Anyone who has ever tried to get any work done with young kids underfoot can imagine what Harris Levine must have gone through -- every day of his life.

The Polish immigrant tailor lived with his wife and three young children in three tiny rooms at 97 Orchard St. in New York City in the late 1890s -- then one of the most densely populated places on earth.

While Levine and three other helpers put dresses together, Mrs. Levine managed the household in the same 325-square-foot space boiling diapers, hauling laundry down several flights to hang outside, amusing the children and cooking. ``It was amazing how they could all fit in such a small space,'' said 14-year-old Lee Gilbert, visiting with his family from Miami.

The chance to travel back to those days, visiting the Levine's apartment and several others, is yours for the asking at the Tenement Museum, which recreates the life of New York City immigrants between 1863 and 1935 when 97 Orchard Street was home to some 7,000 people from more than 20 nations.

It's one of many family-oriented attractions in New York. And they're not limited to Manhattan -- the other boroughs have some intriguing kid-oriented features as well.

The Statue of Liberty's Crown re-opened to the public in July for the first time since 9/11. At the same time, there is a new audio tour at Ellis Island, designed especially for kids using animated character voices. You can also celebrate your heritage by uploading your photograph to the American Flag of Faces.

Certainly visitors to New York have their pick of world-class and iconic sites -- the Museum of Natural History with its new extreme mammals exhibit, the Metropolitan Museum of Art with its new American wing, the Empire State Building and Central Park.

Take the free Staten Island Ferry for a first-rate view of the New York City skyline and check out The Hedge Maze in the Secret Garden at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and the Carousel for All Children at Willowbrook.

Head to Queens and the New York Hall of Science, which boasts the largest collection of hands-on science exhibits in the city (400!), but just opened Rocket Park Mini Golf to encourage kids and parents to explore science concepts -- gravity, velocity -- as they make their way through nine holes.

There's a lot more to the Bronx than the Bronx Zoo, as terrific as it is -- like Wave Hill, the public garden and cultural center that offers family art projects and birding walks.

The Brooklyn Children's Museum, opened in 1899, was the first museum created expressly for children and, after its recent expansion, remains a showcase for what a children's museum can be. Check out exhibits like Wild About Plants, which lets families touch, smell, magnify, build, rebuild, watch and listen to plants -- uncovering what they do for people and what people can do for them.

Stop in at the FDNY Fire Zone, where kids can try on firemen's gear, climb on the trucks and pose for pictures -- at no charge.

You'll meet a lot of local families at the brand-new High Line, the one of a kind park built on the elevated, steel structure that originally carried freight trains. The first section runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 20th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues.

Check out Eileen Ogintz's book The Kid's Guide: NYC, written with her daughter Reggie.

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