Little Hiccups: New York Trip 2026

New York City baby!

The city that never sleeps!

The Big Apple!

No matter what you want to call it, New York is my all time favorite city and we were lucky enough to spend almost a week there for my birthday recently. This was my sixth (I think) visit to New York, and let me tell you, it never gets old. There's so much to see and do there that we rarely do the same thing twice when we visit, and yet we always leave feeling like we barely scratched the surface.

Want to see what we got up to in New York? Read on!

Day 1

We took a red eye flight from Denver to New York and arrived at JFK before 5:30am. A little crazy, I know, but when I booked the flights we thought Ava was going to be at college that day and the only other flight option after school had us arriving around 2am, and I figured that checking into a hotel in the early hours wouldn't be ideal. As it turns out, Ava was on a break from college, and we could've flown at any time during the day. Oh well.

Kim had flown in from Paris (where he'd been for a work trip) a few days earlier, so we headed straight to his hotel in Chinatown to freshen up and drop off our luggage before heading out for bagels and coffee.

We then went and checked into our actual hotel for the stay, Untitled at 3 Freeman Alley. I'll be sharing more about this hotel soon, but if you're looking for somewhere to stay in the Lower East Side, I definitely recommend staying here. The hotel has fantastic amenities, is in a great location, and, is surrounded by street art. Literally! The hotel is housed on Freeman Alley, a street in which street art is encouraged. Every day of our stay there were new murals going up. Here we had two rooms, one with double bunks, and the other with a queen bed. Finding rooms in NYC big enough for families can be tricky, so the double bunks were fantastic.

After checking in, we headed to the Oculus Building to check out the Popmart store, where the kids bought blind boxes. I treated myself to a new Labubu friend too! We bought mini NYC prints from the A Little Shop in NYC machine, and then headed outside to eat food from a nearby street market while looking over the 911 Memorial.

Then it was off to Color Factory where we played in a giant ball pit, ate colorful fortune cookies, played with a giant Lite Brite, danced in a silent disco, and so much more colorful fun. This was my second time visit Color Factory in NYC, but the first time for the kids. They had, however, been to the original Color Factory in San Francisco back in 2017.

We stopped by Trader Joe's to grab snacks for the week, and then headed back to the hotel to relax seeing as we were all pretty tired. Ava and I headed out to a nearby dumpling store for dinner and brought back take out for the others - who were all fast asleep by the time we got back. Those red eye flights will do that to you!

Day 2

The reason for our visit to NYC was here! If you've been here a while, or if you know me in real life, you'll know that I'm a big Jim Henson fan. As a birthday treat, I splurged on tickets for the Jim Henson Creature Shop in Long Island City. Now, this was a pretty pricey experience, so just Ava and I went, while Kim and the kids relaxed back at the hotel. So, just what is this experience, I hear you ask. It's a behind the scenes tour of the Jim Henson Creature Shop where Muppets and various puppets are made. I really wish I could share all the details here, but photography is not allowed given that it is a working workshop with secret projects in the works. We met a puppet maker who was working on mice for a Shrek musical, we learned about the materials used (Cookie Monster's mouth is made from a basketball!), we saw draws full of Muppet eyes, noses, mouths, eyebrows, glasses etc, we got to see important pieces from Muppet history, and, my favorite, we got to see the real Muppets that they use today. I was holding back the tears when I turned a corner and saw Super Grover and The Count. Oh, and we got to meet Leslie Carrara-Rudolph who plays Abby Cadabby on Sesame Street. Before entering the workshop, we also spent time in a small museum where we were able to take photos, hence Oscar and I saying "Scram" above. Here we also got to see more puppets include the Fraggles, sit on an original Skeksis throne, and watch a puppetry demonstration by puppeteer Tyler Bunch. If you're a Muppets fan, I definitely recommend a visit.

Our plan for the afternoon had been to visit New York Transit Museum, but on the subway ride there we realized that it closed much earlier than we had anticipated. So, we got off the subway early and spent the afternoon in Brooklyn's DUMBO neighborhood. Here we ate pizza, took in the views over Manhattan, went on a bit of a mural hunt, and then walked back across the Manhattan Bridge. It may not be quite as picturesque as the Brooklyn Bridge, but we'd walked across that one on previous visits, so it was nice to take a different route.

We then spent some time in Little Italy shopping for souvenirs before heading back to the hotel for dinner. Now, it's not the most touristy option, but I'm a fan of hitting up Whole Foods for quick and easy meals when we travel, and as luck would have it, there was a Whole Foods right by our hotel on the corner of Bowery and Houston. I find Whole Foods a pretty convenient option for families because they have so many choices including sushi, soup, pizza, salad, and the hot bar. So, if everyone wants to eat something different, it gives us lots of options.

During our first few days in NYC, there was a Design Is Dead floral pop up installation right around the corner from our hotel. I never really worked out exactly what the purpose of the pop up was, but it involved large numbers of flowers, a wall covered in flowers for photo opportunities, and free bouquets. There was always a long line every time we walked past, but after we got back from Little Italy the line was very short, so Ava and I went and got ourselves a bouquet each. When we came back from getting dinner at Whole Foods the pop up was finishing up, and the staff allowed us to take as many flowers as we wanted. So I made a huge bouquet for the lady working the front desk in our hotel as she had been very helpful. Later during our stay, this same space was being prepared for a Grillo's Pickles pop up that we missed by a day. I was bummed to miss that one!

Day 3

We grabbed breakfast in the hotel before heading back across the river to Brooklyn. Did I mention that our hotel came with free breakfast? I actually haven't ever stayed in an NYC hotel that came with free breakfast, so this was a big money saver and also very convenient. Unlike other hotels that have a breakfast buffet and that gross drip coffee, Untitled at 3 Freeman Alley offers guests a pastry and beverage from the inhouse cafe. So, each morning we had tasty croissants, danishes and cheese pastries along with espresso drinks, matcha, hot chocolate and chai.

Ok, back to Brooklyn. Our destination this time was the New York Transit Museum. I originally didn't have this one on my list, but I'm so glad we ended up going there. In fact, the kids list it as one of their favorite places in New York. The museum is housed in an old subway station, so you enter via the subway stairs, just as if you were going to catch a train. The museum is filled with informative displays and artifacts that tell the story of the New York transit system, from the very first tunnels that we dug out, through today. The highlight is all of the old subway cars displayed on the tracks on the lower level. The kids had so much fun going from one subway car to the other, checking out all of the differences (they really liked wicker seats back in the day!), and the ads that plaster the walls of the trains. There were some pretty weird ads back in the 1940s through 1960s! My favorite was an ad for a range of ties called "Brown Whisper", which has become my new word for a fart! Yes, I'm childish, but seriously? Brown Whisper?!

After the Transit Museum, we hopped on a current subway and headed to Chelsea where we started walking along the Highline. The Highline is always one of my favorite places to visit when we're in NYC. It's so nice to walk above the streets surrounded by lush gardens. It doesn't hurt that the views over the city are always stunning. It's a great place to take a little break from the hustle and bustle of the streets below while still feeling a part of it all. Plus all those lush gardens provide a nice respite from the heat.

We stepped off the Highline a few times as we made our way north. Our first stop was to grab a bite to eat at Chelsea Market. The mango sticky rice that several restaurants in there were selling was the perfect mid afternoon treat. I mistakenly thought we'd share, but it was so good we ended up going back for one each! Then I took a slight detour to check out some amazing murals just off the Highline. Our last stop was Little Island. This was the first time the kids had been to Little Island as it was still under construction last time they visited NYC. We spent quite a while here checking out the gardens, taking in the views, and just taking a little break.

After Little Island we got back on the Highline and continued to our final destination for the day, The Edge observation deck at Hudson Yards. I like to check out a different observation deck each time we visit New York, and with The Edge being one of the newer options, it was one we hadn't been to before. During previous visits we've checked out the view from the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock and One World Trade Center. Like all of the other observation decks, the views over Manhattan and beyond were stunning. As the name suggests, The Edge observation deck sits on the edge of the building. You can see its triangular shape protruding in the photo above. One fun feature of The Edge is the glass floor. Now, it's not the whole floor, in case you were a little worried, but rather, a triangular section in the middle. So, if you're scared of heights, you can easily avoid it. I'm not scared of heights though, so the glass floor was the first place I went! We watched the sun set over New Jersey and the city light up as the sky darkened before heading back to the hotel.

Once again, we got back to our hotel quite late and none of us really felt like going out to eat, so we decided to gran an easy dinner from a street vendor. This one was a "meat on a stick" cart on the corner of Grand and Chrystie Streets and it was so good. We had chicken and duck skewers as well as grilled corn.

Day 4

The next morning Ava, Kim and I headed out for a walk to check out some murals in the local neighborhood. You know I'm a big fan of street art, so I'd prepared a little map of must see murals before our trip, and quite a few of them happened to be within easy walking distance of our LES neighborhood. Kim headed off to explore the Bronx while Ava and I made our way to Nata for Portuguese tarts (or pastel de nata, as they're actually called). We took the tarts back to the hotel to eat with Lola and Mathilde and play games in the courtyard, while killing time before the main event of the day.

The main event of our day was visiting Sloomoo Institute. You may have already seen our visit on Instagram (you can see it here). If you have slime obsessed kids, the Sloomoo is a must visit. The whole place is dedicated to slime! We made our own custom slimes, we played with giant containers of slime, we made music with slime, we walked on slime, and (my favorite!) we got slimed under Sloomoo Falls!

After Sloomoo we grabbed hot dogs and pretzels from a street vendor then did a little shopping before making our way to Stonewall National Monument. It was the first day of Pride Month, so I figured it would be a good day to visit. Unfortunately, it was also a Monday and the National Park visitor center is closed on Mondays, so no Junior Ranger badges this time around. Our visit did coincide with a flag raising ceremony just outside of Christopher Park though.

Our next stop was Magnolia Bakery for their delicious banana cream pudding. We then took the bus back to the Lower East Side and did a little shopping at the store Trash & Vaudeville before heading to a nearby noodle place for dinner.

Day 5

Our first time venturing to midtown on this trip!

We started our day by taking the subway to Central Park. We got off at Columbus Circle and I pointed out my "old apartment" in the Time Warner Building to the kids. Ok, so it wasn't really my apartment, but I did stay in the Time Warner Building for a month setting up my old boss' apartment back in 2006, so I like to pretend I lived there!

We spent a little time walking around in Central Park and hanging out on Umpire Rock. At one point I offered to take photos for a couple, and the next thing I knew the guy was proposing to the girl! So I filmed and took photos of their proposal for them. That was a totally unexpected moment! Nearby, an older man was filming what appeared to be a music video, which was also quite unexpected - and rather amusing!

We then took a stroll through the streets checking out all the sights and sounds of a much busier part of the city than we'd been experiencing so far.

I had been lucky enough to score a booking at the Jellycat Diner in FAO Schwarz - and by lucky, I mean I basically stalked the website for weeks hoping for a cancellation after it booked out within minutes! I managed to nab a spot just a few days before out trip, so my diligence paid off! At the Jellycat Diner the kids ordered a hot dog, cheesecake and waffles which were "cooked" by the friendly staff with a little help from the kids themselves. I also bought myself a Jellycat black and white cookie as a souvenir.

We then headed to the Rockefeller Center where we grabbed lunch and ate outside in the sun. I've always loved the art deco friezes on the Rockefeller Center, and with all the Pride flags gently waving in the breeze, the whole area felt extra pretty.

Then it was on to Times Square for a quick look. I must admit, Time Square isn't really my favorite place. I usually give it a miss when I visit New York, but it was right nearby and the kids wanted to go see it. We then headed to Central Station to check out the New York Transit Museum's gallery space. Here they had an exhibition of art created using old Metro cards. How cool is that dress in the photo below? We caught the subway from Central Station and headed back to the hotel where we dropped off our new Jellycat plushies and the rest of our shopping (souvenirs from Mure + Grand and NYC charms from Pandora) to get ready for our evening out.

A trip to New York wouldn't be complete without a Broadway show, and on this trip we went to see Book of Mormon. It was hilarious! We all really enjoyed it and the kids have been listening to the soundtrack ever since. We then checked out Times Square again at night before grabbing late night pizza slices at Artichoke Basille's. I was first introduced to Artichoke Basille's and their creamy artichoke pizza by a friend from New York when the first California location opened up near us in Berkeley. I make sure to grab a slice or two each time we're back in Berkely as well as when we visit New York. If you've never tried it, you must! It's like no other pizza I've ever had.

Day 6

Our last day in New York. Insert crying here.

I couldn't help but finish our stay in New York with something super touristy: a visit to Liberty and Ellis Island. Touristy? Yes - but definitely worth it!

The kids had never been to Liberty or Ellis Islands before and I'd only ever been to Liberty Island back in 2006, so it was a new adventure for us all. Security for the ferry ride has really ramped up since then, and I won't lie, it did put a bit of a dampener on our visit, but it was still worth it. Now, when I say security has ramped up, I mean it was stricter than TSA in the airport - even without TSA pre-check. It was also much slower. But we got through eventually and enjoyed the ferry ride out to Liberty Island. There's nothing quite like that feeling when Lady Liberty comes into closer view. She really is such a sight to behold - even if Ava kept commenting on how much bigger she expected her to be.

On Liberty Island we spent some time in the museum seeing artifacts from the statue's build process, the official opening, and even a few old parts like the old lamp pictured below. We also spent some time walking around the island, taking in the views over New York, New Jersey and the harbor.

I had hoped to book crown tickets, but they disappeared from my cart before I could pay for them, and unlike my good luck with stalking the Jellycat Diner webpage, not a single cancelation popped up for crown tickets during our stay. I did, however, book us pedestal tickets which allowed us to climb the stairs inside the stone pedestal and see the Statue of Liberty from her base.

Now, if I'd thought that security was strict to board the ferry, it had nothing on the security to climb the pedestal. This was much stricter and it took me three tries to successfully get through. On my first attempt I was told that my tiny travel sunscreen was not allowed. Then I was not allowed to bring my water bottle with me. Luckily, there are cheap lockers available to store such belongings, but it was a huge waste of time. I later learned that there was actually a sign with all the contraband items listed, however it faced away from the direction we'd been entering from, so I didn't see it until afterwards. Anyway, climbing the pedestal was pretty easy at only 215 steps, but in the heat and without water, I was feeling pretty dizzy by the time we reached the top. I really should have taken a big swig of my water before putting it in the locker. The view from the platform were pretty cool, and I loved seeing the statue from different angles, but the security drama definitely took away from it a little.

It was then back onto the ferry to Ellis Island. We didn't have quite as much time here as I'd hoped (all that time wasted in security lines added up to about an hour) so our visit was a little rushed. We grabbed a late lunch in the cafeteria, explore the grounds outside the museum, and checked out the immigration museum displays. For many visitors, checking out the immigration records to find ancestors is a highlight at Ellis Island, but given that we ARE the immigrants and we came via California, this part of the museum wasn't really relevant to us!

Back in Manhattan we grabbed coffee from Blue Bottle (our old Bay Area go to) and made our way back to the hotel one last time. I mentioned earlier that Freeman Alley is constantly changing with new murals going up pretty much every day. The courtyard entrance of Untitled is no different. As we arrived back at the hotel we got to watch a new Pride mural being painted. I have heard that this one is already gone, but thus is the nature of street art!