New York, One Unhurried Week, Seven Theatre Days

Start with the lobby, not the marquee. The Theater Center has two intimate stages and spacious shared lobbies, giving this first stop a place to regroup rather than another address to chase. I would make the room fit the first decision, then check the chosen production's content and ask about re-entry before committing your family to a full performance.

Make the big room the whole occasion. Broadway Theatre's grand historic interior gives this day its sense of scale, but narrow seating and a high mezzanine bring practical trade-offs, so choose the view before the spectacle. Children under four are not admitted; if that excludes your party, skip this stop rather than treating a venue name as a suitability promise.

An interval is part of the plan, not wasted time. New World Stages - Stage 2 combines a compact, stadium-style auditorium with a shared lobby, restrooms and concessions; that makes it my snack-reset candidate when the chosen performance suits your party. Sort the snack question before the curtain, including what the venue permits inside.

Go smaller, not busier. Daryl Roth Theatre pairs its landmark bank building with the intimate DR2 space, whose programming includes productions for younger audiences alongside other work. Treat the specific room and show as the decision, not the venue name alone; check which stage your ticket uses before planning a slower afternoon.

I would give the architecture some breathing room. David H. Koch Theater is the New York City Ballet's home, with an auditorium and a promenade rather than another hop between venues. Build the outing around one room worth lingering in, and ask which public areas your chosen performance permits you to use before settling the day's plan.

Save your wider travel radius for one substantial outing. Lehman Center for the Performing Arts offers a spacious, seated concert hall with dependable sightlines on the Lehman College campus in the Bronx, a different borough from the Manhattan stops. Make the performance the entire day's anchor, then check its content and plan the return journey before you leave.

End with an off switch, not an encore. Lincoln Center's plaza and fountain give this theatre-led week an outdoor chapter, with a look around the grounds instead of another performance. Let a short wander be enough, and check the weather before deciding whether this is your family's closing pause.