A boy loves weather

September 5, 2007 3:12 PM

A 7-year-old boy who is extremely interested in weather is visiting me in New York City for one day. Obviously, there is weather everywhere, so what can I do that is special in New York?
posted by Alizaria to Travel & Transportation around New York, NY (13 answers total)

Interest in weather notwithstanding, take him to the Natural History Museum and let him see the Tyrannosaur skeleton and the rest of the dinosaur collection. For a 7-year-old boy, it'll be something he'll remember forever.

I'm quite serious. I think that will be a better time than anything else you could find, even weather related.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 3:27 PM on September 5, 2007

This place.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 3:30 PM on September 5, 2007

Take him to Belvedere Castle — cool building, nice views ... and it's a weather station.
posted by rob511 at 3:36 PM on September 5, 2007

Conveniently, those are very near one another. Perhaps you could stack them both together for a very full day.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 3:45 PM on September 5, 2007

Might be weird, but the Today Show and see Al Roker?
posted by k8t at 3:54 PM on September 5, 2007

It's probably obvious but: the tallest building in NYC right now is the Empire State Building. The observation deck at the top will give you plenty of weather to view.
posted by gwint at 3:57 PM on September 5, 2007

Response by poster: Cool idea k8t, but it's on a weekend.

Thanks for the tip about Belvedere Castle! I forgot it's a weather station.

As for the Natural History Museum, I am thinking of that. Trying to figure out if there is anything weather related there.

He also wants to see the Statue of Liberty, so I've got to do that too.... Any way to build in a weather aspect to that?

I just feel like I'll be a hero if I can make whatever we do weather related. I'm so into doing that.
posted by Alizaria at 4:00 PM on September 5, 2007

Visit The Top of the Rock: http://www.topoftherocknyc.com/
Unlike the Empire State, you're outdoors and exposed. WAY better than the Empire State, IMO.

Also, maybe the Liberty Science Center, which is accessible by ferry from Manhattan. http://www.lsc.org/
posted by blaneyphoto at 4:10 PM on September 5, 2007

Taking the boat out to the Statue of Liberty gives you a really good 360 degree view of New York Harbor, which would be a great place for pointing out the trajectories of the prevailing weather patterns. With a little bit of research, you could also talk about how a city as large as New York affects the weather, what's with affecting wind flow and reflecting heat.
posted by otolith at 4:25 PM on September 5, 2007

Response by poster: I have a full view of lower Manhattan and the harbor (including the Statue) from my terrace in Brooklyn Heights. He's arriving the evening before, so maybe there is something I can set up here. Should I have binoculars? Can I rent some kind of weather-related equipment?
posted by Alizaria at 4:37 PM on September 5, 2007

Open observation deck both for the long view of the sky and for the temp difference relative to the ground.
posted by Good Brain at 5:21 PM on September 5, 2007

You could buy him an inexpensive (or not-so-inexpensive) altimeter/barometer and take readings at various altitudes/places throughout the day.
posted by trip and a half at 5:42 PM on September 5, 2007

I think it is totally worth calling TV stations (local/national/cable whatever's in town), ask for the weather presenter, or whoever else might be able to help you and ask if you can come down and see what they do.

It's hardly the business end of the weather, but it's fairly visible, and pretty cool. And people are often really willing to share their profession with a kid.

If you play your cards right, you could probably even walk out of the studio with a tape of the kid in front of the weather map. Or the super-dooper-doppler-7000 or whatever.
posted by sycophant at 5:48 PM on September 5, 2007