Alina Adams

Alina Adams - NYC Writer

Alina was born in the former Soviet Union, spent her teen years in San Francisco, and came to New York City to work for ABC Daytime and ABC Sports. She spent her pre-marriage/pre-kid years as a figure-skating researcher and producer for the U.S. and World Championships, the 1998 Olympics in Nagano and various professional shows.

After learning that international travel and resentful toddlers don’t mix, she switched to PGP Productions and its soap operas As the World Turns and Guiding Light, where she wrote New York Times best-selling tie-in books and developed interactive properties like AnotherWorldToday.com.

The birth of her third child (and the process of enrolling her two older kids into NYC schools—a full-time job in itself!) convinced Alina that she was not, in fact, Superwoman, and prompted her to leave TV and turn to writing books, including romance novels (Counterpoint: An Interactive Family Saga, When a Man Loves a Woman), figure-skating mysteries (Murder on Ice, On Thin Ice) and nonfiction (Soap Opera 451: A Time Capsule of Daytime Drama’s Greatest Moments).

In addition to contributing to Mommy Poppins, Alina blogs for Jewish parenting site Kveller.com and is in the process of turning her previously published backlist into enhanced e-books with multimedia features like audio, video and more. Follow her exhaustive and exhausting efforts to become a Mommy Media Mogul (is that a thing? If it isn’t, it really should be) at AlinaAdams.com and on Google+

Latest posts by Alina

News: Free Art Classes for NYC Teens, Kid Circus Performers & Mom Storytellers Wanted, Disney's Frozen Coming to Broadway

Submitted by Alina Adams on Tue, 01/21/2014 - 11:00am

We've got a little something for all ages this week, from online kindergarten applications to FREE art classes for high schoolers, to auditions for a kids' circus spectacle and a mom-themed storytelling show (yes, mothers, for once you can be in the spotlight). Plus: One of our favorite Brooklyn ice cream parlors announces a second location, the Brooklyn Children's Museum plans a goodbye party for its beloved python, Disney says Frozen is coming to Broadway, find out when tickets for the New York International Children's Film Festival and Off Broadway Week go on sale, and more.

Celebrate the Super Bowl with NYC Kids: 6 Cool Ways to Enjoy Family Football Fever

Submitted by Alina Adams on Mon, 01/20/2014 - 3:00pm

Although the big game is taking place across the river in New Jersey, NYC has full-on Super Bowl fever. And while watching the main event at a loud raucous bar may not be so great for kids, there's lots of local football-themed fun leading up to the game that's super-family-friendly.

From interactive NFL installations at the Children's Museum of Manhattan and the Liberty Science Center, to a star-studded tween-friendly party on the Hudson to a slew of FREE activities at Times Square's Super Bowl Boulevard, here are the top six ways to celebrate Super Bowl mania with kids in New York City.

News: 2-for-1 Broadway Tickets, New Fort Washington Park Playground, All the Small Businesses That Have Closed in NYC Since 2001

Submitted by Alina Adams on Tue, 01/07/2014 - 10:00am

All of NYC's a stage, and all the men and women (and especially children) merely players. Today's news roundup includes details on three awesome theater deals, including two-for-one tickets to Broadway shows, info on the brand-new playground in Fort Washington Park, a new aerial arts program for kids and the scoop on a soon-to-open board game lab in Park Slope. Plus, the end of an era for horse-drawn carriages in Central Park and a look back at all the small businesses that have closed in NYC since 2001.

Resources for NYC Dads: Meet-ups, Listservs & Support Groups for Fathers

Submitted by Alina Adams on Mon, 01/06/2014 - 3:00pm

We don't want to say that dads are the new moms because that sounds like some line you'd see in the ads for that awful new Fox sitcom. But fathers certainly are everywhere you look these days, beaming at ballet class, wiping boogers at the playground, and not just on weekends, either. New York City is definitely a hands-on dad kind of town every day of the week.

But just like moms, dads need support, too, whether just to hang with their peers or something more formal. Here are some great resources for New York City fathers of all stripes.

NYC Gyms with Childcare: Where to Work Out With Kids in Tow

Submitted by Alina Adams on Mon, 01/06/2014 - 10:00am

As the New Year approached, a number of our readers emailed us asking if we knew of any New York City gyms with childcare. With a gym seemingly on every corner in Manhattan, it's no surprise that a bunch of them do offer childcare services.

So whenever you resolve to get in shape (January or otherwise), don't sweat it. Here's a list of NYC gyms that allow parents to work out without shelling out big bucks for a private babysitter.

News: School Bus Woes, Discount Tix to the Rockettes' New Show, Massive YMCA Set to Open in Rockaway, Queens

Submitted by Alina Adams on Tue, 12/24/2013 - 9:00am

The year may be coming to a close but we have lots to look forward to in 2014 including auditions for scholarships at a prestigious dance program, a brand-new show from the Radio City Rockettes and the opening of a huge new YMCA in Rockaway, Queens. Of course, not all the news is good: We've got closures to report and a school bus shakeup that, thankfully, looks like it won't be anywhere near as traumatic as the strike earlier this year.

Pediatric ERs in NYC: Best Emergency Rooms for Kids in Manhattan

Submitted by Alina Adams on Thu, 12/12/2013 - 9:00am

'Tis the season... for children to cut themselves on broken ornaments, burn themselves on melting candles and crash their sleds into inconveniently placed trees. (What? Just my kids?) But really, any season has the potential for injury or illness. So even though it's not something we parents like to think about, it's important to know where to find an emergency room.

But when it comes to kids, not all emergency rooms are created equal. If at all possible, it's best to bring children to a pediatric ER where the staff is specifically trained to deal with the anatomical, physiological and psychological issues unique to kids.

This being New York City where we have everything, you probably won't be surprised to hear that we've got lots of pediatric ERs throughout the five boroughs. There are so many in fact, we decided to start with a list of pediatric ERs in Manhattan. You can find our follow-up list of pediatric ERs in the outer boroughs here. Obviously, when you've got a bleeding, wheezing or otherwise in distress child on your hands, you won't have time to go online, so jot the nearest one down on your emergency contact list—and then hope you'll never need to visit.

News: Apply to Free Summer Camps, Governors Island to Be Open Seven Days a Week Next Summer, Prospect Park Ice Rink Set to Debut

Submitted by Alina Adams on Tue, 12/10/2013 - 9:00am

This edition of our biweekly links roundup has news you can use in winter, spring and even next summer! So read on for info on Brooklyn's soon-to-open rinks in Prospect Park, a pair of FREE summer camps currently accepting applications, big changes for Governors Island, some good (it will now be open seven days a week in summer), some not (the ferry is no longer free), plus other notable openings, closings and happenings on NYC's family scene.

Alina Adams

Latest posts by Alina

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