Contributing Writers Nancy Ryerson and Melanie
Dostis
Union Square Park is more than a bustling axis of downtown Manhattan. Surrounded on all sides by shops and at-the-ready
grub hubs, the park is a paradise of options for kids and parents. On any day,
kiddos can frolic on the playground, watch impromptu street performances on the
south side of the park and grab ice cream from a parked truck (Big Gay Ice
Cream Truck – how we adore you!). But throughout the summer, the park hosts
events to help make a trip downtown even more special. So hop on the 4, 5, 6,
N, Q, R or L trains (whew!) and enjoy a day at this great green-space. —
Summer In The Square
Every Thursday (until
August 11), Union
Square
hosts a pair of activities for families.Start off the morning with Mommy and Me Yoga at 10am, then at noon, relax or rock out to kiddie bands like Anna Banana Bread, Baby Loves
Disco and Little Groove.
If you arrive at the park
early in the morning or later in the evening, Union Square also offers events for adults. Start off your day
at 7am with Running 101, stretch into downward dog at 8am or get your heart racing at 9am with an adrenaline-pumping cardio boot camp. (Then
push that stroller with your super strength!) The park also hosts evening
concerts, usually at 6 pm. On Thursday, June 30, you can catch the cast of Broadway’s Million Dollar Quartet at 4:30pm and synth rockers The Aviation Orange at 6 pm. For a full list of events, click
here.
To The Market We Go
Introduce kids to new
fruits and veggies and show them that food doesn’t magically appear in the
supermarket (or on their plate). Snag fresh summer fruits like strawberries,
peaches and watermelon. Or grab local treats, like chocolate milk from Ronnybrook Dairy on Wednesdays and
Saturdays or maple syrup cotton candy from Deep Mountain Maple on
Fridays and Saturdays. With any luck, your kids will conclude that farm fresh
snacks put junk food to shame!
Give A Little (And Learn A Little, Too)
Dig in the dirt, help
plant pretty flowers, and compete for who can pick up the most trash –doesn’t
volunteering sound like fun? Union Square offers volunteer opportunities all-year- round,
like community clean-up or planting days. Click here to find
out how to give back and keep the park looking dandy.
While you’re at it, learn
about the place in which you’re playing, volunteering or eating with a Union Square “Crossroads of New York” walking tour. This free tour starts
at the Abraham Lincoln statue near 16th St. every Saturday at 2pm.
Follow your guide and learn about the people, history and architecture of this
hot spot of urban space.
Chat And Chew
Between the walking and the grooving, you’ll need to chow down at some point! Try
the chic likes of Coffee Shop
that sprawls onto the 16th Street sidewalk facing the park. It’s a fun and relatively
inexpensive pick with its pancakes, milkshakes and kid-friendly diner fare—not
to mention the placemats and crayons for coloring while you wait for your food
at outdoor tables (in the summer sun, no less!) For Southern-style comfort eats, check
out the laid back barbeque at Chat-n-Chew,
which also has a kid’s menu (boasting cutesie items like a teenie weenie mac
‘n’ cheese.)
Stop, Sit and Read
The area surrounding Union Square has tons of fun shops for tots to explore if the
fam is looking to beat the heat. Every Sunday at 2:30pm, Barnes and Noble hosts storytime (accompanied
by crafts!) for the bookish. Just be sure to call ahead for the story of the
week. For more literary adventure, head a few blocks uptown to 18th St. between Fifth and Sixth Avenue to Books
of Wonder, the city’s oldest and largest independent bookstore. Get
nostalgic by discovering out-of-print and rare books from your childhood (we
hear Gulliver’s Travels calling) and
don’t miss out on their kid events, like the storybook author signings. The
nearby Strand books, just a hop
and a skip away on Broadway also hosts storytelling events and crafts in their
second floor children’s section. Afterwards, you can take your tyke on a tour
of literature through the store’s maze-like, towering shelves. Check their calendar for a complete list of
family-friendly events.
In more of a playful mood?
Head to Kidding Around on 15th Street, an independently-owned toy store that is bursting
with gifts and gadgets (for all ages) that encourage both learning and play. With
science kits, puzzles and puppets…there’s a plaything for the kid inside us all.
P-L-A-Y
The cool place for all the kids to hang at in Union Square is of course the playground. The 15,000-square-foot playspace was revamped in 2009 to make it bigger, modern and more fun. It succeeded! This wonderland of a playground boasts rugged rock features, a shiny silver mini mountain to climb (the city’s one and only), futuristic monkey bars, and summer showers that turn the pavilion into a miniature water park! Your tots won’t be able to take their eyes off the “nest,” the hot spot’s very own version of the classic teacup ride. Whisper all types of silly things through the tunnels and unlike other parks, the ground is decked out with checkerboard rubber tiles that ensure safe playing! Despite the recommended age range of 1-12 years, Union Square Park playground is guaranteed to have even parents wanting to get in on the fun.
