We just got back from four nights in New York City and it was a wild and fun adventure! Here are the details for this family trip from Kansas City to New York, NY.
Getting There: We flew direct on Southwest from MCI to Laguardia (60,000 points total for all four of us thanks to our Companion Passes). We used a private transfer from LGA to our hotel ($200 total round trip) and then got around by subway for the rest of the trip!
Lodging: We stayed at the Hyatt Place New York/Midtown South and it was a clean, basic hotel with free breakfast and great rooms for family. The location was very central (walking distance to Times Square) and it was a great home base! We paid a total of 80,000 points for four nights (cash price would have been around $1600).
What We Did: Even with mostly cloudy/rainy weather, we managed to squeeze in a ton of stuff to our 3.5 days! We bought four City Passes so we could save on some of the more expensive attractions and that definitely helped keep costs down.
One highlight were the observation decks. We visited both Top of the Rock and the Edge and they were such unique experiences! The glass platforms on the Edge were incredible and we had a beautiful clear afternoon so we got views of the river and the city. My kids loved getting on “The Beam” at Top of the Rock and recreating that iconic skyscraper photo!
Another favorite for us was exploring Central Park. We did a 30 minute pedi-cab tour and it was such a great way to explore the park! There were a lot of blooming trees and the weather was perfect for walking around. We loved seeing the lakes and the boys had so much fun playing at the Hecksher Playground.
My boys have heard a lot about Brooklyn from the Spiderman and Super Mario movies, so they were very excited to explore Brooklyn! We loved playing at the Main Street Playground by Pebble Beach in the DUMBO area and it was the perfect spot to take in beautiful city views.
We also spent time exploring Chinatown, Italy, Soho, Chelsea, and more! There were so many fun restaurants and places to visit and a few of our favorites were Joe’s Pizza and Ellen’s Stardust Diner in Times Square , Wo Hop in Chinatown, Dominque Ansel’s Bakery in Soho, Shake Shack, and Momofuku Noodle Bar.
This trip was busy and fun and a great chance for us to practice our “exploring a city” skills as a family. Our kids were able to see some iconic things they recognized and take in some amazing views.
New York may be a big city but it was the perfect place for a family to explore and we would love to go back one day!
If you’re interested in earning points, our favorite starter card would be a great place to start! The bonus from this card would help cover the cost of flights or hotels from a trip like this!
