So I’m in New York this week. For no particular reason, except that A. had a big important work thing going on here, I have a super special friend who lives here who I never see, and we had aeroplan points that were simply sitting there. So 12 days of NY for me and the Budsie!

Thoughts so far? Mixed. And here’s why:

The pros of navigating NY with a toddler:

1) Everyone has been super duper friendly. And I mean really friendly. Random people holding doors open for me and the stroller munchkin, random people giving Budsie treats when he seems disgruntled, etc. I can’t say enough about the friendly.

2) There is just heaps of stuff to see. High points for the little dude: FAO Schwarz, bakeries, and pigeons. High points for Mummy: wine shops…EVERYWHERE! Bakeries. Saks Fifth Avenue (which I obviously couldn’t go in with Budsie, but which I will definitely be hitting up this weekend). And Rockefeller Center (I haven’t seen Tina Fey yet, but I feel certain that this will happen if I keep going there on a daily basis).

The cons of navigating NY with a toddler:

1) Very few places are stroller friendly. How people in wheelchairs manage here, I’ll never know. Tiny aisles, non-automatic doors, stairs EVERYWHERE. Most frustrating.

2) Also, WHERE ARE THE CHANGE TABLES!? Holy hellfire. Do the children of NY potty train at 4 days? Or are they all walking about in the dirtiest diapers in all the land? One horrific and desperate lunch hour saw me having to change Budsie on the floor of a bathroom in Times Square. I threw out that particular change pad – no amount of bleach was getting that off.

3) As I assumed, there are plenty of tasty eats, but they are pretty pricey. And it’s been tricky so far to find places to eat with Budsie, a fact that surprises me. Yelp! has been most helpful, but because a lot of places are so small here, finding a table somewhere, even at 5:30, can be tricky business. And going from restaurant to restaurant looking for a place that is both suitable and available is not exactly a toddler’s idea of a good time. Sigh.

So I’m having a good time, but it’s been challenging. More on my NY adventures tomorrow…