New York City is often thought of a city for both children and adults, but what about teenagers? They have just as much to do in a city this large. From Central Park to the Pier 25 Skate Park, you can find plenty of things to keep your teenagers occupied on a vacation to New York City.

The skate parks are actually very popular in New York. Pier 26 opens at 2pm on weekdays, and 10am on weekends, and is free. You must wear helmets though if you are under 18 years old. Located at the Hudson River Park, it is great just to go watch some of these very talented skaters. Riverside Park also offers a skate park which is free. Requiring full safety gear for everyone, it opens between 10am and 11am Wednesday through Sunday. Finally you have the Millennium Skate Park which is located at Owl’s Head Millally Park in the Bronx, Midland Beach in Staten Island, and Forest Park in Rockaway. All are worth the trip to so that your teenager can enjoy some time with people of their own age.

If your teenager is more the type that wants to sunbathe and meet some guys, you may want to head to the beaches nearby to New York City. There are about 20 beaches in all, including Breezy Point, Coney Island, Jones Beach, Long Beach, Manhattan Beach and Brighton just to name a few. However, if you go to Coney Island you can do more than just sunbathe. As one of the oldest amusement parks on the East Coast, there are plenty of special events, the Coney Island Museum which costs just 99 cents to enter, and then other sideshows that have various fees. It is a great time for the entire family.

Some other great tourist types of attractions that teens really enjoy are located in Times Square. Along with the fabulous shopping and great atmosphere you can take them to The Hard Rock Café, Planet Hollywood, or any number of great restaurants and hang outs. South Street Seaport’s Pier 16 is also great for teenagers. They have speedboat rides that cost $14 for children and $20 for adults.

If your teenager loves to read, then by all means head to the New York Public Library, or any of the many hundreds of bookstores that are located throughout New York City. There are local listings of book readings, signings, and even poetry readings in the newspaper that will let her know where to go to meet or see her favorite author.

Lastly, don’t forget that she may be interested in performing arts or the theater. Besides Broadway, there are plenty of off Broadway shows that could pique her interest in musicals, dramatic readings, or even one man shows.

New York has it all, and there is certainly something that your teenager will enjoy doing. Just take the time to look for that something special.

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