New York, New Jersey & Pennsylvania - Eastern USA - page 141

tionary War. An isolated spot until the end of the 19th century, it attracted New Yorkers
sniffing out affordable rents. Still, this neighborhood manages to retain its Latino -
mainly Dominican - flavor, and is an interesting mix of blocks that alternate between
former downtowners and longtime residents who operate within a tight, warm commu-
nity.
Cloisters MUSEUM
( 212-923-3700; www.metmuseum.org/cloisters ; Fort Tryon Park, at 190th St; suggested admis-
sion adult/child $25/free; 10am-5:30pm Sun-Thu, to 9pm Fri & Sat; A to 190th St) Con-
structed in the 1930s using stones and fragments from several French and Spanish medi-
eval monasteries, the romantic, castle-like creation houses medieval frescoes, tapestries,
courtyards, gardens and paintings, and has commanding views of the Hudson. The walk
from the subway stop to the museum through Fort Tryon Park offers stupendous views
of the Hudson River; rock climbers head here for practice.
NEW YORK FOR CHILDREN
Contrary to popular belief, New York can be a pretty child-friendly city. Cutting-
edge playgrounds have proliferated from Union Square to Battery Park and, of
course, the city's major parks, including Central Park (check out Heckscher, Ad-
venture and Ancient playgrounds), have them in abundance. There are at least as
many attractions that will appeal to toddlers and tweens as there are for adults,
from the two children's museums - Children's Museum of Manhattan MAP
GOOGLE MAP ( www.cmom.org ; 212 W 83rd St btwn Amsterdam Ave & Broadway; admission $11;
10am-5pm Sun-Fri, to 7pm Sat; ; B, C to 81st St-Museum of Natural History; 1 to 86th St) and
the Brooklyn Children's Museum ( www.brooklynkids.org ; 145 Brooklyn Ave at St Marks Ave,
Crown Heights; admission $9; 10am-5pm, closed Mon; ; C to Kingston-Throop Aves, 3 to King-
ston Ave) - to the Central Park and Bronx zoos to the Coney Island aquarium. The
boat ride to Lady Liberty or a Circle Line cruise offers the opportunity to chug
around New York Harbor and the riverside Intrepid, Sea, Air & Space Museum has
kid-friendly exhibits. Vintage carousels can be found in Bryant Park, Central Park
and Brooklyn Bridge Park. Times Square's themed megastores and their neighbor-
ing kid-friendly restaurants are easy options. And of course delis and diners with
quick sandwiches and extensive menus are everywhere. Check out the weekend
Arts section of the New York Timesfor kid-themed events and performances.