Looking for some truly inspired Mother’s Day gift ideas? We think the best thing you can do for Mother’s Day 2022 is to give her the gift of enjoying the city she calls home. We’ve rounded up memorable experiences to give all kinds of moms, no matter their happy place. Because really, does she need another bath bomb? We’ve also got ideas on where to go for brunch with kids, where to see some spring flowers and where to go for a Mother’s Day walk with a stroller if you’ve got some wheels in the mix. Happy Mother’s Day.
For the Marvelous Ms. Maisel Stan
They are legion—we're guessing especially in NYC. Gift mom with a fun afternoon visiting the locations from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. An actor all dolled up as "Midge" herself leads guests on a tour of many of the spots featured in the show, including The Gaslight Cafe in the West Village, Cafe Reggio, the historic cafe City Spoon Diner, a retro Euro-American cafe in the West Village, The Music Inn, home to vintage instruments and antique records and Lutzi’s Butcher where they'll sample the black-and-white cookie. Plus: You travel in style in a 1957 Chevy!
Tickets: $150/person
Online: onlocationtours.com
For the Too Cool for School Mom
Take mom to one of the nicest concert venues in the city, Forest Hills Stadium. Tucked into this leafy neighborhood of Queens (shows end early because of a noise ordinance), there's not a bad seat in the house, and they consistently book great acts. An indie-splosion is coming to Forest Hills, including artists such as Bon Iver, Phoebe Bridgers, Fleet Foxes, The Lumineers and the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs. Take her experience up a notch and add the "Golden Apple Premium Experience" to her ticket for $99. Benefits include exclusive access to the backstage lounge at Forest Hills Stadium, two complimentary beverages, access to a private cash bar in the backstage lounge, private restrooms and egarly entry into the backstage lounge one hour before doors open to the general public. If that's not fancy enough for you, consider booking a "Speakeasy Suite."
Online: foresthillsstadium.com
For the Foodie with a Craving
Does mom have a favorite celeb chef? Or perhaps she longs for a dish she enjoyed during her travels? Satisfy her culinary cravings with a Top Chef Meal Kit from Goldbelly. Options include the famous Seafood Gumbo from Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, Mac and Cheese and Chicken Pot Pie from LA's Wolfgang Puck and Citrus-spiced Split Chicken Kit for Two with Magic Green Beans from Chicago's Stephanie Izard of Girl & the Goat. To take it to the next level, gift a Goldbelly Live! kit, which gets you a meal kit and a live cookalong with some of the country's top chefs and bakers like Carla Hall, Marcus Samuelsson and Jaques Torres. Kits are $60 and up; Goldbelly Live! experiences are $70 and up
Online: goldbelly.com
For a Mommy & Me Get Messy Day
Get creative together at "Family Try Wheel" at Clay House Brooklyn. In a small class you and the kid/s can get a little messy with some mud and give the clay wheel a spin.
Tickets: $85/adults; $65/kids
229 Smith St.
Cobble Hill
718-222-0334
Online: clayhousebrooklyn.com
For the Adventurous Mom
Take mom to The Adventure Park at Long Island, where through a “Buy One Get One Free” promotion, mom can climb for free on Mother's Day. You'll have three hours to tackle your choice of 14 trails and 49 ziplines. To book, head to the park's website annd enter code "Mother’s Day BOGO," or call 631-983-3844.
Tickets: $64/14 and up, $54/seven to 13
Fri.-Sun, April 1-June 16; Daily, June 20-Sept. 5
Adventure Park at Long Island
75 Colonial Springs Rd.
Wheatley Heights, NY
613-983-3844
Online: myadventurepark.com
For An Arty Family Escape in Tribeca
Newly opened and reimagined hotel Smyth Tribeca invites families to come enjoy a night or two of downtown life. And we mean the whole family: you can even bring your dog. To keep the kids happy, check out the Kids Camp at Smyth package ($369), designed in partnership with retail experience/store CAMP. Kids receive a complimentary gift and craft set, as well as an in-room fondue set for homemade s’mores including chocolates, marshmallows and graham crackers. Rates start at $369.
And for some metropolitan enrichment, book the Keys to the Galleries package, which provides guests with customized art gallery tours curated by experts at ART SMART, who have their fingers on the pulse of the art world. Get a personalized, family-friendly and off-the-beaten-path art experience, including a café stop at one of the art world’s insider hot spots for a la carte bites. You can book the two experiences for $600/night.
The Smyth Tribeca
85 W. Broadway
Tribeca
917-997-2700
Online: smythtribeca.com
For a Spa Getaway in New York Harbor
It's true. There's a spa on Governors Island now. QC NY offers a variety wellness experiences including a "City Sauna" (with views of downtown Manhattan), a "Scottish Room" (plaid sauna with forest aromatherapy), steam rooms, Vichy showers, infrared beds and outdoor pools soon to open. Relax, detox, refresh. (You can also get some spa food, bubbly and cocktails if that's your thing.) For $88-100 dollars you get four hours access to facilities, toiletries and a robe; $200-$228 gets the same with unlimited time and a massage treatment.
112 Andes Rd.
646-402-9647
Governors Island
Online: qcny.com
For an Experience in the Kitchen With the Kids
For a fun experience with the bonus of some fresh-baked goods when it's over, sign up for Taste Buds Kitchen's Mother's Day cooking classes. Make Strawberry Shortcakes with Hand-Whipped Cream and freshly brewed Sun Tea at a Mother's Day tea party on May 7 (festive attire welcome) or cook up some Flower Cupcakes together on May 8. Classes are for kids ages two to eight and a caregiver.
Tickets: $65 and up
Taste Bud Kitchen
109 W. 27th St.
Chelsea
Online: tastebudskitchen.com
For a Day in a Garden
Numerous greenspaces are hosting special Mother's Day events this year on Saturday and Sunday.
The New York Botanic Garden hosts games, music, crafting, face-painting and more. Event details.
Wave Hill invites you to picnic and do a Family Art Project. Event details.
And the Queens Botanical Garden hosts its Flower Patch event, where you can snap a pic together as a family. Event details.
For the Mom Who Can't Get Enough of the Flower District
Have to drag her out of those shops in Chelsea? Sign her up for a tour with some experts, the team at NYC florist Flower Girl. Get a glimpse into how to navigate the shops, learn what and where to buy, and explore some of Flower Girl's favorite spots. (They've been doing this for almost 20 years, so they know their way around.) The morning ends with some light bites at a nearby location. Market Walks begin at 9:30 am and last around two and a half hours. Dates throughout 2022 starting May 7.
Tickets: $130
Online: flowergirlnyc.com
For the Mom who Likes Wind in Her Hair
Take a Mother's Day ride on New York City’s iconic sightseeing cruise line, Circle Line. Circle Line is letting all moms ride for free on its 4 and 1/2-hour limited-time Spring Fling Day Cruise on Mother’s Day, with code “MOMSFREE22.” The vessel goes up the Hudson River, with regional landmarks along the way, such as the Tarrytown Light House, Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, Lyndhurst Mansion, Hudson River Palisades, the MET Cloisters and more. Onboard you'll enjoy live music, tasty bites and refreshing beverages.
Tickets: $49 & $69/person
Pier 83 at 42nd St.
Midtown
Online: circleline.com
For the Expectant or New Mom
What better way to celebrate mom than to capture her with her kids and family. Give mom a maternity shoot, a newborn photo session, or a portrait with the family. These are some of our favorite kid and family photographers in NYC.
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