Neighborhood Staycation

Be it far or near, traveling is something we are very fortunate to have become accustomed to. I feel blessed to have exposed my kids to so much, and it’s that time together we cherish, resulting in lasting memories. With all my travel, many readers ask for recommendations on places to stay in New York City. I am currently working on a SITC guide to New York City, but in the meantime, I am happy to reply to each individual inquiry, as everyone’s needs vary, especially when it comes to choosing uptown vs downtown locations. For us, I am partial to the downtown area because we live here, so we are very familiar with the routine. I can probably name every park, restaurant, and kid friendly activity down here in my sleep. No joke!

One hotel that I frequently recommend is Conrad New York. Loads of friends have had great experiences during their stays, and we’ve enjoyed family brunches there on a number of occasions. After all the times of suggesting it to others, I thought it would be great to stay over, to get the full experience. Last Friday after school, we walked over to the Conrad New York, for our weekend staycation. In all of our in-town hotel stays, this trip was the first that we could actually get to by walking, which was pretty cool.

After we dropped our bags, the front desk suggested we visit the Urban Farm, located in South Battery Park. The Battery Urban Farm is an educational farm where New York City’s students, residents, and visitors learn about sustainable farming techniques, the joys of tasting new foods, and their role as environmental stewards. The farm was started in 2011 by The Battery Conservancy in partnership with the Environmental Club at Millennium High School. Since its inception, thousands of students and community volunteers helped grow thousands of pounds of vegetables, fruits, herbs, grains, and flowers. My family and I know the Farm extremely well, because Ryder’s first grade class made weeks excursions there, to plant and learn, and Siella also visited it on a field trip last year.

From the Urban Farm, we strolled over to my favorite new installation in the hood, the Seaglass Carousel. The kids and I haven’t been there as often as I’d expected, but whenever we have friends in town, we always suggest they bring their kids for a whirl. The fiberglass fish on this ride were custom designed, and each one is internally illuminated with color-changing LED light fixtures. It truly is a magical experience for the kiddies, even parents. Guests who are staying at the Conrad can enjoy discounted tickets for carousel admission.

Following our early evening romp downtown, we headed back over to the Conrad’s restaurant, Atrio for dinner. Having been there for a number of brunches, and even a date night or two, Jason and I were already huge fans. Their Mediterranean-inspired cuisine is served from an open kitchen, in the middle of the dining room. We’ve sampled their children’s menu in the past, and love that they offer healthy options, in addition to the staple children’s menu entrees.

For a cocktail with the skyline in the background, Although we didn’t go this time, the Loopy Doopy bar is located on the hotel’s rooftop. Their signature Prosecco & Ice Pop cocktail consists of a fruity People’s Pop, topped with chilled Prosecco or Rose. The rooftop is kid friendly too, but by the time we were finished with our dinner, it was a bit too late to head upstairs this time. We’ve been there countless times in the past, and I 100% recommend it!

After our delish dinner, we headed back to our room, to find three little robes and slippers lined up for the kiddies, along with the Conrad mascot bull doll stuffed in the robe pockets. The kids were lounging in their robes, playing with their new stuffed friends, so we asked room service to bring up some sweets before we turned in.

Our room type for this stay was a Deluxe Suite, and with a contemporary two-room layout, it was ideal for a large family. The bedroom had 2 double beds, and the separate living room came with a full size pull out couch, so we all fit comfortably. There was even a wet bar, which is something we will have to go back to enjoy, sans kids!

The next morning, it was back to Atrio for breakfast, before back to back soccer games for Ryder and Siella. After the games, it started to drizzle, so we took advantage of the movie theatre located in the same building as the hotel.

I have to say, it was pretty neat staycationing in our neighborhood all weekend. After years of recommending the Conrad New York, I was very please to see that they lived up to its rave reviews. And my little traveling trio surely approve!

Hotel and accommodations were provided by the Conrad Hotel.