Visiting NYC

Dumbo has long been one of our favorite areas to roam, and throughout April we'll be exploring the neighborhood's best places to eat, shop and play with kids.

Short for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, Dumbo is a cool artsy area located mainly between the majestic Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges, and spilling a bit further East. This former industrial nabe is now a cultural hot spot filled with lots of family attractions, including the stunning waterfront Brooklyn Bridge Park, which is home to Jane's Carousel, treat spots like Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory and Dewey's Candy Store, adorable children's boutiques, family-friendly restaurants, and lots of opportunities for kids to enjoy movies, music and art, or get creative themselves. So many families have moved to the area over the past decade, it even has a very active Dumbo Parents Organization listserv.

Although you can get to Dumbo by subway (the A or C to High Street or the F to York Street are the closest stops), walking or biking across the Brooklyn Bridge, or taking a Water Taxi or the East River Ferry will get you closer and they are all more picturesque journeys. From Jay to Old Fulton Streets, Prospect Street to the East River, here are our top 40 things to do with kids in Dumbo.

So far during our month-long focus on Harlem, we've shared our favorite things to do, places to shop and spots to eat with kids in the neighborhood. Now we come to one of Harlem's biggest attractions: its stunning public parks.

There are six major parks in Harlem, including Riverbank State Park, the northern end of Central Park, and the historic St. Nicholas and Morningside Parks. These aren't piddly little spaces. Together, their amenities include one carousel, one historic house, two lakes, two ice-skating rinks, three amphitheaters, five swimming pools, and a slew of ball courts, playgrounds and sprawling green fields dotted with trees. Come with us on a photo tour of these six urban oases.

Ever since my daughter and I took the super-cool backstage tour of Radio City Music Hall, I've been on the lookout for similar behind-the-scenes experiences. Since the Broadway show Wicked is my daughter's absolute favorite musical (we wore out two CDs of the original cast before I got smart and downloaded the songs), I figured its Behind the Emerald Curtain tour would feel like a magical trip to Oz.

With so many big Broadway musicals aimed at families like The Lion King and Mary Poppins, I assumed lots of shows offered this kind of behind-the-scenes tour. I was wrong. Right now Wicked is the only Broadway production that invites fans to see all of the incredible work that goes on offstage. And since it's hosted by two current cast members, you can ask them anything you've ever wanted to know about life upon the Wicked stage and what it's like to be on Broadway.

Over the past few years, Harlem has become a real foodie destination, with celebrity restauranteurs like Cedric Lecendre and Marcus Samuelsson opening up much buzzed about eateries. And even though Cedric Bistro and Red Rooster are better for date night than brunch with the kids, many Harlem restaurants do cater to families.

So we continue our month-long focus on Harlem with a roundup of the best kid-friendly restaurants in Harlem, all endorsed by local families. From old-school standards like soul food stalwarts Sylvia's and Miss Maude's to popular newbies like Lido and 5 and Diamond, here are our top 13 places to eat with kids in Harlem.

Having afternoon tea (popularly called high tea in New York) can be a fun outing with kids whether you are celebrating a special occasion or looking for a memorable part of your visit to New York. This is especially a great winter outing in New York that puts you in the mood of old victorian New York, particularly fitting during Christmastime.

There are several places that do high tea in New York City each with varying degrees of appropriateness for children of various ages. From the Eloise Tea at the Plaza Hotel for big bucks to the funky afternoon tea served at Moby's East Village tea spot, there are teas great for kids of all ages and parents of all budgets. We took kids to each of them and here's what we thought:

(PS. Taking kids for afternoon tea is a great birthday party idea.)