iKidNY » Harlem

Bank Street Bookstore – An Oasis For Little NYC Readers

Lara — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:26:15 +0000

Bank Street Bookstore bills itself as “New York’s best bookstore for and about children”, and they are not kidding. Bank Street is heaven on earth for New York City kids that love books (and their parents too!). A little two-story space tucked away on Broadway and 112th Street, this charming shop reminds me of what bookstores USED to be like before they all became chains. Bank Street caters to kids of all ages and offers rows and rows of carefully selected and well-organized books, games, DVD’s, and countless learning tools for kids. Bank Street’s very best asset is its amazingly knowledgeable and helpful staff. The staff knows the inventory inside and out and are willing to make suggestions or help you find whatever you need.

Bank Street boasts more than 60,000 titles in 17 languages and offers events throughout each month.

Bank Street Bookstore
Corner of 112th & Broadway
(212) 678-1654
www.bankstreetbooks.com

The Playgrounds of Riverside Park

Lara — Wed, 26 May 2010 02:23:08 +0000

With Central Park front and center in NYC, it’s no wonder that the Playgrounds of Riverside Park are sometimes neglected. Flee the masses over in Central Park and venture on over to the water, where you can discover (or re-discover) Riverside Park and it’s dynamite playgrounds.

Spanning from the Upper West Side through Central West Harlem, from 67th to 148th Street, Riverside Park offers fifteen different playgrounds for kids of all ages. Some have animal themes such as Elephant, Hippo, Dinosaur, and more. Be sure to visit the River Run Playground, where kids can play with a water-play replica of the Hudson River and the Little Engine Playground where they can actually play in a little engine. So venture out of your neighborhood, give your kids a little variety, and check them out sometime. You will not be sorry!

1) Little Engine Playground – 67th Street & Riverside Boulevard – Your kids can play in a playground “choo choo”!
2) Classic Playground – 75th Street near the river (public restroom)
3) Neufeld (Elephant) Playground – 76th Street & Riverside Drive (public restroom)
4) River Run Playground – 82nd Street near Riverside Drive (public restroom)
5) Hippo Playground – 91st Street near Riverside Drive (public restroom)
6) Dinosaur Playground – 97th Street & Riverside Drive (public restroom)
7) 105th Street Tot Lot – 105th Street & Riverside Drive (smaller playground)
110th Street Tot Lot – 110th Street & Riverside Drive (smaller playground)
9) 112th Street Tot Lot – 112th Street & Riverside Drive (smaller playground)
10) 117th Street Playground – 117th Street & Riverside Drive
11) Sakura Playground – 122nd Street & Riverside Drive
12) Claremont Dolphin Playground – 124th Street behind Grant’s Tomb (public restroom)
13) Riverbank (Camel) Playground – 143rd Street & Riverside Drive (public restroom)
14) Palisades Playground – 148th Street & Riverside Drive (small playground)
15) Ten Mile River (Beaver) Playground – 148th Street, west of Riverside Drive (public restroom)

Riverbank State Park – A world of fun over the Hudson River

Lara — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 21:16:58 +0000

Riverbank State Park, located in the heart of West Harlem, is a little known gem to many New Yorkers. This unique 28 acre park sits atop a pier over the Hudson River. Although a bit of an eye-sore at first glance, this park offers many great resources and great views. It includes an Olympic-size indoor pool, an outdoor pool, a covered skating rink for roller skating in the summer and ice-skating in the winter, a large outdoor theater, an amazing athletic complex with basketball courts and a fitness room, outdoor tennis and basketball courts, a full football field with a running track, and a fancy restaurant with views of the George Washington Bridge (with indoor and outdoor seating and jazz some nights) called The River Room. There is also a beautiful carousel for kids but it was being renovated last summer so hopefully it will re-open this year. There are great grassy areas to run around and picnic tables available. Best of all it’s a bargain (most activities are free) – swimming costs $2 for adults and $1 for children 5-15 (4 and under are free), Ice Skating $5 for adults and $3 for children, and roller skating is $1.50 and $6 for skate rentals. No dogs or bikes allowed.

Riverbank State Park
137th-145th Streets on Riverside Drive

Walking in a Harlem Wonderland!

Lara — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:39:12 +0000

Today, my 16 month-old son, enjoyed his very first Harlem snowfall. He woke up to our beautiful Hamilton Heights neighborhood covered in SNOW! Right away, he learned to say “no”, his version of “snow”. Would you like to go out in the snow, Caleb? “No”, he retorted!
We wrapped him up in his snow suit and took to the streets. It was time to explore this Harlem wonderland!

We made our way to a nearby park.

We sized up the snow. Hmmm this stuff is interesting… And cold!

We huddled together to keep warm…

We admired City College’s Tudor-style campus built in 1847 and wondered what Harlem looked like then.

We took in some of the glorious churches.

We walked along Convent Avenue, one of THE most stunning blocks in all of New York.

We stopped to say hello to a neighborhood dog who also was enjoying the snow.

We admired the still-fresh snow as we made our way back home.

Reminded why we moved to Harlem, we came in from the “no”, ready for some hot cocoa!