Great Escape: Easter and Spring in New York City

Every time you go to Manhattan, it is an adventure. Let’s face it; New Yorkers do things bigger and better than anyone else. Easter is no exception, with a parade and bonnet competition, not to mention a city full of bunnies and egg hunts, the City makes a great escape for the family this weekend.

The Easter Parade will take place on Easter Sunday along Fifth Avenue from 49th to 57th Streets where streets will be closed from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.  Don’t expect to see floats and huge balloon characters hovering over the streets. There are no marching bands; it’s not that kind of parade. Yet, thousands of individuals from around the world come to New York to strut their finery down Fifth Avenue.

What you should expect is thousands of individuals with over the top head gear and even costumed pets walking in stride with one another. Now, when I said New Yorker’s do it bigger and better, I am not fooling. This is extreme parading where bonnets become the roosts for live birds and the more flamboyant the headdress, the better to please the crowd. Anyone, and I mean anyone, could step out into the parade which means you just don’t know what to expect and you should expect everything because it is New York.

Dating back to 1870, the New York’s Easter parade was one of the main cultural expressions of Easter in the United States. Just like the bonnets, the churches passed along the parade route, were just as ornately adorned — Trinity Episcopal Church, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and St. Thomas' Episcopal Church.

Today, the parade is almost a satire or parody of what it was over a hundred years ago and because of its unstructured nature, the level of costuming has gone way beyond “Sunday’s best.” Still, it is definitely worth going once in a lifetime to see this spectacle. 

If you decide to bring the kids, the Children's Museum of Manhattan will be holding a Sunday egg scavenger hunt and egg-themed crafts. Cross the Brooklyn Bridge to the get to the Brooklyn Children's Museum for the Eggs-Travaganza Easter Egg Hunt at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. Children should bring their own baskets to hunt for eggs. Peter Rabbit will be on hand for photo opportunities and story time. Of course there in also the Annual Easter Festival at St. Nicholas Park on Saturday or, the. Easter Fun Fest at Trinity Church on Sunday.

While so many people give up sweets for Lent, if you are down and around Greenwich Village on Saturday or Sunday, you can engage in some decadence that will reward sinner and saint alike with sweet treats from all the dessert shops in the area. The Easter Weekend Greenwich Village History and Dessert Tour starts at 2:00 p.m., and includes stops at historic places like St. Luke in the Fields Church, the Washington Square Arch, Minetta Lane, Patchin Place.

While there are plenty of hotels in New York City and they do fill up fast, the Bed & Breakfasts are a little harder to come by but well worth the reservation.

The 1871 House, named for the year it was built, a little piece of country in the city. Located on the Upper East Side on E. 62^nd Street between Park and Lexington Avenues, it is definitely luxury accommodation.  Surrounded by Chanel, Gucci and Prada as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art, it offers a great location for a holiday weekend. 

The best quality of this bed and breakfast is that it offers families accommodations of up to three rooms.  It is as if you are living in an Upper East Side Manhattan apartment for the weekend. I would recommend the Lexington Suite or the Madison Suite. 

Prices vary from $225 - $450 so, while it is not at all cheap, it is not at all your typical New York Hotel room. To top it off, all guests receive a complimentary breakfast basket and the rooms are complete with en suite bathrooms, Wi-Fi access, air conditioning and a fully equipped kitchen.

New York is great any time of the year but, especially in spring when it starts to get warm, the city comes alive. The Easter Parade marks the rebirth of the city and with it adventure. Take the family, take your bonnet and have an adventure in the city that you will never forget.