New York has always been a magical destination for mothers and daughters to make memories together. From Mother’s Day trips and first shows on Broadway, to college visits and milestone celebrations, New York is guaranteed to pull out all the stops to ensure that moms and daughters of all ages can share big extraordinary experiences and small meaningful moments – not to mention some of the world’s best city views, shopping, art, entertainment and dining.

Here are some of our favorite ways to make the most of a mother-daughter visit in NYC.

Stay in Style

When you make The Knickerbocker your home for a mother-daughter NYC weekend, not only will you get to experience the convenience and only-in-New York energy of staying in a landmark hotel in the heart of Times Square, you’ll also have a beautiful room, fully stocked with luxury amenities, where you can relax and recharge. This spring, our Lavish Love Package is a tailor-made Mother’s Day present or graduation gift to pamper NYC-loving mothers and daughters. As our guests, you will be greeted with a bottle of prosecco in your room, then treated to an iconic Diptyque Tubéreuse candle, a trio of Diptyque Do Son self-care products (hand cream, hair mist and body mist), and a sumptuous Knickerbocker bathrobe.

See Iconic Fashion

Each May, the Met Gala draws the world’s attention to The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the theme for this year is “in honor of Karl” Lagerfeld), but high fashion is always on display in NYC. The Costume Institute’s collection includes more than 33,000 objects covering seven centuries of world fashion and features an ongoing series of themed exhibitions — in addition to the flagship show the gala kicks off every year. If you’d prefer to hone in on more contemporary fashion, The Museum at FIT has a permanent collection of more than 50,000 garments and accessories dating from the 18th century to the present.

Stroll the Gardens

Stunning Central Park is New York’s most well-known and most-visited green space but at 843 acres — larger than the principality of Monaco! — it’s only the fifth largest park in the city (behind parks in The Bronx, Staten Island and Queens). New York is a city that loves its gardens and wide-open spaces and there are so many options to choose from for a memorable mother-daughter outing… or a fun Instagram photo op. Bryant Park, just moments from The Knick, is a local and visitor favorite for its lush horticulture and lively community events. New York Botanical Garden is the largest of its kind in the U.S. and encompasses 50 specialty gardens and more than one million plants. The High Line, Riverside Park and the newer Little Island at Hudson River Park are ideal spots for watching the cycle of New York life (the people, the Hudson River, the skyline and the horticulture) through the constantly evolving seasons. At The Gardens of The Met Cloisters, you can really get in the weeds with ancient medicinal plants or admire the precision of intricately designed ornamental gardens. And the cherry blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden are a seasonal celebration that many devotees track online every year so they can plan their annual pilgrimage. Read more at our guide to The Best Parks in New York City.

Update Your Hero Pieces

Whether your mother-daughter duo is more interested in flagship retail destinations like Adidas, Nike or Lululemon’s four-story athleisure palace; luxury department stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, and Bergdorf Goodman; or directional fashion destinations like Fivestory, Dover Street Market and La Garçonne, you might consider bringing an empty suitcase (or steamer trunk) for your NYC shopping finds.

Brine and Dine

Summertime dining in NYC is a feast for the senses, abundant with colorful local produce, refreshing cocktails and just-off-the-boat seafood. Tuck into an indulgent Mother’s Day breakfast at Charlie Palmer, or fortify yourself for a busy day on the town with delicious grab-n-go options at Jake’s. At St. Cloud, our new spring/summer menu celebrates our partnership with The Billion Oyster Project – after you’ve enjoyed your oysters on the half shell, your gorgeous, luminescent shells are donated to oyster reef restoration efforts in New York Harbor.

Get a Little Sporty

If your mother-daughter bonding time includes a workout, NYC has you covered. From The Knick’s onsite Saints & Sinners Fitness Center, to casual runs in the park, to swimming and pickleball in Hell’s Kitchen, there are endless ways to work a little movement into your weekend. You can also check out our guides The Best Yoga Studios in Manhattan and The Best Gyms with Day Passes in New York City for the spots our staff and guests most recommend. 

Treasure Hunt in An Independent Bookstore

New York’s long literary tradition includes a network of independent and specialty bookstores throughout the city. In addition to browsing well-known booksellers like the world-famous Strand and Brooklyn’s beloved Books are Magic, mothers and daughters are likely to find a shop exclusively devoted to one of their shared passions. A few to choose from include The Drama Book Shop, entering its second century in the heart of the theatre district, just a few minutes’ walk from The Knick; Books of Wonder for children’s books and gifts; Albertine for Francophiles, Argosy for antiquarian and rare books; Kitchen Arts & Letters for cookbooks and Kinokuniya, just across from Bryant Park, for graphic novels, anime, comics, art books, Japanese stationery and hard-to-find magazines.

Listen to Great Jazz

Kick off your long weekend with a night of torch songs, jazz standards, swing music, bossa nova, salsa and more at Charlie Palmer Lounge on Thursday nights from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Led by “The Glamour Girl of Jazz,” Allyson Briggs, retro jazz band Fleur Seule is a favorite of mothers, daughters and everyone who loves a hot NYC jazz show.

Go to a Show

Given the Knickerbocker’s proximity to the theatre district, it’s no surprise that our guests think we’re the perfect NYC hotel for seeing Broadway plays, including the much-anticipated Fat Ham, a retelling of Hamlet set at a Black family cookout. But we’re also ideally located for a variety of other iconic New York shows including Shakespeare in the Park (this year, they will also be staging Hamlet, but the old-school version), Bono at the Beacon and concerts at Madison Square Garden – this summer’s lineup includes Janet Jackson, Madonna and Billy Joel’s ongoing residency.

See the City From On High

From longtime tourist destinations like the Empire State Building to newer entries like The Edge at Hudson Yards (the highest outdoor deck in the Western Hemisphere),  New York has hundreds of sky high perches from which to peer down at the city. But the one closest to our hearts is the fabulous St. Cloud Rooftop at the top of The Knick, overlooking Times Square. Whether you’re secluded away in a cozy corner Sky Pod or mingling, St. Cloud always feels like an exclusive party where you’re a VVIP guest. We’re world-famous for our New Year’s Eve celebration, but all our holiday events are standouts. Next up: Cinco de Mayo, when we’ll feature a live mariachi band, specialty cocktails highlighting our partnerships with Patron, Don Julio, Volcan and Compante Mezcal, and a tantalizing array of tacos and other Mexican handheld bites.

 

Start Planning Your Mother-Daughter NYC Getaway