We visited New York City with our baby Emma at 7 months old, and it was a blast. We went all over Manhattan, crossed the Statue of Liberty off our bucket list, and did lots of other fun things.
Will she remember it? Probably not. But we will, and we’ll be able to tell her about it someday and show her pictures of all the cool places she went.
Even though we’re seasoned travelers, we’re new parents and this was one of our very first trips with a baby, so we were a little bit nervous about everything. New York is a huge city, after all.
Once you’re there, you realize it’s actually easier, safer, and more manageable than you might think, especially if you go in with realistic expectations.
Here are our tips for visiting New York City with a baby!
1. A Lightweight Stroller Is Ideal
We went almost everywhere by walking and using the subway.
NYC is very stroller-friendly at the street level, but if you plan to use the subway, not all stations have elevators. Many have stairs only, and even when there is an elevator, it may be out of order.
For those cases, you’ll definitely want a light and handy stroller that’s easy to fold and carry. We used a Babyzen YOYO2 stroller and it worked great for this.
Strollers are allowed on the subway cars, and we always had plenty of room for ours, but with a bulky full-size one you’d definitely struggle.
Having the right stroller will save you a lot of hassle in New York!
A lightweight stroller is best
2. A Baby Carrier Can Be Handy Too
Baby carriers are great for stairways or tight spaces, and you’ll undoubtedly run into some of those in New York City.
Even though we had a stroller, we were glad to have a baby carrier sometimes for the subway and certain other activities.
We used an Ergobaby Omni Breeze and would recommend it. It’s advertised as fitting babies from 7 to 45 pounds (~0-48 Months), and it was perfect for our 7 month old.
It was especially handy when we visited the Statue of Liberty, because we wanted to sit on the top level of the ferry for the best views, and you have to climb multiple stairways and navigate a crowd of other tourists on the ferry to get there. It would be a pain to do with a stroller.
Aside from that, the carrier was also useful on the plane. Our Emma traveled as a lap infant, which is free for babies under age two, and the carrier allowed us to keep our hands free during the flight.
A baby carrier is handy on the subway, and even on the plane!
3. A Car Seat Is Recommended
The only time we used a car in NYC was taking a taxi to and from the airport.
However, any time you use a car with a baby, there’s the issue of car seats. State law in New York doesn’t require you to use one in a taxi, but it’s still a good idea. The driving in NYC can be wild sometimes, and if you get in an accident you want your kid to be safe.
We always try to be very safety minded and budget minded, so we brought our car seat from home. Most airlines will let you check one for free, and then you grab it when you land. Like strollers, it’s considered a free piece of extra baggage for parents.
If you don’t want to bring your own car seat to NYC, there are special taxi services you can book online that include a seat of your choice. Check out Kid Car, Kidmoto, Legends Limousine, or Taxi Bambino.
These tend to be a bit pricey, but they do have good reviews, and they’d be more convenient than bringing your own car seat everywhere.
NYC isn’t a place you’d want to be driving around without a car seat
4. NYC Has Lots Of Baby-Friendly Things To Do
We did lots of fun things in New York City, and never felt like our baby was out of place or a burden to us or anyone around us.
We went to famous sites like the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge, visited New York’s best museums, climbed a rooftop observatory, and much more. We even braved the crowds at Times Square on multiple occasions!
Central Park is great if you want to go on walks with wide paths, shade, and playgrounds. Summit One Vanderbilt is also fun for babies. They have a mirror room and a room full of silver balloons.
Most attractions in NYC welcome families with strollers, and even the places that aren’t super stroller-friendly can be done just as well with a baby carrier. You don’t have to limit yourself too much here.
Read More: 15 Fun Things To Do In NYC
Summit One Vanderbilt is fun for babies
5. Pick A Hotel With A View
New York is an amazing city, and having a nice view from your hotel is part of the experience.
We stayed at the M Social Hotel in Times Square and it was one of the great things about our trip.
We loved watching all the cars and people, and having an up close view of the high-rises was impressive. At night, the view was even better with everything lit up and flashing.
Emma loved to peek out the window of our room and watch all the activity below.
Soaking up those big city views
Everything else about our stay at M Social was good, and it was fairly budget friendly for New York.
The staff were really sweet to Emma, and they were able to provide a Pack N’ Play for her to sleep in.
We booked the ‘ball drop’ room for the very best views of Manhattan.
The hotel where we stayed — © M Social Hotel in Times Square
Views from the rooftop terrace
6. New Yorkers Are Nice To Babies
We were a little apprehensive about bringing our baby to the big city because we weren’t sure what local attitudes would be like, but that ended up being totally wrong.
Everyone was very friendly and we got lots of nice comments about Emma everywhere we went. People opened doors for us, held elevators, and gave up their seats on the subway without asking.
To be fair, our baby barely cried on the entire trip, but even when she was fussy, people were understanding and not judgmental. We had no issues at all.
Fun photo ops at the Madame Tussauds wax museum
7. Don’t Stress About Crime & Safety
For its size, New York City is surprisingly safe. In fact, it’s one of the safest big cities in the United States.
Certain news networks give it a bad rap, but you have to look past the occasional scary story and consider the overall statistics.
It’s a city with over 8 million people.
NYC is the biggest city in the U.S.
Reflections at Central Park
As of 2026, the murder rate in New York City is around 4 per 100,000 residents, while the U.S. rate as a whole is 5.6 per 100,000. That means NYC is safer than the U.S. in general. That’s very impressive, considering the size of the city.
If you narrow it down to just Manhattan, where most tourists go, the murder rate is only around 1.3 per 100,000. That’s one-fourth of the U.S. national rate!
In the meantime, Chicago has a murder rate 4 times higher than NYC, while New Orleans and St. Louis each have a murder rate almost 14 times higher than NYC. That puts it in perspective, I think.
Times Square craziness
That doesn’t mean you should be careless in New York, but if you stick to regular hours and the normal tourist areas, you don’t have to worry too much.
The subway is safe, and incidents there have been exaggerated, but it’s still wise to stay away from the edge of the tracks, and avoid anyone acting unusual.
If you have a stroller, you can use the wheel brake to lock it in place.
8. Keep The Snacks Handy
It’s never fun when your baby gets fussy in public, so you’ll want to carry snacks everywhere you go.
These will be especially handy anytime you have to wait in line at an attraction. We had that happen a few times.
Aside from the usual food pouches, we also gave our baby rice rusks. She loved these and they prevented some meltdowns.
At the Statue of Liberty with our little fox
9. Family Spaces Are Easy To Find
Wherever we went in New York, we never had a problem finding a family bathroom with a changing table.
Nursing is allowed anywhere, but some places even have private lactation pods from Mamava, and they’re free for nursing moms to use. These are located at the airports, Liberty Island, the Museum of Modern Art, and other places.
At restaurants, we never had an issue bringing our stroller inside, although your experience may vary. We were able to get a high chair when needed, but space can be tight, so it’s best to eat outside of peak hours if possible.
New York City with a baby was special
10. Supplies Are Easy To Restock
Pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens are everywhere if you need to stock up on diapers, wipes, formula, and baby food.
We brought most of what we needed from home, but sometimes you forget things, and it’s nice to know there are easy ways to resupply.
Mirror room at Summit One Vanderbilt
More NYC Travel Tips
Thanks for looking! I hope you enjoyed these tips for visiting New York City with a baby.
Don’t forget to check out my other travel guides for NYC before you go!
See Also
