Olivia Jeanette

Traveling to New York City, particularly if it’s your first time, can be somewhat overwhelming at times. Trying to get out of the airport in a timely fashion is one thing but getting into the city without traffic is few and far between. That being said, it’s an amazing city and worth any hassle. It is also a great place to bring your kids and there is no shortage of things to do. I complied a few tips that will make life easier strolling around our great city with your baby. If you need to help on what to pack on your way to NYC, check out my post here and here are useful tips when traveling with baby!

Here are our 10 Tips You Need to Know When Traveling to NYC with a Baby:

1. Carseat

This is up to you. If you take a cab from the airport, you will need a car seat. Once in the city, though, a lot of folks here don’t use a car seat when traveling around the city. It is legal to ride with your child without a car seat. We tend to use it most times because it attaches to the stroller. Completely up to you.

2. Stroller

A must. New York City is actually a very easy city to get around in and quite baby friendly. Bring a lightweight stroller. You will be out and about all day and folding and unfolding the stroller. A big, heavy stroller is simply not practical here.

3. Don’t overpack

Tends to be a good rule most times but you don’t want to drag around giant luggage around this city. Plus, our airports tend not be the most efficient so always carry-on when possible. Check out what we typically pack for Sebastian here.

4. Diaper Changer

This is perhaps our absolute favorite baby gift we received. We bring it everywhere with us. It’s by SkipHop. Wherever we are in city, when we need to change Sebastian, we just lay him down on the diaper changer. It easily folds and clips shut for easy storage. Perfect for running around NYC all day.Changing Stations or lack there of: You will find that a lot of bathrooms don’t have your standard changing station. So be prepared for that. It makes the diaper changer all that more valuable.

5. Parks

There are so many cool parks in the city and nearly all of them have a playground for the little ones. Central Park is absolutely stunning and always a place to go and relax. A few other great parks are Riverside park, Bryant Park (behind the NYPL), Madison Square Park and Washington Square Park. It’s amazing how quiet it can be inside the parks with all the controlled chaos going on right around you.

6. Call Your Hotel

Be sure and ask your hotel for a refrigerator (breast milk), crib and/or a playpen. You’d be surprised, most hotels are family friendly and will have what you need.

7. Walking

You can walk everywhere here and a lot of people do. The city is just a giant grid with landmarks and things to do in every neighborhood. It’s the perfect way to see New York City.

8. Subway, taxi and buses

The subway is always a great option, but if you have a stroller and you’re by yourself, it can be difficult. We typically take a taxi when we’re with Sebastian or we just walk. Those options tend to just be more practical most times. Buses are also great. You don’t have to worry about having a car seat, no stairs and they have air-condition!

9. Go out to eat early

We learned this the hard way. Now that Sebastian is mobile, he wants to put his hands on everything . The best piece of advice I can give anyone, go to lunch or dinner EARLY.  As soon as they open for lunch or as soon as they have the dinner menu available. Yes, you might not have the cool NYC vibe, but you will have an empty restaurant and servers who (most likely) just started their shift. They’ll be in a good mood and happy to help you with all the extra baby stuff us parents need when taking a baby out to eat.

A side note, I’m working on putting together baby friendly restaurants in the city!

10. Ask for help

This should probably be #1. New York people get a bad rap. Most people are very pleasant and more than happy to help. You would be amazed at what you can find out when you ask. We have gotten some really cool recommendations when needed something and didn’t feel like asking our phones were to eat 🙂

Have fun out there and let me know any tips I need to add to the list. Have a great finish to the week!

xo, Olivia