The parental visit can be a stressful one. Where to go, what to see, and can they handle all the walking? What exactly would give them a truly “New York experience” without subjecting them to the smells of Central Park South? After you’ve done midtown, the museums and a monster pastrami sandwich at Katz’s Deli, we suggest escaping the crowds and heading to the Upper East Side. Beautician blogger Fannie Brice (not pictured) did just that and shares her special family time:

We also went to the 92nd Street Y and saw a rabbi who used to preside over a congregation that Rick attended in Boston, speak about the Kabbalah and read from his recent book on the topic. [She’s talking about Rabbi Lawrence Kushner and Kabbalah: A Love Story.] With Rick and his cousin (whose hair I now do) we took up a whole row, and I loved watching my parents soak up all the Jewishness and intellectual presence in the room. It’s an exhilarating feeling culturally to be around your own, regardless of religious commitment. They really enjoyed it and my dad asked some really salient question that impressed the rabbi and I remembered how I was always proud when I would get to hear my dad speak in public at school meetings and other stuff we went to, even when he took excessively long pauses which were embarrassing. I asked what he thought of the whole Madonna Kabbalah thing and the hipness factor. I wish I remembered exactly what he said but it was something to the effect that whatever brought people to it was fine with him. We stuck around afterward for Shabbat prayer, wine, some obscenely sweet and delicious meltaway babka and the best challah I’ve ever had. Usually challah is gross, I always eat a shred of it just for symbolism’s sake but this stuff was amazing. I’ve got to (not) find out where they got it.

Of course, there’s plenty more than Jewish Life at the Y. Take them to a reading, lecture, concert, or dance performance. You can also let us be your city tour guides.

Bonus Holiday Gift Idea: Give your parents an excuse to visit in April with a day pass to our Healthy, Wealthy & Wise: Life After 50 Symposium with Martha Stewart and a host of health professionals.