Hudson Yards, New York's Newest 'Playground', Have you been yet?
Have you had a chance to check out New York's new "playground" Hudson Yards yet? No worries if you have not been there, I have done the hard work for you; and I'm happy to report there is lots to see and do for adults and kids.
Hudson Yards is located on West 33rd between 10th and 11th Ave. There are plenty of options for getting there including;
Subway: The 7 train has a subway stop at Hudson Yards which is super convenient
Train: Penn station is also a close walk, only 2 blocks away on 8th Ave and 34th St. Also Amtrak, LIRR, NJ Transit and the Path train all connecting at Penn station.
The Highline: It starts or finishes (depending which way you walk) at Hudson Yards.
Bike: There are plenty of Citibike drop off points around the Yards. closest is 34th & 11Ave.
CarPark stations located on site.
Ferry: Midtown Ferry terminal is close by at 39th St and West Side Highway.
If you have been to the Time Warner Building at Columbus Circle or Brookfield Place in Battery Park and enjoyed your shopping experience, then you will love this Mall at Hudson Yards. It is much bigger than the other mentioned places, but on the same scale of luxury with many high-end stores like Nieman Marcus, Cartier, Coach, Dior, Fendi etc but it also has many "mainstream" stores like H&M, Zara, Uniqlo, Lululemon, Sephora etc
There are a few Aussie stores in the mall including Bluestone Lane, Scanlan Theodore, Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream.
For the Kids
Even though this is predominantly a shopping mall, they have tried to accommodate children in some unique ways including a long wall on the 3rd floor that is "graffiti" type wall, where you can draw or write along the wall with the metallic material that is on the wall. The fourth floor has large "portraits" of animals with fur you can brush, really soft and great for young kids.
A scooter store on level 4, called Micro Kickboard has a cute little scooter track in the store and kids are encouraged to try out the scooters. You will also find kids' favorites like Shake Shack, Dylan's Candy Bar plus a few ice cream options.
There is also lots of outdoor space and a new garden area for the kids to run around or to sit outside and enjoy their ice cream.
A new public "lookout" climbing space, or Art Work, whichever way you describe it, the Vessel (as it is currently being called) is really the talking piece of Hudson Yards.
Basically, it is a viewing platform built to be climbed with different levels and different angles and views of Manhattan and across the Hudson River to New Jersey. it is free to climb the Vessel but you need to pre-book a ticket online at Vessel Ticketing.
There are plenty of great eating options from casual burgers, bakeries and coffee shops to upmarket restaurants and wine bars (at least 10 fine dining establishments, plus casual options) so there is something for everyone. There is also a food court type area on the ground floor serving Spanish food. There is not a lot of public seating inside the mall, but you could sit outside in the garden area if you were to bring your own food.
Finally, a few other unique experiences at Hudson Yards include Snark Park, an immersive art installation that is forever changing and requires a pre purchased ticket.
There will also be an Equinox Gym/ luxury hotel on-site for those health fitness gurus amoung us.