I speak from experience, raising two children in Manhattan. My kids have attended many birthday parties at Chelsea Piers over the years, and we’ve also had a few there ourselves.Suffice to say, it’s always great to be at Chelsea Piers with a kid, who immediately gets wide-eyed by the sheer spectacle of the place and the fun that awaits.
I’m going to give you my brief parental perspective on their parties, which are on different parts of their campus. (For the the age ranges and nitty gritty details, visit chelseapiers.com.)
Field House Parties: As I see it, this is their classic party. Kids go through a variety of gymnastic activities, with a fun ball pit awaiting them at the end. Parents get to watch from the party space above–a big bonus because you can observe while being apart.
Bowling Party: Managed by 300 New York, it’s a sleek, fun bowling alley with age-appropriate rubber-sided lanes as needed.
Sky Rink: We had one of my daughter’s birthday parties there one May. It was just very cool (so to speak) to be able to go to an indoor rink in spring. It’s a great facility, and the indoor factor makes the logistics of a skating party very manageable.
Golf Club: Whoever thought of setting up of a golf range on one of the old piers, with the rough illusion of whacking balls into the Hudson, deserves a statue. It’s a great way to expose young kids to golf, because kids love swinging at the balls whether they have golfed before or not.
All the parties come with a variety amenities and services to enhance the experience. If you schedule your next one there, feel free to invite me.
Eric Messinger is Editor of New York Family. He can be reached at emessinger@manhattanmedia.com
