The Greyline New York Sightseeing Bus was a wonderful experience for our family, so much that we coerced friends of ours to join us! I travelled with my husband, an adult friend, and our kids: 11, 8, 6, and 1.5 years old. There are 4 different loops to ride and so much to see, with great tour guides informing you of important and noteworthy sights along the way. Though the baby slept much of the time, the older kids enjoyed riding up top, the adults loved the information and everyone found a new way to see the city we call home.

Highlights:

Obviously, the tour’s best part is riding in the open air on a double-decker bus. I found that I noticed far more details about NY from a higher vantage point, my son loved waving to the people below and one of the older kids, a fact-lover, was in his element.

The tour guides are so informative! One liberally sprinkled his commentary with personal anecdotes; another gave us so much information we would have loved to write it all down. The facts on buildings, churches, city enclaves, and neighborhoods are astounding. I’ve lived in New York for almost 7 years and I learned so much.

Lowlights:

The narrow stairs to the top level are steep; a woman with a disability had difficulty navigating them, and there is some waiting as people get on or off the tour.

There aren’t uniform rules regarding rain. On one loop, our guide handed out ponchos at the threat of rain, on another, passengers went downstairs to wait out the shower without ponchos.

One tour guide gave noticeably less information than the others. Having had two fantastic guides before him, we were a little upset.

Some seats have better views. Downstairs seats have limited views, and on buses with an upper level covered partially with plexiglass, it is difficult to see out because of scratches.

Recommended ages:

The tour is perfect for adults and I’d recommend it for kids older than 9. If your child loves facts and celebrities, or riding buses, I would strongly consider this. Very few young kids were on the tours. Mine didn’t like riding the bus for 3 hours straight on the Uptown tour, but liked when we hopped on and off the Downtown tour. We followed up the bus tour with a trip to our local library to investigate some of the neighborhoods we passed through and some of the cultures we saw. My son learned so much and enjoyed making connections with our bus experience.

Staff:

We found the staff friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Each bus has a tour guide and driver, both of whom are ready to help passengers with mobility and questions.

On one tour there was confusion regarding my sleeping daughter . Though she should be held, eventually they allowed her to remain strapped in the stroller and anchored it like a wheelchair. This was only because she was considered disabled (wearing her leg braces). I assume most children would not get this advantage.

Tips:

On cold or windy days, jackets are a must. The top of the bus is open and colder than the sidewalks.
Tours are long. I brought snacks for everyone and would recommend a toy of some sort for younger kids. Rides are often up to a half-hour longer than advertised. We were told the Uptown Tour would take 2 hours when, in fact, it was closer to 3 hours.

Pricing & timing:

Each loop is $44 adult/$34 child, making it a very expensive activity. The All Loops Tour, including Uptown, Downtown, Brooklyn and Night tours is $55/$45 and valid for 48 hours; a far better value.
As a NY resident, I would pay this price for an extraordinary occasion. I think it is best value when a tourist has a few days to see select sights at the hop on/off stops and is happy to use the Greyline bus to get around instead of the Subway.

Buses were full but not overcrowded. From buses I’ve seen around town, they get busier during the summer tourist season, though, with people constantly hopping on and off, I’d assume you always have a seat.

Overall, it was enjoyable and informative. We had a great time seeing sights and learning facts about NY City and Brooklyn. I’d definitely recommend this as a wonderful way to get to know the city.

This review is based on two complimentary tickets for the All Loops tour on Greyline New York City Sightseeing bus. I received no other compensation and the business owner did not state any requirements that I express a particular point of view. The opinions I express here are entirely my own.

Coney Island’s Luna Park includes 20 rides, 7 games, and the legendary “Cyclone”. During the time my husband, 6-year-old son, 20-month-old daughter and I were there we each found rides we loved. Between us, we tried almost every ride in the park. The four hours spent there were perfect, allowing us enough time to visit all we wanted and get into the car before the kids’ tiredness took over.

Highlights
At the entrance are the most thrilling rides with the mild (kiddy) rides at the back. Each attraction states the thrill factor, height requirements, and the credits cost for the ride. Some rides my son was too small for and these I rode alone, others he met minimum height requirements for riding with me.
With 20 different rides, almost every member of the family is covered. My daughter, however, only rode the teacup and the train, because I felt that most rides were too dangerous for her. She enjoyed watching her family, the gentle motion and other children’s faces.
My son’s fear of coasters and their height worried him, so it’s strange that his best rides were the Tickler (a fast-spinning, high-thrill coaster), and the Brooklyn Flyer (an edge-of-your-seat ride on a swing 100 feet up). He also loved the swinging of the Coney Island Sound and the free-flying Coney Island Hang-Glider.
My favorite was the wild Air Race, a tumbling, spinning, upside down minute that feels like forever, and the Cyclone.
The Cyclone, a coaster built in 1927, still rides its bumpy wooden tracks and is a great Coney Island attraction. It’s a New York historic place and landmark, and the ride is awe-inspiring, bone-rattling and teeth-clenching fun. It recently underwent renovations to shorten the first drop by 5 feet, not that it made any difference to the sensation of freefall while I was riding. Souvenirs and ride photos are sold outside.

Difficulties
The bathrooms were cramped and busy. Only one was operating though even with two I am certain of long lines on a busy summer day. The changing tables in both men’s and women’s bathrooms are located in the doorway to get to the toilets; very inconvenient while I was changing my daughter.

Food
Many of the snack bars were closed. When open they sell, hotdogs, BBQ, popcorn, ice-cream and the usual snacks - chips and cotton candy.

Staff
I found the staff courteous, helpful, and knowledgeable. From my first contact at guest services through to the ride operators, all were smiling and gentle. They were especially patient with little kids who needed their wristbands scanned for entry to rides.
Overall, the janitorial staff does a wonderful job keeping the park clean and ensures that litter is removed quickly.

Pricing + value
Luna Park gives the option of pre-paid credits or an unlimited ride wristband. The cost for a wristband (non-transferable and valid for 4 hours) is $26. This was a very reasonable price given that my son and I rode 70 credits of rides (each!) which would have cost at least $100 just for us two. My husband went on 26 credits of rides. I would hesitate to buy an unlimited pass for my daughter – she spent the time asleep, and rode 12 credits worth. It’s best to buy unlimited rides for those able to independently race around the park; with younger kids use your discretion on what rides they would enjoy. Credits are needed for entry to the Cyclone and for carnival games. Credits cost $1/credit, with value packages starting at $35 (for 40 credits).

Tips for a great day
A stroller or carrier is a must if you have a baby or toddler. Plenty of park seating allows for rest stops though there was little shade.
I strongly recommend a visit to the boardwalk, easily reached via the stairs or ramp at the back of Luna Park. The view on a clear day is beautiful and you are able to get a real feel for the Coney Island of yesteryear.

Best time to visit
The park is open from April through October, starting with weekends only and progressing to full days (12pm-12am) at the height of the summer. We had short lines on many attractions, though the park filled up as the day went on. I would suggest coming earlier. It is less crowded and you will get the most value for your money.

This review is based on a complimentary visit to Coney Island’s Luna Park and Cyclone. I received no other compensation and the business owner did not state any requirements that I express a particular point of view. The opinions I express are entirely my own.

The Space family farm was started in 1927 and now the third generation runs it.
Originally a farm, the zoo collection began when Ralph Space was given a license to trap predatory animals, which he ended up keeping.The zoo grew, and now houses more than 500 animals, with more than 40 species represented.
The museum's story began during the depression, when neighbouring families paid for their suupplies in the Space General Store with their heirlooms, toys, tractors, sleighs and tools. Over time, Ralph Space collected many different artifacts and they are now housd in a series of sheds.

The grounds are sprawling, be prepared for a long walk. Though there are benches to sit on you'll be on your feet a lot, so, if you have little kids bring your own stroller. There are strollers available for hire but these are very old fashioned, metal contraptions with wonky wheels. I liked that my daughter had her own stroller to be strapped into with the basket below for all our coats and food. Be prepared for a couple of hills. However, even your most lethargic walker will race up and down them with the promise of a ride on a horse, helicopter or airplane. These rides, costing 25cents, are dotted around the farm.

There is a great restaurant as you enter; though we brought a picnic lunch to enjoy at one of the many outdoor tables, the people in the restaurant were certainly enjoying their food. On the menu is a selection of kid-friendly favorites: hot dogs, nuggets, fries and grilled cheese sandwiches among other fare.
The shop is explorer/animal oriented,with an emphasis on animals. The prices in the shop are very reasonable and it is well-worth a look. Every budget will find something for the kids to take home, and unlike the usual shops, most of the toys here were designed to be played with - plastic animals, beanbags and pencil sets, safari in a bag, and dinosaur collections were some of the items I saw that looked durable.

The museums were interesting, we did them speedily because our kids were getting tired, but my son enjoyed looking at the sleighs and figuring out which was more expensive and also was enthralled by the glowing cystal collection, housed in absolute darkness.

There's an original jail outside one of the sheds, my son happily locked himself in and then enticed his sister in too. Both kids were afraid of the animals until I showed them how to feed grass to the deer, and they were hooked. My 20 month old talked all week about the "doggies" and my son said it was the best part of his day.

We've driven up here twice so far and I'd consider going again. However, it's hard to justify a two hour ride each way for a zoo which is rather simple and a museum which, though curated with love, is collecting dust and exposed to air and moisture. When we went the second time (04/2012) we took a longer route home to see the Delaware Water Gap too, making the trip far more valuable in our eyes.

One word of caution: the zoo's roads are almost all unpaved gravel. This is not a problem on a regular day but it was rather windy the day we went and we had a constant problem of dust and grit in our eyes and food. When a staff member was asked about this, she truthfully said that the day we visited was a particularly bad one for the dust, it really is not usually as bad as we had it.

Bravo, a 5-location chain of pizzerias, serves up delicious pizza. We went to the Midtown/Broadway location for a quick supper.
Ordering is fast and easy, you point towards what you like and they heat it up for you. There's a huge selection of pizza but the menu is misleading - much of what is on the menu is not on display to be heated up, and what is on display didn't thrill me. In the pasta bar, a tray of whole wheat penne looked dried out.
The garlic knots were (literally) dripping in oil, I had to squeeze the oil out with napkins to contemplate tasting one. The pizza was crusty on the bottom and had a good balance of sauce and cheese; both my kids enjoyed and finished their entire slice. We also ordered eggplant parmesean which was tasty, but a super-sized serving. My husband and I shared it.
Drinks (Soda) were from a fountain, Snapple and bottled water were also available in a fridge.
There's little space in the front of the store, I have a large single stroller and it was stopping the flow of people from front to back. The store itself is reminiscent of a slightly seedy bar with neon lights, leather couches along one wall are duct-taped and various beers are for sale & consumption.
We stayed for 35 minutes because there was nothing to keep our kids occupied after they'd finished eating and they started getting antsy. We did not even stop for the bathroom.
I'd probably come here again for plain pizza, though the pizza is a little pricy. A plain slice is $2.99 and a customer after me was shocked when the total for her one slice (with veg) was $4.60. The four of us were fed and full for $23, but overall I did not like the greasy food and loads of fatty cheese. I'd prefer a simple salad.

Affectionately called BOBs, Bunchos is a friendly, inviting place for a meal, a snack, a coffee or time out with the kids.
I'm usually found here with at least one of my kids and a friend or two with theirs.
The menu is inviting; BOB not only sells a variety of bagels but also bakes their own delicious cookies and muffins, whips up a mean scrambled egg or omelette, makes coffee to order, and will customize your order depending on allergies or preferences. While there is no kids' menu, every kid will be able to find something they want to eat from the extensive choices and the easygoing staff are more than patient as they take your order, customizing it as you wish.
I'm partial to the salads, the unexpected pairings and dressing on the side with the right amount of crunch keep me coming back for more. The peanut butter cookies are huge and more-ish, and as for the muffins, they sell a sugar-free bran muffin that's satisfying and wholesome without compromising on the taste.
Almost everyone swears by the bunch-o-ccino, a coffee/icecream/whip/chocolate indulgence that is best (calorie-wise) shared with a friend.
Bunchos gets very full at lunchtime, there's often a wait for a table, but I'm happy to wait as once you sit there is no pressure to finish and leave.
Though the atmosphere can get a little noisy and there are no noise-absorbing features in the cafe, it gives the place a more "relaxed" feel - I never worry that I should leave if my child starts complaining or whimpering.
It's worth visiting here if you are in the general area, visiting the Brooklyn Childrens' Museum or the Jewish Childrens' Museum.