Affinia Hotel's 'Grandparents Getaway' to NYC

This certainly beats their soccer mom's chauffeuring them in the family wagon to their after-school activities. I learned this when I took my grandchildren Bradley Wasser and Maris Wasser to New York City to participate in the Affinia Shelburne Murray Hill Hotel's Grandparents' Package.For grandparents looking to create memorable experiences with their grandkids as I do, New York City's culture, entertainment and diversity has never been more affordable. Affinia Hospitality invites grandparents and their grandchildren for a special fun-filled and value-packed weekend in the Big Apple. This visit can be as meaningful as an overseas trip or an ocean voyage with grandma and is certainly more affordable. This package is also available at the Beekman Tower Hotel and when you check in, includes the following:

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"Grandkid Tin" filled with goodies such as Mr. Bubbles, a disposable camera, popcorn and more.

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Coupon booklet containing discounts to the Museum of Television and Radio, American Museum of Natural History and a list of kid-friendly restaurants and attractions in NYC.

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Complimentary Hasbro game cart available for use, stocked with Monopoly, Scrabble, The Game Of Life, Connect Four, Chutes and Ladders.

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Complimentary video library for use during stay.

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Frommer's NYC With Kids guide.

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The Essential GrandParent: A Guide to Making a Difference.I learned that parents traveling with their children even without the grandparents can also benefit from the week-end Grandparent Package. Psychotherapists have come to recognize the important role grandparents have played in the healthy relationships with their grandchildren over the years. They have expressed the fear that digital cameras and instant cell phone imaging can't replace the "touchy feely" contact of personal contact by visits and travel. Psychotherapist author Dr. Lillian Carson stresses the importance of grandma and grandpa in her book, "The Essential GrandParent: A Guide To Making Difference."She writes, "More and more grandparents are finding rich rewards in spending time on their own with their grandchildren, from the little joys of playing board games to more cultural experiences like travel. New York City is such a rich destination for grandparents and their grandchildren to share experiences that will create lasting memories," Dr. Carson added. The Museum of Television and Radio, located at 25 West 52nd Street, is a favorite of the grandkids. It has an international collection of over 120,000 programs covering more than 80 years of television and radio history. There are Saturday and Sunday screenings of special interest to children and Recreating Radio workshops on Saturday mornings for families with children, www.mtr.org. The Museum of Natural History, at 79th Street and Central Park West, has many programs designed just for kids, including the amazing Rose Center for Earth and Space, www.amnh.org. The 264-suite Shelburne Murray Hill Affinia was my choice for this grandma-grandkid sojourn weekend. The location at 37th Street and Lexington Avenue is tucked away amidst 19th century brownstones and is merely steps away from the landmark Grand Central Station and the Empire State Building. Its Rare Restaurant is known for serving 12 kinds of gourmet burgers. On my next visit to Manhattan with the grand kiddies, I will try the Grandparent Package at the BeekmanTower Hotel, located at First Avenue and 49th Street, just a few blocks away from the United Nations and a great place to take the children to see the diversity of the many peoples of the world here in New York City. There is also the famed Dylan's Candy Bar, a great stop for the kids and the sweet tooth granny. The Zephyr Grill Restaurant at the Tower Hotel was super and the view from the Top of the Tower of the Manhattan Skyscraper Skyline is spectacular particularly for the suburban "yokels."Copyright © by Marcia AbramsonE-mail: mascribe@aol.com