Cheap chills

Photo: Michael Ginsbert

INSIDE | OUTSIDE

Chelsea Market

Photo: Michael Ginsbert

Chelsea Market
Enough fun for: 2.5 hours

Who says the three-hour lunch is dead? Unhurried grazing is what it's all about at Chelsea Market. The old Nabisco factory–turned–gourmet mall fills with hurried corporate types from about noon to 1pm, but after that, the stroller brigade takes over. Gourmands and picky pests alike will find plenty of choices, from dreamy tomato soup at Sarabeth's to Paris-perfect pastries at Goupil & DeCarlo to creamy hot chocolate at Ronnybrook Farm Dairy. For entertainment, gawk at the giant crustaceans at the Lobster Place, the bakers punching dough at Amy's Bread, the cool granite sculptures by artist Mark Mennin or the tango dancers who take over the west end of the market every Saturday from 4 to 8pm. Don't forget to grab a divine brownie sample at Fat Witch before you leave.—Jacqueline Burt Wang

75 Ninth Ave between 15th and 16th Sts.

Game Time Nation
Enough fun for: 2 hours

If you know the difference between Phantasy Star and Final Fantasy, then chances are you live with a young gamer, and young gamers will love Game Time Nation, a vast but cozy video-game lounge steps from Union Square. Equipped with 32-inch flat-screen TVs and more than 180 new games for Xbox and PS2, Game Time Nation is bliss for vid kids. Just buy the game time in half-hour or whole-hour increments and the friendly, knowledgeable staff will do the rest, from switching the games to serving snacks and sodas. They'll even call and have a pizza delivered. Parents are welcome to hang out, and some do, but most are happy to have an afternoon off while their gamer sinks into a comfy couch and slays a few aliens.—Pamela Kelly

111 E 12th St between Third and Fourth Aves (212-228-4260; gametimenation.com). Single players: $4 for half hour, $5 for one hour, $10 for two hours. Two players: $6 for half hour, $8 for one hour, $14 for two hours.

Grand Central Terminal
Enough fun for: 2.5 hours

What is it about kids and trains? Don't question the obsession; indulge it at Grand Central Terminal. The holiday model-choo-choo display at the MTA Transit Museum's shop (on the Concourse Level) is a prime seasonal draw, but the Metro-North locomotives lined up for their everyday journeys to the suburbs are equally fascinating to young railway buffs. An ever-revolving cast of buskers and the annual laser light show, projected on the station's fabulous astral ceiling (starting Nov 22 this year), will divert nontrainophiles, as will a descent into the mysterious vaulted chambers of the Lower Level. And even if you've got one of those kids who only eats a single food, chances are you'll be able to find it in the station's multifarious food court.—Sarah Goodyear

42nd St between Vanderbilt and Lexington Aves.

Tea Lounge
Enough fun for: 2 hours

Your local Starbucks might be brimming with Bugaboos, but there are very few cool indie coffeehouses where you can park a stroller without attracting negative attention. The Tea Lounge is one of those rarities, where work-at-home creative types and stay-at-home moms and dads are equally welcome. Preteens can brush up on their chess game, play backgammon or just lounge around in one of the many sagging sofas while parents swig house brews (Irished-up on demand). Fresh-baked treats and sandwiches are on the menu to satisfy those midday munchies. Take the little ones to storytelling and sing-along sessions Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11am.—Chantal Martineau

837 Union St between Sixth and Seventh Aves, Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-789-2762).

Sephora/Evolution
Enough fun for: 1.5 hours

Don't let all those snooty boutiques and pushy salespeople fool you: Soho is a great place to take stir-crazy kids, if you know where to go. Start out at cosmetics superstore Sephora. The remarkably indulgent staff will let your little one stick her fingers in hundreds of pots of glittery eye shadow (appropriate only for a drag queen or preschooler), spritz herself silly with scents and powder her nose to her heart's content—all without purchase pressure. If leaving empty-handed is not an option, go with the Sephora Girl line—a bottle of sparkly nail polish is a mere $3.50.

Just around the corner (but worlds away in spirit) is Evolution. A cross between a natural-history museum (human-skeleton replicas and saber-toothed cat and chimpanzee skulls are on display) and a freak show (how about those raccoon penis bones!), Evolution never fails to entertain. If you're not sure what you're looking at, one of the staffers will tell you; they are perfectly pleasant to curious kids who never buy anything. It's not like you'd actually want to own a shark in a jar, but it's nice to know that you could.—JBW

• Sephora, 555 Broadway between Prince and Spring Sts (212-625-1309).
• Evolution, 120 Spring St between Greene and Mercer Sts (212-343-1114).

Café Boo Bah
Enough fun for: 3 hours

I never imagined I'd be the kind of person who would willingly pass the time in a joint called Café Boo Bah. But I have to admit, it's awfully nice to spend a few hours in a place where no one bats an eyelash if your child shrieks or spits up. Boo Bah is a coffeehouse and play space: Parents with babies can sit together in the café up front and sip steamy, caffeine-laden beverages or grab a snack; moms and dads with older kids can let them loose in the casual, colorful play area. The walls encourage activity—there's a chalkboard wall for artistic endeavors, a magnetic wall for letter arranging and a Lego wall for building and stacking. Books and toys are on hand for sharing, gumming, etc. (When the days grow warmer, little ones can zoom around in the garden out back; it's outfitted with a sandbox and a pint-size playhouse.) One caveat: Boo Bah closes often on weekend afternoons for private birthday parties and occasionally during the week for mothers' groups and other events; call before venturing out to make sure it'll be open for public playtime when you arrive. You don't want to be left out in the cold.—Melisa Coburn

298 Atlantic Ave between Hoyt and Smith Sts, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn (718-935-9773). Daily play-space rate: $5.

The Winter Garden
Enough fun for: 3 hours

The Winter Garden's palm trees may not be swaying in a tropical breeze, but you can still warm your bones under the vaulted glass roof of this aptly named haven at the World Financial Center. Younger kids will be happy to play at your feet on the spotless polished marble floor, while older ones will eagerly explore the various passageways, trundle up and down the massive central staircase, ride the escalators, and take in views of the Hudson River and construction at Ground Zero. Plenty of child-friendly eateries (try the Elixir juice bar on the lobby level), a pristine bathroom, and frequent free performances and art exhibitions add to the appeal.—SG

World Financial Center, West St between Liberty and Vesey Sts (212-954-0505; worldfinancialcenter.com).

Gleason's Gym

Photo: Courtesy of Gleason's Gym

Gleason's Gym
Enough fun for: 3 hours

In order to get their children within handshake range of most professional athletes, parents usually have to either shell out lots of cash or know someone who knows someone. But at Gleason's Gym, near the Brooklyn waterfront, any kid with three bucks can spend the day watching both up-and-coming contenders and marquee-name pro boxers, such as Zab Judah, train and spar. Felix Trinidad, Muhammad Ali and the Klitschko brothers have all been known to put in appearances here. Even on a slow day, kids are still likely to be impressed by the grueling workouts the male and female pugilists endure, as well as the old-school atmosphere of a place where tough but kind trainers with nicknames like Blimp can remember the days when Jake LaMotta honed his punches on Gleason's heavy bags.—Franziska Bruner

75 Front St between Main and Washington Sts, Dumbo, Brooklyn (718-797-2872).

Books of Wonder/Cupcake Café
Enough fun for: 2 hours

Books of Wonder, New York City's premier children's bookstore, has traded in its cozy, warmly lit surroundings for something even more Wonder-ful. The new store, right next door to the old one, has just as many spots for a kid to curl up in and read Olivia or the new Lemony Snicket, but now it's also home to a gallery of original children's-book art and an outpost of the Cupcake Café, where browsers can grab cupcakes decorated with luscious buttercream frosting. Stop by at noon on a cold Sunday for story time. While Junior is listening to the latest adventure tale, you can peruse shelves of rare books for first editions of your childhood favorites. —Pooja Makhijani 18 W 18th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-989-3270).

Willy Bee's Family Lounge
Enough fun for: 3 hours

Because it lacks beautiful brownstones, leafy-green spaces and a population that adheres to the mainstream, Williamsburg seems like the last Brooklyn nabe you'd want to head to with tots in tow. But the autumn opening of the kidcentric play space and café Willy Bee's Family Lounge has attracted an influx of young hip-squeaks to the 'hood, and for good reason: With its soothing pastel walls, kid-styled tables, affordable menu of basic munchies, and plenty of room for strollers and cavorting, Willy Bee's is a great place to settle in with a latte (or a beer) while the wild things wear themselves out in the back room.—Katie Quirk

302 Metropolitan Ave between Driggs Ave and Roebling St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-599-3499).