baby soap
Baby lotion

Check rates for your dates here

Ritz-Carlton

Photo courtesy of Trip Advisor

Baby Amenities Available:

Baby soap
Baby lotion
Crib

Check rates for your dates here

1 Hotel Central Park

Photo courtesy of We Heart

Baby Amenities Available:

Crib
Pack N Play
Baby soap
Baby lotion
Small selection of toys upon request

Check rates for your dates here

Lotte New York Palace

Photo courtesy of Secret NYC

Baby Amenities Available:

Crib
Pack N Play
Stroller

Check rates for your dates here

The Plaza Hotel

Baby Amenities Available:

Check rates for your dates here

The best and easiest way to get around in NYC with a baby is by taxi or ride share (i.e. Uber, Lyft, or Revel). Although the subway is fast and cost-effective, it isn’t the most conducive to traveling with an infant. Not all subway stations have elevators, so you would be stuck schlepping the stroller up and down multiple flights of stairs. The subway cars themselves also tend to be pretty crowded, so getting a stroller in and out may not be the easiest task. Plus, the smell… we all know what I’m talking about. Trust me, just take a taxi or Uber. It’s well worth the money!

If you are close enough to walk, though, do it! New York City is known for being extremely walkable. You may have to watch out for a few extra bumps on the sidewalks/in the road, but it’s nothing a good travel stroller can’t handle (I swear by the UppaBaby Minu travel stroller!!! It’s the BEST.).

This is arguably the most difficult part of visiting New York City with a baby. New York has some of the best eateries run by world-renowned chefs, but not all restaurants are baby-friendly. Typically, more expensive/high-end restaurants in NYC are going to be less excited about you bringing your baby in to dine. That doesn’t mean you can’t do it, it just means you may have to be prepared and know that they may not be the most accommodating (think storing your stroller for you, having a high chair readily available, offering kids menus, etc.).

The good news, though, is that there are thousands of restaurants in NYC (just take a look at my master list of favorites here!), so you can absolutely find baby-friendly options!! Eater New York put together this list of kid-friendly restaurants in New York City and even listed what they have available for parents to use/what makes these restaurants kid-friendly. This guide is great to get you started, but if you want to go somewhere that isn’t on this list, just give the restaurant a call and ask them about their policies. The last thing you want to have happen is to make it allll the way to a restaurant with your baby just to turn right back around and head back to the hotel or grab fast food as a last resort because they aren’t able to accommodate you.

Photo courtesy of Alice Restaurant

Other than trying to find a restaurant that is kid-friendly, here are some things to keep in mind when dining with your baby in New York City:

Reservations: You almost always need reservations as it is in New York City, but you will DEFINITELY want them with a baby in tow so you aren’t waiting outside of a crowded restaurant for hours! I highly recommend a reservation earlier in the evening (or coinciding with naptime if possible). In my experience, earlier mealtimes make for a happier baby!
Travel Time: Keep the travel time to and from the restaurant in mind. If the restaurant is 45 minutes away from your hotel, that may not be a huge deal on the way there, but if your baby is overly tired and losing it on the way back, it can be stressful. Depending on your baby’s age and temperament, he/she may get fussy sitting in a taxi in standstill traffic for that long!
Restaurant Space/Location: Restaurant real estate in New York City is completely different than what you will experience in other U.S. cities. In New York, there aren’t parking lots and nice big doorways and elevators for your convenience. Some of the best restaurants are located downstairs in an old townhome with little to no space once you actually get inside and find your table. This is part of the NYC experience, but it’s not exactly ideal with a baby.
Room Service: Don’t forget, you can always order room service!!! This is one of the major perks of booking a nice hotel (and reason enough to do so when traveling with a baby IMHO). If all else fails, don’t sweat it, mama. Order yourself a good meal and a nice bottle of wine and call it a day.

You book the flight, you secure a great hotel, and you make it to Manhattan. Now, what the heck can you actually do with your baby in New York City?! Don’t worry, I’ve got all the ideas for you!

Visit New York City’s Parks

This is the BEST thing to do with a baby in the city as long as the weather allows! You could literally spend days in Central Park, but there are soooo many other beautiful parks as well. Here are some of my favorites!

Central Park
Madison Square Park
The High Line (a must if you love art!)
Hudson River Greenway/West Side Highway
Domino Park (this one is in Brooklyn!)

Although it’s not a park, I also recommend walking the Brooklyn Bridge if you haven’t already! Personally, I love starting in Brooklyn and walking to Manhattan (better views!), but you could go either way.

Photo courtesy of NYC Tourism

There are plenty of fantastic observatories in the city, but with a baby, I LOVE Summit One Vanderbilt! This is the newest observatory in the city so it can be a bit crowded, but it’s worth going to if you’ve never been.

Summit OV is an observatory and art gallery all in one – each room has a different exhibit, and they are all soooo visually interesting! If your baby or toddler is old enough to be aware of their surroundings without getting too over-stimulated, this is a perfect way to interest and entertain them!

Walk Through a Museum or Two

Another great option, rain or shine! Here are some of my favorites:

Metropolitan Museum of Art (perfect to go right after walking through Central Park!)
Museum of Modern Art
American Museum of Natural History
Intrepid Museum (great for kiddos interested in planes and ships!)
The Morgan Library

Shop in SoHo or on Fifth Avenue

New York City has some seriously incredible shopping!!! Whether you want to visit the boutiques in SoHo or West Village or the department stores on Fifth Avenue, this is a great way to spend an afternoon with a baby.

Explore Different Neighborhoods

One of my favorite pastimes while in the city is walking through different neighborhoods. There are so many beautiful places and hidden gems in NYC! The historic townhomes, the stunning architecture, the tree-lined cobblestone streets… it’s all so romantic and quintessential New York. If I were to recommend my top favorite neighborhoods to walk through, these would be it:

West Village
Brooklyn Heights
Upper West Side
Park Slope
Greenwich Village
SoHo

Sail the River on a Classic Harbor Line Cruise

If you have read any of my NYC posts, you already know Classic Harbor Line is the only boat tour company I recommend in New York! Classic Harbor Line really does things right in my book. If sailing on a 1920s-style yacht that has a limited number of tickets and a fantastic bar sounds like your cup of tea, you need to book tickets ASAP!