New York City Family Black Book

We created this post in partnership with Bugaboo, inaugurating our new family travel newsletter, Yolo Junior

I first came to live in New York in 2006 to assist the film director Mira Nair, an unparalleled storyteller and a lynchpin of New York City’s creative community. She taught me to always keep my eyes open: to visit exhibitions in galleries and museums; attend lectures, try new things and never stop learning; take an interest in the lives of others by asking them about their own stories; read as much as possible; and above all, stay creative. While I assisted her, I continued to hone my skills with photography and film on my own. I also admired Mira’s mothering of her son (he is now the Mayor of New York City: Zohran Mamdani), and her dedication to family, all while continuing to explore her own creative path. 

I went on to live in France and Italy, but returned in 2016 to create my own family with my partner, a lifelong New Yorker. Having grown up here, he was very grounded in New York traditions—but also, like me, always curious to explore and discover new places. 

I practice exploration every day here in New York—beyond my neighborhood of Carnegie Hill on the Upper East Side—with my own children, who are 10 and 3. Here are some of the ways I am always discovering my city anew, as a New Yorker raising little New Yorkers.

EXPLORATIONS

Adventures & Excursions 

The Secret Station – I love finding the unexpected secrets of New York. For years, I have taken my children (but also friends visiting New York) to the secret subway station: City Hall (completed in 1904). We board a downtown 6 train towards Brooklyn Bridge and—with a hint of rebellion—stay on the train after the “last stop, everyone must leave the train” announcement at Brooklyn Bridge. Don’t get off the train. I promise you won’t end up disappearing into another borough. Move to the right side of the train car. When the train begins to move again, it turns around through the empty station—a marvel of architecture and old New York. The children gasp when they see the station appear and so do I (every time). It is a very quick but memorable experience of New York’s rail history, feeding so many children’s love of trains. 

The Staten Island Ferry – My children also love boats, and the Staten Island Ferry in all its orange glory is a New York City icon. The ride is complimentary (and priceless); the experience is different each time, because of the weather and boat traffic. Recently, we boarded the ferry at the southern tip of Manhattan and walked to the front of the boat, where we could stand in the sunshine facing the New York Harbor. It’s exciting how active the Harbor always is—Brooklyn to the left and New Jersey and the Hudson River to the right; then comes Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and a lighthouse atop a little island; small fishing boats and enormous container ships creating waves in their wake. We met tourists from Rome and students from around the country. One tourist asked if we would like our photo taken, and as he handed the camera back, I could see the emotion in his eyes. It was always his dream to come here, he said. Just one souvenir of riding a New York icon and sharing it with others.