In this edition of our biweekly links post, you'll get the scoop on a brand-new bus giving you easy access to cool Long Island City culture spots, an overhauled rec center in Washington Heights and a new East Village ice cream parlor with super-funky flavors. Plus: a swanky crafts studio has significantly lowered its prices, the Metropolitan Museum has a new art scavenger hunt and find out how you can feed hungry NYC kids by skipping lunch this week.

All parents dread their little ones getting sick, but, hey, it happens. And when it happens late at night, over the weekend, or on a holiday when your child’s pediatrician isn’t around, it can be a real nightmare. After all, who wants to have to deal with the chaos of the local ER, where you can be waiting for hours with tons of other people? Luckily, PM Pediatrics is open 365 days a year until midnight. There's no appointment needed, and the typical wait time is 15 minutes or less. Even better: It caters solely to children and young adults, so the staff is well-equipped for treating a variety of childhood illnesses, as well as handling scared, moody, and tantrum-throwing kids (who can blame them?). 

All parents dread their little ones getting sick, but, hey, it happens. And when it happens late at night, over the weekend, or on a holiday when your child’s pediatrician isn’t around, it can be a real nightmare. After all, who wants to have to deal with the chaos of the local ER, where you can be waiting for hours with tons of other people? Luckily, PM Pediatrics is open 365 days a year until midnight. There's no appointment needed, and the typical wait time is 15 minutes or less. Even better: It caters solely to children and young adults, so the staff is well-equipped for treating a variety of childhood illnesses, as well as handling scared, moody, and tantrum-throwing kids (who can blame them?). 

Once spring hits I could jump for joy; no more germ ridden, crowded indoor play-spaces! After my joyous display of enthusiasm, my kids and I sit down and make our spring and summer bucket list; places we want to visit before the weather gets chilly. Skylands Botanical garden is on the list every year, and we go as many times as possible.

While there's plenty to do in NYC with kids on any weekend including Memorial Day, lots of families like to celebrate the unofficial start of summer with a fun-filled day or weekend trip out of town. In the past, we've rounded up Pennsylvania getaways that are far enough away to feel like bona fide vacations without the plane ride. But there are lots of closer destinations in New Jersey that are just as engaging but with less time spent cooped up in the car/train/bus.

From nearby spots like Jersey City's enriching Liberty Science Center, which you can do in a day via public transportation, to relaxing multi-day jaunts filled with sand, surf and rides on the Jersey Shore, we've got the goods on where to go in the Garden State this Memorial Day or any summer weekend.

You can find more vacation inspiration in our NYC Day Trips Guide and on our Travel site.

Finding the perfect birthday party place takes a lot of planning and consideration. How many children can they accommodate? Is it unique enough? Does it interest my child? Several Long Island museums offer customizable kids' party packages that are engaging, educational and energizing. For other cool ideas on where to host your child's party, check out our Long Island Party Guide.

With all of the amazing things there are to do with kids in NYC, it's no wonder that a slew of children's books are set right here in the Big Apple. We've written about a bunch of our favorites in the past, and even rounded up kids' books about NYC museums to help families get excited about visiting MoMA, the Met and the Guggenheim.

However, in honor of Children's Book Week (coming up May 12 to 18), we decided to write a new post featuring five history-filled NYC picture books that we hope will inspire enriching family outings. Three of these titles recount real-life NYC events. The other two, though fictional, give a peek at what life was like on the Lower East Side and Upper East Side circa 1900 and 1960, respectively. All are wonderful jumping off points to spark your own NYC adventures.