If You Go: New York City With Kids

 We have taken so many fabulous trips to New York!   Below are our most favorite stops: 

Hotel

Kimberly Hotel:  We love this hotel in midtown East – it’s a convenient walk to many places (Times Square, Bryant Park) but also has many MTA spots nearby.  Best of all, the family suites have a closing door for the living room +  bedroom so the kids have their own space and it’s rather spacious for NYC standards.

Things to Do

Natural History Museum.  We spent nearly a whole day here in 2024 and both of our girls absolutely loved it.  The architecture of the recent renovation is truly stunning – the girls loved the dinosaurs and insects exhibits.  We bought add on exhibits for the butterfly room and the light show and both were big hits (girls were 2 + 5).  We also really enjoyed this and easily could have spent a second day!

Central Park Zoo.  We have been twice – it’s a small zoo and could easily be done in 2 hours but super fun!  Girgirls enjoyed the red panda and penguins especially.  Also note that there is a small farm exhibit about 10 minutes away included in your ticket and our girls enjoyed this when they were little. 

MoMa.  We enjoyed a cool, very rainy day at Moma.  Moma has so much famous, modern art – from Warhol to Haring and everything in between.  For kids, there’s an awesome kids art area in the basement that both of our girls enjoyed. Q did a bunch of magnetic art and B enjoyed tracing with light projections.

Highline:  We love walking the Highline from the Whitney to Hudson Yards.  The views of the city are great and the girls always found interesting things to see (checking into people’s windows, the sculptures, etc.).  At the end of the highline is Hudson Yards and the incredible Vessel installation which is truly an incredible work of art.  To take a break off the highline, hop off at:  

Pier 62 Carousel.   The girls loved riding the Pier 62 Carousel and the views of the city for photos are awesome.  Also, there is an awesome playground in this park – the Chelsea Waterslide Playground – it’s truly one of a kind!

Little Island.  We stopped at the Little Island shortly after it opened – it’s a GREAT place for the kids to run around the architecture of it (unclaimed spaced!) is truly amazing.  The views are also fantastic – this is near Chelsea Market so a great spot to stop before or after lunch

 

Places to Eat – Kid Friendly

Chelsea Market [Near Little Island]. If you’re checking out Little Island, grab lunch at Chelsea Market.  So many amazing vendors and high quality food here – you’ll be able to find something for everyone.  Plus, the shopping nearby is super fun!

Gallows Green [Near Chelsea / Little Island].  This is the coolest open rooftop restaurant / bar – we took the girls for brunch here and they loved it.  It’s like eating in a rooftop garden, complete with swings and special hiding spots!  The food was also lovely, though slightly pricey! Note that in the evenings this is a hopping bar, so a great adult happy hour

Eataly [Multiple Locations]: We all can find something we love at Little Eataly.  Pasta, pizza, cheese plates, lovely wine! We have been to the Eataly in the Flat Iron district and the financial district (and in Milan) and every meal has ben delicious

Mercado Little Spain [Highline / Hudson Yards].  This is a Jose Andres Spanish food court – I have been here twice (once for work and once with the kids) – something for everyone and always great to have our famous Spanish tapas – patatas bravas, montaditos, and corquettas (YUM!)

Ellen’s Stardust Diner [Time Square]: This is a 24 hour diner that has all sorts of off-broadway singers who sing broadway songs while you enjoy a meal.  It can get a long line, so try to get in super early on a weekday morning if you can

Essa-Bagel [Midtown East].  Right near the Kimberly is Essabagel – this is my favorite bagel spot in NYC and their chive cream cheese is divine

Places to Eat – Non Kid Friendly

Serra – Eataly.  This is a gorgeous rooftop restaurant that has seasonal changes of décor.  I went with girlfriends at Christmas and it was truly lovely and festive.  They do flowers in the spring, etc.  Plus, the food is fabulous, Italian

Becco – Theatre District.  This is a Lydia Bastianich restaurant near the Broadway Theatre.  We’ve been twice and both times got the unlimited pasta sampler and both times were wildly impressed.  The ambiance is fantastic and they can

Angel – Queens.  This is a really amazing Indian restaurant.  Note that this is in the Jackson Heights neighborhood which is full of Indian stores, restaurants, and people!  This is where P was born and it was fun seeing where his family lived

If You Go: Loire Valley

We had the best time on our days exploring the Loire Valley.  We stayed in the city of Tours - which was a great base for the trip.  The adorable city had lots of shops and restaurants filled the town and everything was quite walkable.  Best of all, we stayed across from their incredible food hall filled with fresh pastries, fruits, meats, and all sorts of other French treats.  

Things to Do 

Over our four days in the Loire Valley, these were our major chateaus - every one of them was magnificent and unique in its own way and I would highly recommend all of them.  Note that for all except Amboise, you'll need to rent a car to be able to reach them from tours: 

Chateau Villandry.  This chateau had some of the most beautiful gardens I've ever seen!  Gorgeous, manicured flower gardens, a hedge maze, and a pond filled with swans.  Highly recommend getting above the gardens - either at the top of the chateau or on a terrace to be able to appreciate the gorgeous gardens.

Chateau Chambord,  The biggest, most elegant chateau - the architecture of this stunning palace was incredible.  This chateau includes a kids play area inside and many rooms to roam through - the central staircase is a masterpiece 

Chateau Amboise. Set in a perfect medieval town, we visited on a perfect blue sky day.  Truly a magnificent property - it has gorgeous gardens and beautiful views of the Loire from every terrace 

Chateau Chenonceux.  This is an incredible work of architectural genius- a chateau that spans the entire Loire River width with two stories raised high above the river filled with a dance hall and portrait gallery.  Even a visit in the pour rain was a delight and you could cross the river through the house to get photos of the magnificent chateau from both sides of the river.  At one point there was a Medici who helped build the vision so it's reminscent of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence 

Meals 

All of our best meals in the region were leisurely lunches after mornings at the chateaus - the evenings were more casual, meals in the city of Tours - this schedule worked well for the littles and allowed us to try some really unique country restaurants 

Chateau Chenonceaux - Orangerie.  The restaurant was on the grounds of the chateau - the food and the ambiance were magnficant.  We had a gorgeous pre-fixed menu with wines from the grounds; they also had a gogeous kids menu.  We were able to get in without reservations, but I would recommend them (we went on the early side) 

L'Etape Gourmet [Near Chateau Villandry].  This is a gorgeous gourmet farm restaurant with a small menu, beautiful farm-based terrace, and delightful service.  The food was beautiful - we enjoyed a three course tasting menu with a beautiful scallop salad, pork, and gorgeous dessert - but it also has a small farm yard on the grounds. The girls enjoyed seeing the sheep, goat, and chicken friends on the property. 

Le Parvis [Near Chateau Amboise].  Tucked around the corner from the Chateau in a cozy restaurant - this restaurant has a woodfired grill filled with beautiful meats.  Both Prasad and I enjoyed lovely skewered beef with great char and flavor; the girls enjoyed hamburgers of their own.  This was really a treat and one of my favorite meals of the trip - I would recommend reservations 

Standout Restaurants 

If You Go: Paris with Kids

 Restaurants 

Eating with littles means that we are trying to find good food, quick so enjoyed lots of quick brassiere 

• Relais Entrecôte. My favorite Parisian spot - and my 40th birthday choice.  The most delicious steak frites with their secret sauce and beautiful, fancy desserts 
• La Coupole. Gorgeous, large brasserie in Montparnasse.  They are famous for their huge seafood towers which we didn’t order (but regretted!).  I had fabulous mussels and Prasad had a lamb curry that had a very special way of serving. Reservations recommended
• Madame Pamapa. Had a beautiful breakfast at this cafe that’s colored in pink flowers and feathers.  The girls loved it!
• Bouillon Charter.  Prasad’s French colleague introduced us to this charmingly Parisian chain - the food is served lightning fast, super French and very inexpensive.  Highly recommend the escargot to start and the proliffetores. Come when they open or be prepared to wait in line for a long while 

Things to Do

• Devour Food Tour.  A fabulous food tour with 8 stops throughout the Marais district. We picked this one as it was rated as kid friendly but not entirely geared to kids so the food was still fab.  My favorite stops were Jean-Paul Hevin for macaroons (best I have ever had…went back for a box) and an onion soup place! 
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• Jardin d’Acclimation.  If you have little kids (our girls are now 5 and almost 2) - this is the most perfect, whimsical stop.  The rides are largely wooden and charming, there are dozens of playgrounds, several petting zoo areas and peacocks roam the grounds.  Get an unlimited rides pass online (much cheaper than day of)..plus…it’s home to…
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• Fundation Louis Vuitton. Frank Gehry’s first building in Europe, this place is a masterpiece.  When we were there there were no exhibits on - but tickets allowed you to walk through this gorgeous space and enjoy the views.
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• Seine Cruise - Vedette.  We went on a lovely cruise of the seine around Paris through vedette. We did a one hour family cruise which was great and we enjoyed the views from the top of the ship.  If our girls were bigger (and could swim) we would probably have enjoyed the private cruises you can get as well…maybe for my 50th
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• l'Orangerie Museum.  A small, gorgeous museums on the grounds of the Tuileries.
• Monet’s water lilies are housed there, a great museum for littles, you can get through it in about 30 minutes 
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• Montparnasse Tower. If you stay in this neighborhood- this is about 56 stories up and includes both an open air and windowed viewing area with awesome views of the city.  If you are staying in Montparnasse or otherwise want to spend time here, a great spot.  If you just are coming for this, probably other places in Paris where time is better spent

If You Go: Strasbourg

 We loved Strasbourg. It is like walking in a fairytale with gorgeous 14th and 15th century structures nestled along canals.  The food was fabulous and unique mixture of German and French. If you are local to the DC area, Chez L’Auberge offers this style of food (and is one of my favorite occasion spots!)

Back to Strasbourg, we especially loved:

• Modern Art Museum:  Great collection featuring some fun modern surprises and some classics (Monet, Kandinsky).  It was not  huge so perfect to get through with the girls and the staff was super accommodating of our stroller, etc.
• Alsatian Museum:  Our daughter loved this museum and was convinced it was sleeping beauty’s house since it included both a spindle and winding stairs.  The architecture of this is the really amazing part of this experience- like stepping back in time
• Carousel: The historic carousel in Plaza Gutenberg is beautiful and our girls rode every day of our 3 day stop. 
• Day Trip to Colmar:  If Strasbourg is a fairytale, Colmar is next level! With gorgeous pastel colors and decor, it was absolutely stunning - just a half hour train from Strasbourg 

Lots of great spots for Alsatian food around the city.  Two stand outs from our time: 

• Mama Bubblele.  Restaurant dedicated to the tarte flambé right on the river. Highly recommend the truffle brie tarte flambé and their dessert flambé.  The first time we tried to go, it was full with reservation only. The second time, we made a reservation and they turned away anyone who didn’t have one - so make a reservation! 
• Drunken Storky Social Club.  This restaurant was super modern, hip and cool…and served food at 5 pm without reservation (many French restaurants don’t open until 7). The menu is modern + super accommodating with kids. I had a gorgeous duck dish and prasad had a Cesar.  Also, their bar is stand out- I had a Paloma spritz that was fab

In Colmar: 

• Winstub Petit Venice. Beautiful meal in Colmar, we both ordered a steak dish and it was perfectly done on a skewer 

If You Go: Milan

 It has been so long since I last posted!  We took the girls on a 3 week tour of northern Italy. My recommendations below are all relatively kid-friendly, but I would also recommend for non-parent friends!  We loved that Milan is filled with concept stores, beautiful sights, and gorgeous food.  Also...the smell of courtyards filled with jasmine and honeysuckle.  The below - real life!!!

Places to Eat and Drink 

Cafe 

• Prinici Bakery, This is a small Italian chain breakfast cafe - there is another one in Chelsea NYC.  The coffee is strong and the pastries are amazing.  Try a cornetto and highly recommend the breadbask.  Also, OJ is fresh squeezed.  Perfection!   
• Rinascente Terrace. After you see the Duomo, stop into the world-class Department store next door, Rinascente (think, Italian Harrod's).  On the 7th floor, there is a terrace cafe with incredible views of the Duomo...and mid morning it was empty.  Perfect stop for a tea and juice (for the littles) with world class views. 

Happy Hour 

• 10 Corso Como. We stopped by these beautiful cafe - they have such fancy drinks and mocktails and each drink comes with fancy "tapas" like snacks that the girls loved.  The girls enjoyed fancy lemonades and the courtyard is so picturesque. 

Meals 

• Osteria Da Fortunata. This was our favorite meal in Milan - the food was SO good and you can see them making the pasta in the back!    I loved it so much, I went to their other restaurant in Bologna 
• Peck. This is a very very fancy grocery store not far from the Duomo.  We picked up lots of treats to take home (risotto, truffle butter, etc.) - but they have a fabulous restaurant that was fabulous for lunch.  The girls and I enjoyed a lovely lunch with risotto, a charcuterie board, and a fabulous prosecco 
• La Proscuitteria. A fabulous restaurant specializing in charcuterie plates.  Picture perfect and delicious.  

Favorite Stops in Milan 

Beyond the typical stops, highly recommend the following: 

• Fundazione Prada.  One of my most favorite modern art museums - the architecture was incredible and the exhibits were AMAZING - a Koonz sculpture and a few fun surprises 
• Brera Gardens. Gorgeous "secret" gardens - perfect for a small dinner picnic and the girls enjoyed exploring it 
• Figus Purses. I researched best purses (non-designer) and this small leather shop on Corso Garibaldi popped up - I saw their "lab" (aka where they make the purses). 

If You Go: Cotswolds

We loved our time in the Cotswolds....I wish we had a week instead of 3 days!  So much to see and do.  But...below are the deets:

Air BnB 

Air BnB - Northleach: We stayed at a lovely two bedroom cottage in the adorable village of Northleach.  It was next door to a lovely Michelin guide listed restaurant and a short walk from a grocery store and wine bar.  Great spot for exploring the Cotswolds.

Restaurants 

Wheatsheaf Inn: Right in Northleach, down from the cottage we stayed in was the amazing Wheatsheaf Inn.  P maintains that it was the best lamb he has had in his life and I loved my cauliflower steak.  Fancy and a bit pricey, but well worth it!

Red Lion - Chipping Norton: A decent pub that was a great stopping point before we hiked around Chipping Norton fields

Things To Do 

Roman Baths: Seeing the Roman Baths in the city of Bath was truly amazing.  It was a reminder of how advanced the Romans were and how far their empire reached!

Bleinheim Palace: The birthplace of Winston Churchill and the home of the Duke of Marlborough this is one of the fanciest homes in England.  Just gorgeous inside and out!

Village Hopping: The thing to do in the Cotswolds...hopping from village to village seeing the beautiful stone homes, ancient thatched roofs, and green rolling hills.  We didn't have nearly enough time...but it was a lovely day!

Picturesque + Quaint Cotswolds

I am so behind in blog posting.  We're trying to make the most of these last weeks here in England and between friends, family, and personal travel, there has not been as much time for blogging as I would have liked! 

...but we did make it to the Cotswolds and it was just as beautiful as we expected it to be! We were blessed with some beautiful weather as we toured the famed Blenheim Place (where Churchill was born and many Dukes of Marlborough have lived), hiked through some of the most beautiful countryside, and visited the roman baths in Bath.  We had a couple of friends in town who are embarking on a round-the-world tour, so it was wonderful to welcome them to the island and show them why we have loved living here.

So without further comment...the picturesque Cotswolds:

First, a stop at Blenheim Palace.  It housed one of the most magnificent libraries I have visited and the manicured gardens provided a perfect spot to pose:

Speaking on manicured gardens...their hedge maze was really incredible.  Like Hampton Court, but with better spots to capture the experience:

The front gate with our friends Karen and David...we lucked out and had very few other tourists there:

How cute is this village pub with ivy covered walls and a small trout farm:

We stayed in the small village of Northleach and happened upon this incredible church in a town of ~200. Amazing

We lucked out with Daffodil season, they were everywhere!

No surprise, but P took out his drone and captured an aerial view of one of the beautiful villages in the Cotwolds:

On our hike, we loved seeing the adorable lambs of the season:

Our final stop was the city of Bath where there are some incredibly well-preserved Roman Baths.  The size and detail of the Baths impressed us: