Downtown NYC Kids Neighborhood Guide

Downtown Manhattan is impossible to categorize, each neighborhood has its own distinct flavor: Chinatown, the Lower East Side, the West Village, Tribeca, Chelsea, just to name a few. Some not-to-be-missed family spots downtown are the Children's Museum of the Arts, the Rubin Museum of Art and Battery Park City. But that's just the beginning—there's so much to explore downtown. Hopefully the neighborhood guides, articles and other resources on this page will help spark your adventures.

Latest news from the area

Jun 18 2013

A Special Mommy Poppins Event: Fun-Filled Historic Harbor Cruise with Master Storyteller Bill Gordh and his Banjo

Things to do with kids: A Special Mommy Poppins Event: Fun-Filled Historic Harbor Cruise with Master Storyteller Bill Gordh and his Banjo

Taking a cruise on New York Harbor is one of our favorite summer activities in NYC. That's why we here at Mommy Poppins are excited to invite you and your kids to a very special event we're planning: Ships, Sails and Tales of the Sea with Bill Gordh & Manhattan by Sail. On Saturday, June 29 join us as we set sail back in time aboard the historic Clipper City Tall Ship on an activity-packed 90-minute excursion your entire family will enjoy.

During this fun outing, families will board Manhattan by Sail's historical Civil War-era cargo schooner Clipper City for an exciting voyage out of South Street Seaport. As we sail through New York Harbor, we'll enjoy amazing views of the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and other beloved NYC landmarks, plus there will be a stellar lineup of entertainment and enriching activities sponsored by top NYC institutions.

Read on to find out how you can snag tickets to Ships, Sails and Tales of the Sea with Bill Gordh & Manhattan by Sail—a day out on the water Mommy Poppins-style that you won't want to miss.

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Jun 16 2013

Take a Free Boat Ride on the Hudson at the North River Historic Ship Festival in Tribeca

Take a Free Boat Ride on the Hudson at the North River Historic Ship Festival in Tribeca

We love going on boat rides in New York Harbor but when those trips are FREE we enjoy them even more. This weekend, you can do just that at the fifth annual North River Historic Ship Festival in Tribeca. Vintage ships will dock at Hudson River Park's Pier 25 and host hands-on activities that celebrate NYC's rich maritime history, including tours of the vessels, live shows and FREE 45-minute cruises on select ships.

Organized by the nonprofit North River Historic Ship Society, the fest features five meticulously restored crafts including the John J. Harvey fireboat, the Lehigh Valley Barge No.79 (a.k.a. Red Hook, Brooklyn’s floating Waterfront Museum), the 1904 tugboat Pegasus and the Coast Guard Lighthouse Tender Lilac, the last steam-powered boat made in the U.S. back in 1933. The North River Historic Ship Festival is a great way to get out on the Hudson River while enjoying an up close look at these amazing antique boats. Plus, except for the Showboat Circus show, all activities are totally FREE. Of course the boat tours are extremely popular and book up fast. Read on to find out how to snag a spot and everything else you need to know about the fest.

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Jun 13 2013

Breaking: Spots Available at NYC Parks Experience Summer Camps, Possibly New York's Most Affordable Day Camp

Things to do with kids: Breaking: Spots Available at NYC Parks Experience Summer Camps, Possibly New York's Most Affordable Day Camp

With so many great summer day camps in NYC, finding a good one isn't an issue, but it's hard to find a camp that's as great a deal as NYC Parks Experience Summer Day Camp at just $500 for the entire summer. Usually parents have to enter a lottery to get a place at these coveted camps, but the Parks Department has given Mommy Poppins the inside scoop that there are some select spots still available.

Run by the New York City Parks Department, this seven-week program has multiple locations throughout the five boroughs. Campers enjoy outdoor adventures like hiking in local parks, a variety of sports including swimming, as well as educational activities like field trips to museums and other cultural destinations.

You can no longer apply through the Parks' Department website. The only way to snag one of these spots is with the information in this post. So read on to find out about NYC Parks Experience Summer Day Camp locations with availability, and how you can register your child.

Or check out other hot deals on cool summer camps where kids can engage in a wide range of activities, from chess to pottery to language immersion to circus.

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Jun 9 2013

Free Outdoor Movies for NYC Kids this Summer

Things to do with kids: Free Outdoor Movies for NYC Kids this Summer

Enjoying a free alfresco film is a rite of summer in New York City. Even if you go to see a flick you've watched a million times at home, it's a totally different experience viewing it in the open air alongside a couple hundred other movie lovers. It ends up being a pretty thrilling communal event.

A few outdoor movie series, like RiverFlicks for Kids in the West Village, are aimed specifically at children. But even the big grown-up ones like Bryant Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park's Syfy Movies With A View include a family-friendly screening or two. Plus this year, the Central Park Conservancy is asking New Yorkers to pick which movies they want to see for the park's annual August outdoor film festival!

Movies usually begin at dusk between 8-8:30pm but make sure you arrive early: The well known series fill up fast. Plus, sometimes there is cool, pre-movie entertainment. So pack a picnic, bring your blanket, sit back, relax and enjoy the show at one of these outdoor summer movie series in NYC.

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Jun 4 2013

Best Museum Exhibits for NYC Kids Summer 2013: 10 Awesome New Installations

Things to do with kids: Best Museum Exhibits for NYC Kids Summer 2013: 10 Awesome New Installations

While NYC offers tons of outdoor summer activities, sometimes you want your fun to come with a little air conditioning. Happily there are a slew of new museum exhibits this season that are perfect for families, so you can soak up some cool culture while literally staying cool.

We've got the scoop on ten awesome summer installations, many of which are interactive. Find out where your kids can get up close and personal with live frogs, stand in an indoor rainstorm without getting wet, collaborate with professional artists and more this summer.

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Jun 4 2013

Free Outdoor Kids' Summer Music Concert Series in New York City Parks

Things to do with kids: Free Outdoor Kids' Summer Music Concert Series in New York City Parks

While lots of New York City's fantastic summer performance series are kid appropriate, children know when an event isn't aimed directly at them. So while we totally encourage you to bring your preschoolers to hear the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera perform in Central Park, make sure you take them to a few outdoor concerts just for them, too.

Happily, that's easy to do in this town. NYC's kiddie music scene seems to get bigger every year. In fact, this season, there are almost as many free outdoor performance series for kids as there are for adults! We’ve got the scoop on the coolest under(play)ground concerts in New York City's parks, playgrounds and plazas. So grab a blanket, score a good spot and enjoy the tunes, weather permitting.

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Jun 2 2013

Free Outdoor Summer Music Festivals and Concerts in New York City

Things to do with kids: Free Outdoor Summer Music Festivals and Concerts in New York City

Although some New York City outdoor music and culture series are created specifically with children in mind, there are lots of grown-up ones that families can enjoy, too. At these wonderful alfresco events—most of which take place in parks and plazas—families can pack a picnic, stake out a spot, lay down a blanket and soak up some culture at no cost. Don't worry if the kids aren't totally into it; sit along the perimeter and let them run around, dance and play and they'll be happy.

While many of the series including SummerStage, Celebrate Brooklyn! and Lincoln Center Out of Doors host dedicated family days, it's worth browsing their full schedules. There's no minimum age to enjoy jazz, classical or rock, right?

We've rounded up the city's best free outdoor music and performance series and highlighted the events we think will be of particular interest to families.

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May 26 2013

30 NYC Festivals, Street Fairs and Carnivals for Families June 2013

Things to do with kids: 30 NYC Festivals, Street Fairs and Carnivals for Families June 2013

Thought there were a lot of festivals in April and May? Those months were dead compared to June, which has a head-spinning number of fantastic fairs, parades, carnivals and other fetes.

We're not talking about those random street fairs featuring overpriced tchotchkes. These are favorites we look forward to every year like the Ultimate Science Street Fair, Museum Mile, Egg Rolls & Egg Creams, Figment on Governors Island and Coney Island's iconic Mermaid Parade—all of which made our list of the top annual festivals for NYC families.

So go get your calendar: You're going to want to put some of these dates down. Here are 30 great family festivals for June 2013.

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