Raven Snook

Raven is a writer, editor, performer and mom, who was born and bred in NYC, just like her husband, her mother and now, her daughter. As a writer, she's contributed articles to New York Magazine, Time Out New York, The Village Voice, the New York Post, TV Guide, Better Homes and Gardens, iVillage, AOL TV and Moviefone, Parents.com, and worked as an in-house editor for ParentsConnect.com and TimeOutKids.com. As a performer, she's appeared on many downtown stages (sometimes even for pay!), a couple of obscure films and TV shows, and The Maury Povich Show as a female drag queen. She's also the founder of Hot Mama Burlesque, the world's only all-moms burlesque show. After being the NYC editor from March 2011-March 2015, she is now happy to just be a blogger as she pursues additional writing opportunities.

Latest posts by Raven Snook

Bronx Culture Trolley: A Fun and Free Way to Explore the South Bronx

Submitted by Raven Snook on Wed, 04/15/2015 - 2:19pm

Taking a trip on the Bronx Culture Trolley had been on my activity wish list forever (along with things like visiting the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, swimming at Jacob Riis beach and getting a full eight hours of sleep). So earlier this month on a drizzly afternoon, I decided to finally cross it off. My five-year-old daughter and I put on our raincoats, grabbed her sketch book and headed up to Hostos Community College to catch the old-fashioned, green-and-red ride.

The free trolley, which is sponsored by the Bronx Council on the Arts, offers hop-on-hop-off service to various culture spots in the borough, and it’s great for art-loving families. We wrote about it back in 2007, when it used to leave from midtown Manhattan and go to famous institutions like the Bronx Zoo, the New York Botanical Garden and Little Italy on Arthur Avenue. These days, the trolley departs on the first Wednesday of every month from the Longwood Art Gallery at Hostos Community College (easily accessible by the 2, 4 and 5 subways), and makes a loop through the South Bronx, stopping at lesser known but vibrant places like the Pregones Theater, BronxArtSpace and the Bronx Museum of the Arts.

If you’ve never been to the area (or heck, the borough!), this is a fun and free way to sample a bit of what the Bronx has to offer—beyond the Yankees and the zoo.

Mother's Day Brunch in NYC 2015: Mama's Choice

Submitted by Raven Snook on Fri, 03/27/2015 - 4:00pm

Figuring out where to eat on Mother's Day always gives me heartburn. Trying to find a place that will please me, my husband, my 9-year-old and my own mother (since she lives in NYC, too) is quite a challenge.

So this year, instead of stressing out about where I'll end up on Sunday, May 10, I decided to turn to the experts: my fellow NYC moms. In addition to updating our list of fancy Mother's Day brunch spots in New York City, we asked our always knowledgeable Mommy Poppins readers to recommend their favorite restaurants for the holiday—or any day.

For even more family-friendly brunch suggestions, check out our NYC Kid-Friendly Restaurant Guide.

Readers' Choice: Top 42 Summer Outings for NYC Kids and Families

Submitted by Raven Snook on Sat, 03/21/2015 - 4:00pm

When you're looking for something cool to do with the kids in NYC, who do you ask? Other local parents of course!

That's why we asked our readers to tell us about their favorite summer day trips in and around New York City. The answers ran the gamut from famous favorites (Coney, Coney, Coney!) to lesser-known destinations (Bannerman Castle on Pollepel Island) to creative city itineraries (a DIY walking tour based on Food Network shows. Yum!).

So in addition to all of our other roundups of summer fun, including 100 free things to do this summer and 40 staycation destinations, we're happy to share the 42 top summer outings for NYC families as chosen by our fellow moms and dads.

This Week: Spring Break Travel Deals, Best New NYC Camps, Diggerland Day Trip

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 03/12/2015 - 4:00pm

It's been an exhilarating week here in NYC. Now that winter has finally let go, my daughter and I took a long walk through our East Harlem neighborhood and spotted the first signs of spring: daffodil buds and Mister Softee trucks. And, like many of our fellow public school families, we participated in a citywide protest criticizing Governor Cuomo's controversial teacher evaluation proposal (glad we didn't have to do it in the snow).

With all that activity, the upcoming school recess can't come fast enough as far as we're concerned. Our Travel site has an enticing roundup of spring break family travel deals in case you're looking to take a full-fledged vacation to Florida, California or Mexico. Or check our regional sites for great seasonal day trips like New Jersey's seaside Jenkinson's Aquarium, the construction-themed amusement park Diggerland, which reopens this weekend, and the end of maple sugaring season in Westchester.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

Brain Week NYC: Free Neuroscience Activities for Kids & Grown-ups

Submitted by Raven Snook on Tue, 03/10/2015 - 12:00pm

We're big fans of kid-friendly STEM activities and anything FREE. So put them together and you've got an event that we want to shout about. New York City's Brain Week 2015 kicks off today and offers neuroscience programs throughout March. Most of the kid-friendly ones take place this week and next, and include family favorites like the BioBus (of Ultimate Science Street Fair fame), and educational expos such as the NYU Brain Fair. Programming occurs in various locations (mostly Manhattan), and while almost all events are FREE, preregistration is often required. We've got the scoop on the top Brain Week events for families.

This Week: Free & Cheap Camps, Maple Sugaring Day Trips, Best Family Attractions in Naples, Florida

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 03/05/2015 - 4:00pm

This photo sums up the way I think we all feel about winter right about now (minus the expletives). A warm vacation somewhere would be the perfect cure, but there's school so you'll have to console yourself with our slide show of the best things to do in Naples, Florida with kids or try hitting a toasty indoor destination right here in NYC.

If you can bear to be outside, maple sugaring season is upon us and there are lots of places in nearby Westchester and Connecticut to see how the sweet stuff is made. If you're planning for summer (assuming it ever gets here), we've updated our Camp Guide, including our super-popular post about free and inexpensive summer programs.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This Week: Best March Events for NYC Families, Camelback Mountain Resort in the Poconos, St. Patrick's Day Celebrations for Kids

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 02/26/2015 - 4:00pm

With ice and dirty snow piled up everywhere we turn, it's hard to believe that spring is just three weeks away. Our just published March GoList highlights balmy seasonal favorites like Macy's Flower Show and St. Patrick's Day Parades. And yet with temperatures below freezing for the foreseeable future, I bet we're going to be consulting our list of 50 things to do indoors with kids in NYC for a while longer.

But even though it feels like winter is going to last forever, it won't, so it's getting down to the wire for ice-skating, snow tubing and skiing. Our Travel site just posted a review of the popular Camelback Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains if you can squeeze in a last-minute winter day trip.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This Week: Skiing in New Hampshire & Vermont, Warm Winter Day Trips, Date Night Child Care, Awesome Weekend Events for NYC Kids

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 02/19/2015 - 12:00pm

All of our bloggers have been so busy enjoying February break with their kids this week, we've barely had time to write! A few went skiing in Vermont and New Hampshire. Others are celebrating Lunar New Year. And my family and I finally got around to seeing the Paddington and SpongeBob movies, and Cambuyón at the New Victory Theater. We hope your family has been having as much fun as we have.

Since winter refuses to let go, the last few days of break are a great time for a warm getaway like an indoor water park or a food factory tour. Or embrace the season by going skiing, snow tubing or ice-skating—remember, spring reportedly starts in four weeks so there's not much time left for winter sports.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week: