Things to do with your 14yr old son in New York?

Question

I will be taking my 14 year old son to NYC, in March for his birthday and I needed help putting together a itenary for us to to do while we are there help please he is into talk shows and music.

Answer 1

The Sony Wonder Lab on Madison Avenue and 56th Street has a lot of interactive exhibits - you make your own films, music videos, and many, many more things to do there. And, admission is FREE
http://wondertechlab.sony.com/plan/index.shtml

Answer 2

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has everything-not just paintings and sculptures, but also knights and armor, mummies, an Egyptian temple. It's well worth the trip.
Take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry. It's cheap and fun
Have a dim sum brunch on Sunday morning in Chinatown.
Make a reservation for the pretheater dinner at The Four Seasons, one of the most famous restaurants in the world. If you are seated by 6:15, the entire dinner from appetizer to dessert is only $65. Ask to be seated in the pool room. The trees in the pool room are decorated according to the season. Jackets and ties are required for men. No jeans or corduroy pants. You may see the occasional celebrity there. The phone number is 212-754-9494.
Get a discount ticket for the theater. You can find them on line searching for discount broadway tickets or at the half price ticket booth. You definitely want to see a Broadway play if he's into music.
You have to contact the NYC talk shows right away and hope to get tickets/

Answer 3

Take him to see Blue Man Group. It's amazing, and perfect for a 14-year-old who's into music.
http://www.blueman.com/ticketinfo/nyc/index.shtml

Visit Times Square, home of, among other things, a giant Virgin Megastore and the brand new Hard Rock Café (touristy, yes, but he'd probably love it)

Many if not most talk shows require you to be 16 to get in.

I agree--the Museum of Natural History is awesome (and I've heard the planetarium is pretty cool, also--it's next door).

Check out Dylan's Candy Bar and/or FAO Schwarz if he's still young enough to enjoy toys.

Top of the Roc is supposed to be really cool.

Get a copy of TIME OUT NEW YORK--two, actually. One for now (so you can look through and see what museums and attractions are interesting to you) and one the week you arrive (so you can check out special events you and your son may be interested in). Visit their web site: http://www.timeout.com/newyork/

I agree with the below poster about the Brooklyn Bridge--it's a great, free walk and a real NY experience.

I disagree about the Four Seasons restaurant. It's a famous hotel, yes, but I don't think a teen would be too entertained, and it's very expensive. Take him to a hip downtown joint, like Fanelli's in Soho for great burgers, or, better yet, to Lombardi's in Little Italy (near Chinatown, not too far from Ground Zero and the Brooklyn Bridge) --it's the oldest pizza place in America, and it's super awesome. (They only sell by the pie, but it's SO worth the calories. And I'm sure a 14-year-old boy can polish off 3/4 of a pie easily.)

Answer 4

1. everyone wants to see Times Square when they get here

2. Central Park - esp. Strawberry Fields across from the Dakota where Lennon was shot. This is also close to the Natural History Museum

3. Chinatown up into SoHo for souvenier shopping

3. West Village for less touristy shopping - be aware there are tons of sex shops, it's definitely not a seedy neighborhood but you might be uncomfortable walking by the shops w/your son? From West Village walk through Washington Square Park where the big arch is into the neighborhood surrounding NYU

4. Take him on the NBC studio tour at Rockefeller Center

Answer 5

You can certainly try to get tickets to a talk show taping. If that fails, consider going to the American Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, where he can geta behind the scenes look at how TV and motion pictures are made.

Your son might also like some of the specialty museums, like the FDNY fire museum in SoHo, the NYPD police museum near South Street Seaport, or the transit museum in Brooklyn. You might also consider a tour of one of the sports facilities. The Yankee Stadium tour is especially interesting.

Answer 6

The usuals like Times Square but I highly recommend going to the newly opened observation deck at Rockefellar Center-Top of the Roc, the Cloisters for great views of the Hudson River and its Monestery, and Coney Island if it's warm.

Answer 7

We visited last summer - loved the NBC Studio tours.... also, there are a number of broadway plays that you can see - SpamALot was a favorite for the age group of your son.....

Reference our family travels website for a review of everything that we did on NYC....http://www.kid-friendly-family-vacations.com/new_york_city_with_children.html

Answer 8

Well if he likes sports you can take him to a NBA game on 34th st. @ Madison Square Garden