NYC in December with 4 kids

all the details!!!

I’ve gotten a lot of questions about our New York City trip, so I wanted to put everything in one place — what worked, what didn’t, and what I’d absolutely do again. In short, this trip was incredible. NYC at Christmas is absolute magic and we got to do some many fun things with the kids.

Where We Stayed

We stayed at M Social Times Square, the same hotel I stayed at previously with Scout back in 2022. I chose it again for a few practical reasons: we could get adjoining rooms, request a Times Square view, and one of the rooms had a bathtub. There was also great closet space for winter coats.

Nothing about the hotel was overly fancy, but it was perfect for what we needed. We slept well every night, and with kids, that really matters.

---

Day 1 — Saturday: Arrival, a Limo(!!!), and Times Square

We arrived on Saturday, which in hindsight was both great and intense. I had gone back and forth about renting a limo as a surprise for the kids — something they’d never expect me to do. While planning, I realized Johnny’s best friend was also in NYC that day for his 10th birthday, so I schemed with his mom and rented the limo hourly so we could pick them up and ride around the city together.

The kids absolutely loved it. They felt very Kevin McAlister in Home Alone 2. That said, it was a Saturday afternoon in NYC, and traffic was insane. The limo moved at a snail’s pace.

We stopped at Bleecker Street Pizza, and by the time we got our food, we had about 15 minutes left on the limo and were nowhere near our hotel. So we unloaded all our bags and took the subway instead.

This was the hilarious high and the low of the day.
The high: surprising the kids and creating a core memory with one of JR’s best buds.
The low: taking the subway into Times Square at peak Christmas chaos with six carry-ons, a stroller, and friends who were now stuck navigating it with us (Sorry again, Liz!)

It was stressful in the moment and thankfully something we could laugh about in hindsight. That night, we walked through Times Square, which was overwhelming with young kids on a Saturday night. Lines were long, crowds were thick, and everyone was gripping wrists. We grabbed ice cream and headed back to the hotel for room service french fries. A month later, and Alberta still brings up the room service french fries!

---

Day 2 — Sunday: Snow, Central Park, and The Lion King

Sunday morning we woke up to SNOW, which felt magical. Times Square was almost deserted, and the kids played in it for a bit. My biggest fail of the trip was not packing waterproof shoes. Jackets were fine. Shoes were not.

We had breakfast at the hotel (something we did multiple mornings because it was easy, had an amazing view, and kids ate half price). Less decision-making in the morning felt like a gift.

We took the subway to the American Museum of Natural History right when it opened. It wasn’t crowded, and walking through it felt calm and enjoyable. When we exited into Central Park, it was covered in fresh snow. This ended up being the biggest highlight of the entire trip.

Even though gloves and shoes were soaked, everyone loved it. We stayed until everyone was freezing, then headed back to the hotel where I spent an hour blow-drying shoes.

That night we had an early dinner at Gatsby’s Landing before seeing The Lion King. Cozy, great food, and a kids’ menu — it was perfect. We went to the 6:30 show which they offer on Sat/Sun (an 8 pm start would not have worked). It’s definitely the most kid‑friendly Broadway show, though Alberta eventually fell asleep in Nate’s lap. Tip: they offer seat cushions for kids so they can see better!

Half the group loved the show. Half would have been fine skipping it. That felt very on brand for traveling with kids.

Note: another great option would have been the Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall. It’s shorter and has a ton of showtimes. We opted not to do this because Scout and I did it last time and I was the only one who had ever seen the Lion King and that was over 20 years ago.

---

Day 3 — Monday: Rockefeller Center, Shopping, and Museum of Ice Cream

Monday morning we woke up early again and walked to Rockefeller Center before the stores opened. We saw the tree and ice skaters without crowds, then lined up for the American Girl Store right at 10 am. Luckily, the kids didn’t care too much about FAO Schwartz, which had a line around the block.

Each child got to shop somewhere they cared about:

• American Girl for Millie and Alberta

• Zara for Scout

• Nintendo Store for John Robert

Their grandparents surprised them with spending money, which made this extra special since they didn’t even know the trip was happening ahead of time.

One of my college besties, Lindsey, met us to walk around and eat lunch! She lives in NYC with her husband and two kids — so brave! It was wonderful to get to catch up and spend some time with her, and Scout (my city girl) just gazed at her in adoration.

We headed to SoHo for the Museum of Ice Cream. The kids mostly loved it; Nate and I found it underwhelming. That said, the sprinkle pit entertained the girls for 30 minutes, which alone made it worth it.

We wandered SoHo, popped into a city Target (Target with an escalator?!) and Adidas, then headed back to the hotel to regroup.

Dinner that night was Indian food at Saar, which ended up being one of the best meals of the trip. Cozy, authentic, and a great way to stretch the kids’ palates while still ordering things they’d eat.

Back in the room, Home Alone was on TV. Perfection.

---

Day 4 — Tuesday: Bagels, Bryant Park, and Heading Home

Tuesday morning we skipped hotel breakfast and walked to a bagel shop so the kids could have a real New York bagel experience.

After packing and checking out, we left our bags at the hotel and took the subway to Bryant Park right as it opened. No crowds, no lines — hot chocolate, donuts, ice skating, and little shops. This trip confirmed that early mornings are everything in NYC.

We walked to the New York Public Library, which Nate really wanted to see. It’s stunning, though the kids were a little disappointed to learn the children’s collection is in a separate museum we didn’t have time to visit.

From there: subway back to the hotel, Duane Reade snacks, Uber to the airport, and a (praise the Lord) smooth trip home.

---

Biggest Wins

• Our hotel setup

• Six carry-ons, no checked bags

• Using the subway (wayyy faster and cheaper than Ubers)

• Early morning wake ups to get to things as they opened (We tried to go to the M&M store on Saturday afternoon and the line was around the block; went on Sunday and could get in no problem. For so many stores, it all came down to timing.)

• Snow in Central Park!!!!!!!

• Letting each child choose a store they cared about

---

What I’m Glad We Packed

• Sound machine for the kids (NYC is loud)

• Portable phone charger (using the navigation apps drains your battery)

• Cash for tipping

• Hot Hands hand warmers

• Cheap fleece scarves (great for the kids and low stress when we inevitably lost one on the subway)

• AirTags for each child (this gave me some extra peace of mind)

• Extra socks

• A borrowed stroller (Alberta was a trooper but this was great to have for longer days and to use as a place to pile coats when we went into stores)

• Warm coats. I loved mine and the ones I got for the girls were super warm and the bright colors helped me keep track of them!

What I Wish I’d Packed

• Waterproof shoes or a second pair. My shoes, however, were perfection.

---

What We Didn’t Do I Thought We Would

• Central Park carriage ride

• The Plaza Hotel / Eloise display

• Fifth Avenue window displays

I loved getting to do the carriage ride with Scout back in 2022, but the snow changed everything, and it wasn’t the right thing to prioritize. We simply ran out of time to do it all.

---

Final Thoughts

Managing expectations between kids was the hardest part. Someone was always tired, cold, bored, or disappointed. But overall, they learned to go with the flow, and so did we.

All in all, it went better than I ever imagined. It was more fun than I imagined. And it was incredibly special for our family.

I just loved it!!