Scandinavia House:
The Heimbold Family Children’s Learning Center is wonderful educational play space that introduces little New Yorkers to Scandinavian culture. When my son was a toddler this was our second home.  Great on cold or rainy days and nicely air conditioned in the summer, the bright and colorful playroom is filled with toy trains, legos, and a gorgeous reading nook filled with English and Nordic language books for children.  The kind of play room you would build for your child if you had room for it and even the most red-blooded American kid will love it.  

Adjacent to the Learning Center is their children’s exhibition space which changes about once a year.  Currently, they are exhibiting A Child’s Adventure in the Swedish Countryside: A Storybook Installation. The exhibits here are totally fanciful with dress up, pretend, reading spaces. This space introduced my son to the glorious creatures of Scandinavia: The Moomins.

Visit on a Saturday, they offer Storytelling at 11:00 for children aged 5 and older (they are serious about this – the children need to be able to sit and listen quietly to the story.) by the HC Andersen Storytellers, the same ones that tell stories in Central Park.  FREE.

Admission to the Children’s Learning Center and Gallery space is open to members only during the week (Tuesday through Friday 12:00 – 5:00 pm) and to the public on Saturdays (noon to 5:00 pm) for $5 per child.


The Morgan Library and Museum:
Recently renovated the Morgan is a nice place to go with a well behaved toddler for an hour or so, but, if you have a baby in a stroller you can stay all day.  Even slightly older kids can find something interesting here.  My pre-school aged son loves Mr. Morgan’s study and his beautiful library and we have also visited during the Bob Dylan and Babar exhibits, too.  And although I am recommending this as a place to go as a family, it is more of a grown up museum, it isn’t the Museum of Natural history and kids can’t run, yell or touch anything.  But I think it is nice to be calm and quiet for an hour or so and learn something new.  The space is open and airy and just nice to be in, try visiting during one of the family programs they offer elementary aged kids, and then get a bite in the lovely café when you are done.  

Glass Gardens, RUSK Institute:
Unfortunately, this garden has closed. This is one of our favorite places – in any weather.  Great for all ages, but I particularly liked bringing my son here as a toddler.  Our neighborhood playground is really huge and has no latching gates.  Totally fine for him now but as a toddler it was too stressful, so I would bring him over to the beautiful Glass Gardens where there is a small swing and toddler slides, a grassy hill, beautifully landscaped gardens, a giant sandbox with plenty of toys, concrete frogs that spray a fine mist of water during the nice weather, “Butterscotch” the live rabbit and an enormous weeping willow tree. A backyard utopia on East 34th Street.  Inside, is a magical greenhouse full of different kinds of plants, birds flying around and a fish pond.  My son is 5 and he hasn’t outgrown this special place yet.  

In the spring and fall The Glass Garden offers “Budding Gardeners” fantastic gardening and craft classes for little kids.

St Vartan Park:
This is our neighborhood park and the kids all have a great time here.  The playground is huge and open with room for running, riding bikes and scooters, chalk drawing and water balloon games. There are 2 play structures, tire swings, baby swings, balance beams and sit and spin things. In the summer there is a big sprinkler, too. For parents, there are also plenty of benches and place to sit, shade trees, picnic tables for lunch, and bathrooms.  Last summer a hot dog cart set up shop, which really annoyed me, until I needed a diet coke fix, then I saw him in a new light.

Outside the playground there is a baseball diamond where older kids ride bikes, scooters and electric thingies or play baseball.  There are also handball and basketball courts.  It isn’t state of the art but it is our local playground and every day around 3:00 pm the school kids descend and burn off all their pent up energy.  

The parks department also offers a mommy and me type preschool here in a very sweet schoolhouse located on the First Avenue side.  The school house can also be rented for birthday parties.  

Note: I personally find this park to be best suited for older kids.  It is very large and there are no latching gates because there is a driveway that the parks department uses for their vehicles.  The main play structure is very high, over 6 feet from the ground, and there is a large cement pit that is the sprinkler in the summer.  In my experience visiting with a toddler or new walker can be a little stressful. Maybe you saw me there – I was up on that play structure with him till he was 4 years old!
 

The Murray Hill Neighborhood Association gives tours of the historic district every year during their street fair and offer special tours during the year offer tours that allow you to enter some of our historic buildings. 

 

Eating in Murray Hill:
Murray Hill isn’t home to the epicurean wonderlands of other neighborhoods, but there are very few restaurants here that are not child friendly, which is good for me. 

Brother Jimmy’s:  Loud with giant televisions to entertain the kiddies.  Kids usually get a balloon when they leave.  It is empty during the afternoon for lunch and kids eat free from the kids menu!

Sarges Deli: There is no kids menu here but there is something for even the pickiest eater – hot dogs, knishes, blintzes, matzo ball soup or grilled cheese and french fries.  The dining room is large, low key and the staff really like kids or at least my kid.

Jackson Hole:
An inexpensive and casual place to get a burger and they offer a kids menu. Small and crowded at lunch time.

Vezzo Thin Crust Pizza:
This pizza restaurant makes really good pizza. I love the mushroom and truffle oil pie but it is only good for babies (in strollers) and older restaurant-ready kids. They don’t have high chairs or booster seats, so if you have a toddler in that in-between stage, still in a highchair and in need of tons of entertainment to get through a meal – go some place else.  

Patsy’s:
The famous New York micro chain offers delicious brick oven pizza and really good pasta dishes.  

Dukes:
The restaurant is noisy so no one will notice your kids here.  It is large but tightly packed and not stroller friendly at all. I used to go here with my son when he was a toddler so he could have some dinner and ice cream and I could have a beer with out any one looking at me funny.

Patrick Kavanagh’s
This is a pub, but they offer a great weekend brunch with child friendly options and they open really early to show British Premiere League Soccer which both the hubby and the son are obsessed with.   

Daniels Bagels:
Old school bagel joint that is always crowded, but the lines move fast.  Considered to be a contender for the “best bagel in Manhattan” title.  It is a great way to start your day or get lunch – more on the menu than just bagels. Friendly service and the bagels are made in house, right in the back; you can see the ovens and feel the steam.  

La Salle Ice Cream:
A tiny ice cream shop with lots of ice cream, gelato and sorbet choices that are exquisitely displayed.  They have a few seats inside and a few seats outside.  A fun stop for a treat or coffee but not really stroller friendly.

 

Find some more neighborhood itineraries or check our neighborhood guides from he links a the top of the page.