This summer, I spent an Awesome Day in Chelsea with Jane, Thomas and William (ages three to seven).  We began at Chelsea Market, where we lunched early at a deli before the work crowds arrived.  The kids enjoyed sitting at the deli window counter, and loved having a tourist snap a picture of them through the window. 

Next we hit Eleni's, Ruthy's and Fat Witch to browse through the shelves of show-stopping baked goods and candy.  We settled on tie-dyed lollipops from Eleni's (to eat after dinner) and cupcakes from Ruthy's (to eat as soon as possible!).  We tossed pennies in the market fountain and examined the captivating, unusual artwork that fills the hall.  The hardworking bakers in the windows of Amy's Bread and Sarabeth's were also fun to watch. 

Another favorite stop was Posman Books, where we hung out in the children's section and bought funny $1 mini-buttons.  The kids were delighted by the whimsical items in Anthropologie, and we managed to just look without buying or breaking. 

Next, we ventured out to Hudson River Park.  With older kids, I would have walked from Chelsea Market to the water, but I decided that my group could use a short taxi break.  We got out at the end of West 22nd and headed straight to the skatepark at Pier 62.  Some raindrops fell, so no one was skate boarding, but we loved looking at the park and imagining what it is like to fly up and down those steep slopes.  We sat by the water and enjoyed our delicious cupcakes from the market. 

Next, we spent several minutes examining each animal masterpiece on the Pier 62 carousel. The kids read the names above every animal.  They thoroughly enjoyed their rides, which came complete with rocking tunes, and breath-taking city and water views. 

The light rain convinced us to move on to Chelsea Piers, where, through floor-to-ceiling windows, we cheered on kids in gymnastics and soccer classes.  We made our way to 300 New York, which is the super cool and very clean bowling alley at Chelsea Piers.  We watched some bowling, made a promise to return to bowl another day, and stepped over to Game On. 

Game On is the modern, but low-key (and also clean!) video arcade located in 300 New York.  At the arcade, we spent $5 and won several treasures before leaving to the hit The High Line.  The rain had stopped, and we leisurely walked from Pier 60 to The High Line's 18th Street entrance. 

Climbing the stairs was thrilling for the kids, since it seemed like we would never get to the top.  When we finally did reach the summit, the views and art were amazing.  We spent a lot of time pointing out special sites, which included everything from a stacked parking lot to stunning modern architecture.  The kids skipped, walked backwards, tripped and laughed the whole way to the 14th Street entrance.  There, we descended, and ended, our Awesome Day in our favorite city!

More Awesome Days:

An Awesome Day in New York City-Things to Do in Southern Central Park

My Awesome Day: Batter Up! Checking out a Brooklyn Cyclones Game on Coney Island

My Awesome Day: Free Bike Fridays on Governor's Island

My Awesome Day: Playing in the Fountain at Washington Square Park