credit: Central Park Zoo

When people call Manhattan “the center of the universe”, we find it hard to disagree. The diversity of people, businesses and entertainment options are unparalleled. There is just so much to see and to do! We asked a few of the parents at CBS New York to name their favorite Manhattan family attraction and there responses are below:

Central Park Zoo

www.centralparkzoo.com
64th Street and 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10021

Our pick for the perfect family zoo is the lovely, small one in Central Park.You get to see the sea lions get fed; the polar bears swim and the snow leopards prowl. There is also a children’s petting zoo with farm animals, a giant rope spider’s web, and animal sculptures to climb. They all combine to make this an amazing zoo outing that you can experience all in one day.

Toys’R'Us in Times Square

1514 Broadway
New York, NY
(212) 202-0651

Yes, it’s ridiculously crowded (good luck if you even try to go on the weekend). Yes, it’s over-priced (although we noticed on our last visit that they’ve added $3 and $5 bins of toys near the front. Bravo!) But for all that, there is nothing like the look on your kids’ faces when they first see that three-story indoor ferris wheel.. Magic. Another writer’s son is fanatical about their Thomas the Train area, where there is a fully accessorized train table for kids to reenact their Thomas adventures. Lastly, older kids and gamer adults will appreciate the “R” Zone that houses all of the latest video games.

American Museum of Natural History
The Rose Center

www.amnh.org
Central Park West at 79th Street
New York, NY, 10024-5192
(212) 769-5100

There is so much more than dinosaurs at AMNH. Take your family to the Hall of Minerals and Hall of Gems to see some the largest jewels in the world like the Star of India Sapphire. Explore the Rose Center for all things space related including finding out how much you’d weigh on the moon and watch Journey to the Stars an a spectacular new space show exploring the origins of the universe and what lies ahead with amazing images from telescopes worldwide and beyond.

A variety of bloggers with Mom in the City contributed to this post.