Destination: New York City Activity Sidekick

We have curated some fun additions for your fun in the City That Never Sleeps!

Food & Decoration Ideas

  • NYC is so well known for its street food.  Why not serve up some great large sliced pizza, pretzels and hotdogs, ice cream
  • Have everyone wear their walking shoes since New Yorkers are famous for all the walking they do in the city.
  • Have some sparklers handy for an evening celebration
  • Watch a Broadway show 
  • Let the guys watch a pre-recorded Mets or Yankees ball game
  • Make a Yellow Cab Taxi for a photo opportunity
  • New York City is skyscrapers, the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings, and those iconic yellow taxicabs. But you can make it simple with the subway map made famous by Massimo Vignelli, newspapers, and that ever-present red apple!

Passport and Stamp

Keep up with all the fun destinations by printing this passport booklet. Each destination will have a stamp the resident can color to cut and glue to the passport.


Virtual Tours & YouTube Links


New York Family Movie Suggestions

  • Spider-Man (2002)
  • Oliver & Company (1988) G, Animation, Adventure, Comedy
  • Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) PG Adventure, Comedy, Crime
  • Stuart Little (1999) PG, Adventure, Comedy, Family
  • Little Fugitive (1953) NR, Drama, Family
  • A Little Princess (1995) G, Drama, Family, Fantasy
  • The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) G, Adventure, Comedy, Drama
  • Annie 1982, PG Comedy, Drama, Family
  • Night at the Museum (2006)PG, Adventure, Comedy, Family

Movies That Will Transport you to NYC

  • King Kong 1950 or 2005 PG-13, Action, Adventure, Drama
  • Rear Window 1954 PG Mystery, Thriller
  • The Apartment 1960, NR, Classic Comedy, Drama, Romance
  • Breakfast at Tiffany’s 1961, NR, Classic Comedy, Drama, Romance
  • West Side Story 1961, NR, Classic Crime, Drama, Musical
  • Funny Girl 1968, G, Classic Biography, Comedy, Drama
  • The Godfather (1972) R, Crime, Drama
  • The Godfather: Part II (1974) R, Crime Drama
  • Ghostbusters (1984) Action, Comedy, Fantasy
  • Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), PG-13, Comedy, Drama
  • Moonstruck (1987), PG, Comedy, Drama, Romance
  • Big (1988), PG, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
  • Men in Black (1997), PG-13, Action, Adventure, Comedy
  • You’ve Got Mail (1998), PG, Comedy, Drama, Romance
  • 13 Going on 30 (2004), PG-13, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
  • Rent (2005), PG-13, Drama, Musical, Romance
  • The Devil Wears Prada (2006), PG-13, Comedy, Drama
  • Man on Wire (2008), PG-13, Documentary, Biography, Crime

Music Suggestions

Top 10 Songs About New York City (YouTube)

  • Empire State of Mind (Part II), Broken Down – Alicia Keys
  • New York, New York (It’s a Wonderful Town) – Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin
  • Hey There Delilah, Plain White T’s
  • Autumn in New York, Billie Holiday
  • New York Minute, Don Henley
  • Down and Out in New York City, James Brown, the J.B.s
  • Living for the City, Stevie Wonder
  • Take the “A” Train, Duke Ellington
  • New York State of Mind, Billy Joel
  • The Theme from New York, New York, Frank Sinatra
  • Rhinestone Cowboy, Glen Campbell
  • On Broadway, George Benson

Spotify has a Light Jazz NY Playlist (search for New York Jazz Cafe)


Book Suggestions

Fiction

“City on Fire”, Garth Risk Hallberg – This National Bestseller is told through the multiple perspectives of interweaving lives. Hallberg creates a grand vision of New York in the 1970s, centered around a shooting in Central Park and the blackout of 1977. These characters range from wealthy heirs, teenage punk wannabes, a magazine reporter, detective, neighbors, and lovers. How they are connected, and what they all have to do with the shooting is a story that cannot be missed.

“You”, Caroline Kepnes – Everyone and their Uncle’s best friend is going bonkers for the book that inspired the show that is now in its second season on Netflix. Joe is just your average guy working in a bookstore when someone of the female variety piques his interest. In walks Beck and he’s instantly drawn to her. His interest quickly becomes an obsession as he tries desperately to be a part of her life.

“New York, Actually”, Sarah Morgan – This book has romance and dogs. If you know me at all then you know that is definitely a winning combo for me. The main character, Molly, has a dog that she regularly walks in Central Park. Daniel sees Molly in the park and to get her attention, he borrows a dog.

“New York Christmas”, Anne Perry – This book reads like an old fashioned whodunnit, it’s a light and fun read. It’s a short book so the pace seems a little quick and the story somewhat underdeveloped. However, it’s a fun murder mystery with a splash of romance. And it’s set in New York City at Christmas time.

“The Appearance of Annie Van Sinderen” – Katherine Howe – Wes is a film student at NYU helping out his buddy film a séance when he runs into a captivating girl who he’s desperate to find. One, because his buddy needs a signed photo consent form from her and two because well, he’s a young guy interested in this captivating girl. This girl, Annie, proves difficult to find.

Perhaps it’s because she’s from 1825? So yeah, their relationship defines, “It’s complicated.” Somehow though Annie finds herself in present-day New York City so she and Wes are able to connect. What could she be doing there? Unfinished business?

Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and The Dawn of the Modern Woman by Sam Wasson – Wasson takes us behind the scenes of the making of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. We get to read about it from all the angles- Truman Capote, the producers, writers, actors, everything! We meet Audrey at the start of her career and see her path to her iconic role. Also get to learn about the women who inspired Truman Capote’s Holly Golightly and then we follow along his path as well. We learn fun little tidbits like what a diva George Peppard was, how Truman Capote wanted Marilyn Monroe for Holly Golightly, and Audrey’s insecurities about playing Holly.