Brooklyn
July 2026
Photo: Linmiao Xu/ Unsplash.
Our guides are built on firsthand experience and curated for families who want to understand a place, not just visit it. Every recommendation is somewhere we love or think you will. For a faster route through our recommendations, start with Editor's Picks or the Wander section, which strings nearby stops into ready-made "mini-itineraries."SKIP TO:
In 1899, just one year after Brooklyn became a borough of New York City, the world's first children's museum opened in Crown Heights. Its founding curator, Anna Billings Gallup, argued that children learn best through curiosity, not rote memorization, and designed the space with that in mind. This meant visitors were encouraged to touch and handle exhibits — something highly unusual for cultural institutions at the time. As a result, Brooklyn Children’s Museum became one of the earliest spaces to put progressive education into practice, a movement then taking shape across Europe and the U.S. that would eventually include Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and the broader tradition of child-centered learning. More than a century later, it continues to serve families in the same place.
Most of the rest of Brooklyn has transformed since then. A military payroll office in the Brooklyn Navy Yard was later used to manufacture Jewish burial shrouds; it now houses Kings County Distillery, a craft whiskey producer offering tours and tastings just steps from where the Brooklyn Whiskey Wars played out in the 1860s. Empire Stores in DUMBO, once a warehouse for coffee, sugar, and molasses, sat empty for decades before reopening as Soho House (private members only) and ABC Kitchen, Jean-Georges Vongerichten's seasonally driven restaurant. Next door, a tobacco storage facility was converted into St. Ann’s Warehouse, one of New York’s most respected avant-garde theaters. Even Notorious B.I.G.’s childhood home in Clinton Hill — the “one-room shack” he referred to in Juicy — was renovated and sold for over a million dollars. That neighborhood is now one of Brooklyn’s most affluent, and his face can be found in murals and stickers all across the blocks where he grew up.
But transformation is only one way to read a city. Brooklyn is New York City’s most populous borough; if it had remained its own city, it would be the fourth-largest in the U.S. today. More than a third of its residents are immigrants, and 44% speak a language other than English at home. (New York City, as a whole, is the most linguistically diverse city in the history of the world). This makes it a place of contiguous worlds. A walk down Atlantic Avenue and into the side streets of Boerum Hill and Brooklyn Heights passes century-old Arab grocery stores, independent boutiques, and multi-million dollar brownstones. In Bed-Stuy, two-time James Beard nominee Eric See opened Ursula, a New Mexican café known as much for its advocacy for the queer community and indigenous artists and farmers as its breakfast burritos, only steps from Caribbean roti shops and West African braiding salons. Farther south, Cyrillic bakeries, Uzbek teahouses, and Cantonese dim sum halls cluster within blocks of one another.
This makes Brooklyn a unique and culturally rich destination for families. It is a great place to experience community: block parties and stoop sales, little free libraries and community fridges, and playgrounds filled with multiple languages. And creativity: the Brooklyn Museum, Powerhouse Arts, diasporan music at Barzakh Café, and the murals of Bushwick Collective, one of the largest open-air galleries in the world. In one of the most expensive cities on earth, Brooklyn has always been a place where people make something from nothing and that still happens every day. For children, there is no better education than a place that makes itself up as it goes.
Notorious B.I.G. mural by Danielle Mastrion at the Bushwick Collective. Photo: Nelson Ndongala/ Unsplash.
Brownstone Botanical vintage flower truck, Clinton Hill. Photo: Isha Mehmood.
PRACTICAL NOTES
Consider hotels or home-sharing platforms over short-term rentals. New York banned most Airbnb-style stays in 2023, so options can be limited. Hotels tend to be expensive; the better ones cluster in Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, and Williamsburg. Kindred, a home-exchange platform, is a good option for families looking to explore specific neighborhoods or longer stays.
Walk whenever you can. Brooklyn is best experienced block by block. Subways connect longer distances but many stations lack elevators so check the MTA's accessibility map before planning a route. Buses and ferries are stroller-friendly alternatives; ferries connect Brooklyn’s waterfront to downtown Manhattan, Governors Island, and Astoria. Children under 44 inches ride all MTA services free.
Car seats are not reliably available through rideshare apps. Bring your own or rent through a car service if you need one; otherwise, public transit is the easier option.
Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, and Park Slope are particularly navigable with young children. These neighborhoods have wide sidewalks, frequent playgrounds, and cafés that expect families.
Don’t try to cover too much. Spend a few hours in each area rather than moving between distant neighborhoods. Our Wander “mini-itineraries” are designed for exactly this.
Summer in Brooklyn has ample free events. Concerts at the Prospect Park Bandshell, film screenings at Brooklyn Bridge Park, and outdoor events across the borough run June through August at no cost. See our Seasonal section for what to look out for.
EDITOR’S PICKS
Morning: L'Appartement 4F (arrive before 9am or accept the line) + Brooklyn Promenade
Afternoon: Domino Park + Williamsburg Waterfront
Indoor play: Space Club (any location)
Design: Powerhouse Arts
To eat: Ziggy's Roman Café
Culture: Crown Heights Cultural Walk
Sweet spot: Malai
Books: The Word Is Change
To take home: Darling (for children) + Ayoon (for gifts)
Beyond the neighborhoods: Coney Island + Brighton Beach
Chama Mama Georgian cuisine. Photo: Chama Mama.
The Great Hall at Brooklyn Museum. Photo: Flipboard/ Unsplash.
Slides at Space Club DUMBO. Photo: Space Club.
Rose cinnamon ice cream, Malai. Photo: Morgan Ione Photography.
The play corner at Ziggy's Roman Café. Photo: Ziggy's Roman Café.
Jane’s Carousel, Brooklyn Bridge Park. Photo: Ilia Plakhuta/ Unsplash.
RECOMMENDATIONS
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Mini itineraries linking nearby highlights into walkable routes.
Brooklyn Heights & DUMBO: Start with a pastry from L'Appartement 4F (arrive before 9am or accept the line) or Cloudy Donut, then walk the Promenade for views of the Manhattan skyline and harbor, with a stop at Pier 1 playground. Continue into DUMBO for lunch at Ziggy's Roman Cafe, which has a dedicated play corner with a chalk wall, magnetic tiles, and crayons at the table. After lunch, the Manhattan Bridge View is a short walk, then Jane's Carousel, a restored 1922 merry-go-round in a glass pavilion at the East River's edge. On Sundays, the Brooklyn Flea sets up under the Manhattan Bridge Archway nearby.
Carroll Gardens & Cobble Hill: Start at Carroll Park's playground, then walk Court and Smith Streets through 19th-century brownstone blocks and the Middle Eastern grocers and bakeries along Atlantic Avenue. Stop at Damascus Bread & Pastry Shop, a Syrian bakery that's been on Atlantic for decades, for flatbreads and pastries. Tera Mera on Court Street does Bombay street food: pav bhaji, chaat (closed Mondays and Tuesdays). Ayoon on Smith Street carries jewelry, textiles, and objects from Yemeni and international designers. End with ice cream at Malai, where the flavors run to cardamom, saffron, and black pepper, or pick up bread from Bien Cuit for the road.
Fort Greene Saturday: Hopalong Andrew plays at Fort Greene Park's main meadow on Saturday mornings at 10am, drop-in western and folk songs that collect a crowd of children and their parents. The Greenmarket runs along the park's edge on Saturdays year-round until 3pm. Walk south through the neighborhood's brownstone blocks to MoCADA, the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, then continue to Greenlight Bookstore on Fulton Street. BAM is a short walk from there — check the schedule for family matinees and special programming.
Park Slope: Start with madeleines from Marbré Bakery and head to JJ Byrne Playground, one of the neighborhood's largest, with climbing structures and a summer spray plaza. For lunch, Emmy Squared does Detroit-style pizza with a kids' menu and changing table. Finish at L'Albero dei Gelati — the gelato runs savory as well as sweet, with flavors like zucchini flower, saffron, olive oil, and yellow bell pepper.
Prospect Park & Long Meadow: Begin at Grand Army Plaza, where on Saturdays the Greenmarket runs along the plaza's edge. Enter the park and follow the path to Long Meadow, the 90-acre sweep of open lawn at the park's heart, with stroller-friendly paths running its length. For the Brooklyn Museum, Botanic Garden (cherry blossoms in April, ginkgo in October), or Brooklyn Central Library, exit east on Eastern Parkway. Chavelas is a short walk from the park's east exits and a reliable choice for lunch or dinner afterward.
Williamsburg & Greenpoint Waterfront: Start at Domino Park, built on the former Domino Sugar refinery site, with original syrup tanks, a crane, and railroad tracks preserved in place and a playground of fog bridges and water jets built from salvaged materials. Walk north along the waterfront through East River State Park, which hosts Smorgasburg on Saturday mornings from spring through fall, then cut inland to McCarren Park. Continue into Greenpoint to WORD Bookstore on Franklin Street. End at Oxomoco (reservations needed), a wood-fire Mexican restaurant, for a meal.
Red Hook Waterfront: Start at the Red Hook Recreation Center, then walk to Valentino Pier for harbor views and a clear sightline to the Statue of Liberty. Pioneer Works hosts free Second Sundays once a month: live music, open studios, and interactive programming across a former 19th-century iron foundry. Jalopy Theatre on Columbia Street runs family concerts and a Sunday Sing-Along open to all ages. On summer weekends, the Red Hook Ball Fields draw vendors from across Latin America and the Caribbean: pupusas, huaraches, ceviche, with crowds that form early. Best reached by rideshare or the B61 bus. Subway access is limited.
Crown Heights Cultural Walk: Start at Café Rue Dix on St. Johns Place for Senegalese food and their sister boutique for textiles and jewelry. Walk east to the Brooklyn Children's Museum on Brooklyn Avenue, the world's first children's museum. (Food options inside are limited to packaged snacks — eat beforehand or bring something for the café.) Continue to the Weeksville Heritage Center, built on the site of one of the earliest free Black communities in the United States, established here in the 1830s. The four surviving Hunterfly Road Houses are open for tours.
Industry City & Chinatown: Start at Industry City at 36th Street, a 35-acre industrial campus converted into galleries, design shops, and a food hall. Puppetworks is inside, staging marionette shows of classic children's stories (reopening September 12). From there, Sunset Park's Eighth Avenue is a short subway ride south, the main street of the neighborhood's Chinese community: dim sum at Pacificana or Bamboo Garden, Hong Kong-style bakeries, and produce markets running from the 50s to 65th Street.
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Brooklyn Heights
Center for Brooklyn History: Museum and research library chronicling Brooklyn's history across four centuries, housed in an 1881 landmark building on Pierrepont Street.
Bushwick
Bushwick Collective: Outdoor street art spanning Troutman, Grattan, and St. Nicholas Streets, with murals commissioned from artists around the world. Works change regularly; best experienced on foot. The streets are flat and stroller-navigable.
Crown Heights
Weeksville Heritage Center: Museum and historic site preserving one of the earliest free Black communities in the United States, established in the 1830s. Tours cover the four surviving Hunterfly Road Houses; check programming for seasonal events and workshops for families.
Downtown Brooklyn
Brooklyn Tabernacle: Sunday services feature the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, a six-time Grammy Award winner, with services open to the public. Plan for two hours or more; better suited to older children who can sit through a full service.
DUMBO
St. Ann's Warehouse: Performance space in a restored tobacco warehouse on the DUMBO waterfront, with adventurous theater, music, and dance programming. Saturday matinees may be an option for older children.
East Williamsburg
Amant: Non-collecting arts foundation with a five-building campus in East Williamsburg, running exhibitions, artist residencies, film screenings, and live programs across two gallery spaces.
Fort Greene
MoCADA (Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts): Contemporary art museum dedicated to the African diaspora, with rotating exhibitions and community programming. Small enough to do in an hour; shows frequently feature Brooklyn-based artists.
Gowanus
Powerhouse Arts: A 1904 power station converted into an arts and fabrication center, with a main hall that dwarfs most Brooklyn galleries. Programming varies; check before visiting.
Prospect Heights
Brooklyn Museum: One of the largest art museums in the country, with encyclopedic collections spanning ancient Egypt through contemporary art. Stroller tours for children 0–24 months run regularly; check programming.
Brooklyn Central Library: The 1941 Art Moderne building is worth visiting on its own, particularly the Art & Literature room, with its gilded lettering, sweeping bronze doors, and view down Eastern Parkway. Free storytime runs throughout the week; check programming.
Red Hook
Pioneer Works: Multidisciplinary arts center in a converted 19th-century iron foundry. Second Sundays are free and feature live music, open studios, and interactive programs across the full building.
Sunset Park
Green-Wood Cemetery's Chapel & Catacombs: National Historic Landmark cemetery covering nearly 478 acres of rolling hills and glacial ponds. Concerts and performances run throughout the year in the Gothic Revival chapel and underground catacombs; the grounds are worth visiting independently of programming.
Multiple Locations
New York Narratives Walking Tours: Walking tours led by Asad Dandia, Brooklyn's Borough Historian, focused on recovering the community histories embedded in the borough's streets and buildings. Tours include The Epic of 1898: When Brooklyn and Manhattan Became One; Muslim Bed-Stuy: The Black Medina; and Immigrant Williamsburg: Capital, Creativity, Chaos.
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Indoor Play Spaces
Clinton Hill
House of Wonder: Scandinavian-style café with a dedicated indoor play space. Best for children under 3.
Private Picassos: Drop-in art studio for ages 18 months and up, with open-ended projects across painting, clay, and collage. Open play is included in each session.
Crown Heights
Brooklyn Children's Museum: Hands-on exhibits, toddler play zones, and a rooftop playscape for ages 0–10. Admission required.
Downtown Brooklyn
The Nature Company: Open play in an animal-themed space with live reptiles, mammals, and amphibians. Weekday afternoons only; check the schedule before visiting.
DUMBO
Space Club (DUMBO, Greenpoint & Fort Greene): Multilevel sensory playground designed by artist CJ Hendry, with ball pits, slides, climbing structures, and interactive walls. Sessions are timed; book in advance.
Park Slope
Good Day Play Café: Calm play space and café with a Hinoki (Japanese cypress) cube pit.
Williamsburg
Parkish: Indoor play space and café on a membership model; non-members can visit daily from 9am to 5pm for the café and a look at the space.
Outdoor Play & Parks
DUMBO
Jane's Carousel: Restored 1920s carousel in a glass pavilion on the waterfront. Fully enclosed, stroller-friendly, and weatherproof.
Pier 1 Playground: Waterfront playground at the northern end of Brooklyn Bridge Park with climbing structures, swings, and water spray features. Open views of the harbor.
Pier 6 Playground: The park's largest playground, at the south end, with distinct zones: sandbox hills, water tables, a swing garden, and a climbing net.
Greenpoint
Transmitter Park: Waterfront park at the northern end of Greenpoint with a large playground and Manhattan skyline views across the East River. Less crowded than Brooklyn Bridge Park on weekends.
Park Slope
JJ Byrne Playground: One of Park Slope's largest playgrounds, with climbing structures, swings, and a spray plaza in the summer.
Prospect Heights
Brooklyn Children's Garden: Dedicated children's section inside with hands-on gardening programs and seasonal nature activities. Best from spring through early fall; the main garden is worth a separate visit for seasonal programming.
Long Meadow: 90 acres of open lawn in the heart of Prospect Park, with stroller-friendly paths running its length. The park also has several playgrounds, a carousel, zoo, and a boathouse with pedal boats available in summer.
Williamsburg
Domino Park Playground: On the former Domino Sugar refinery site, with original syrup tanks, a crane, and railroad tracks preserved. The playground has a fog bridge, water jets, and climbing structures built from salvaged refinery materials.
McCarren Park Pool: Free outdoor public pool, one of the largest in the city, open July through Labor Day. Arrive by mid-morning on weekends to secure a spot.
Performance & Music
Carroll Gardens
Puppetsburg: Interactive puppet shows for ages 4 months to 5 years, with weekly themes ranging from pop culture to current events. Performances run at their Carroll Gardens space and at locations across the borough; check the schedule.
Fort Greene
BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music): Year-round family programming including the BAMkids Film Festival, family concerts, and productions based on children's books. Check the website for the current season.
Industry City
Puppetworks: Intimate marionette theater on Sixth Avenue staging classic children's stories — Pinocchio, Aladdin, The Tortoise and the Hare. Reservations recommended. (Starting September 12).
Red Hook
Jalopy Theatre: Folk and roots music venue with family concerts and music classes. The Sunday Sing-Along is open to all ages and skill levels.
Multiple Locations
Hopalong Andrew: Cowboy-themed music and movement for babies and toddlers, held outdoors in parks and playgrounds across the borough. The Saturday morning Fort Greene Park class runs alongside the park's Greenmarket.
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Chosen for their food first. Space and welcome for families are the bonus.
Brooklyn Heights
Chama Mama: Georgian restaurant with khachapuri, churchkhela, a spacious dining room with some outdoor seating, and a changing table.
Inga’s Bar: Weekend brunch in a 19th-century Brooklyn Heights tavern.
Noodle Pudding: Cash-only Italian with no sign on the door and no reservations. The menu changes daily.
Al Badawi: Family-style Palestinian cooking in a spacious dining room.
Bed-Stuy
Ursula: New Mexican café from two-time James Beard nominee Eric See, known for its breakfast burritos. See has used the café as a platform for advocacy on behalf of the queer community and indigenous farmers.
Cobble Hill
Nabila's: Lebanese home cooking from chef Nabila Farah, whose cooking became legendary on the Washington dinner party circuit before her son brought it to Brooklyn.
Tera Mera: Bombay street food from chef-owner Shalini Vaswani, with handwritten family recipes on the wall and a back garden.
Crown Heights
Cafe Rue Dix: Senegalese restaurant serving thieboudienne, mafe, and other West African dishes. The adjacent concept store sells African textiles, jewelry, and home goods.
Chavelas: Boisterous neighborhood Mexican with generous portions and a changing table.
DUMBO
ABC Kitchen: Jean-Georges Vongerichten's seasonally driven restaurant. Best for brunch or lunch with older children; book ahead.
Ziggy's Roman Café: Roman-style Italian with thin-crust pizza and pasta. The mezzanine level has a soft play mat and sensory toys.
Fort Greene
Baba Cool: All-day café with a spacious back garden.
Evelina: Mediterranean bistro with handmade pasta, homemade gelato, and outdoor seating.
Habana Outpost (summer): Mexican-Cuban fare in a bright outdoor courtyard.
Greenpoint
Oxomoco: Michelin-starred Mexican with wood-fired tlayudas and an open kitchen.
Park Slope
Emmy Squared: Detroit-style pizza with thick, crispy-edged squares and a kids' menu.
Sawa: Lebanese restaurant from siblings Samaya Boueri Ziade and George Boueri, with house-made mezze, house-made pita, and a wine list sourced exclusively from Lebanon and the surrounding region. The garden works well for families. Book well in advance.
Prospect Heights
Breakfast by Salt's Cure: Oatmeal griddle pancakes, no syrup needed, and a covered outdoor space that works year-round. No reservations; arrive early or expect a wait. On Saturdays from May through September, Vanderbilt Avenue has open streets from noon to 10pm.
Nin Hao: Fujianese restaurant from the co-founder of MáLà Project, with occasional weekend dumpling classes for families.
The Nuaa Table: Modern Thai from chef Pitipong Bowornneeranart, with a menu that draws on regional Thai cooking styles rarely found in New York.
Simo Pizza: Fast-casual Neapolitan pizzas that cook in 90 seconds in a wood-fired oven. Communal marble tables, tip-free.
Red Hook
Third Time's the Charm: Sourdough pizza and playful bar food in a large heated backyard.
Sunset Park
Industry City Food Hall: Sprawling food hall with vendors from around the world. Home to Japan Village, with frequent special events including the annual Japan Fes in summer.
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Bed-Stuy
Fan Fan Doughnuts: Small-batch doughnuts with unique flavors — guava cheesecake, ube cream, black sesame. No seating; order to go.
Brooklyn Heights
Cloudy Donut: Brooklyn Heights' first Black-owned food business, serving 100% vegan donuts in 40+ rotating flavors.
Ferrane: Swedish bakery from two Stockholm-born founders with Eritrean and Moroccan roots, with cardamom buns, kanelbulle, prinsesstårta, and viennoiserie.
L'Appartement 4F: French bakery; arrive before 9am or accept the line for the croissants.
Nako: Coffee café with a minimal interior and a short, well-edited menu of drinks and light snacks.
Poppy’s: All-day café with rotating seasonal food and baked goods.
Carroll Gardens
Bien Cuit: Sourdough, croissants, and a rotating pastry case.
L'Albero dei Gelati: Traditional Italian gelato with seasonal flavors and house-made cones.
Clinton Hill
Smør: Scandinavian café with cardamom buns and backyard seating.
Cobble Hill
Bolo Bolo: Indian-inspired bakery with ras malai lattes, pistachio baklava, and chai olive oil cakes.
Malai: Small-batch ice cream with South Asian-inspired flavors—rose, masala chai, cardamom.
Saturn Road: Women-owned all-day café with a spacious backyard and strong coffee. In the evenings it shifts to wine and cocktails, with live music and film screenings.
DUMBO / Williamsburg
Bakeri: Nordic-style bakery with cardamom buns and mismatched vintage china.
Fontainhas: Goan all-day café serving royal chai with sea salt cream, khichdi wraps, and paneer sandwiches. The attached shop, Dukaan, sells Indian pantry staples and snacks. Free Thursday storytime at 4:30pm.
Park Slope
Marbré: French micro-bakery specializing in madeleines, financiers, and the marbré cake the shop is named for.
Miolin Bakery: Corner bakery known for twice-baked almond croissants, strawberry-rhubarb pastries, and Wednesday kouign amanns.
Prospect Heights
Bontree Cafe: Yemeni café with cardamom-forward coffee and chai.
The Social: Ice cream flavors built around nostalgia and texture - popcorn with house peanut brittle, all-natural bubblegum with marshmallow swirl, monkey bread with coffee toffee.
Red Hook
Raaka Chocolate: Bean-to-bar chocolate maker using an unroasted process that preserves the raw flavor of the cacao. The tasting room is open to the public.
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Bed-Stuy
The Word Is Change: New and used bookstore with a focus on radical history, underrepresented voices, and community organizing, including children’s books.
Carroll Gardens
Books Are Magic: Founded by novelist Emma Straub in 2017, with a well-stocked children's section, staff recommendation cards throughout, and a busy author events program.
Liz's Book Bar: Black- and woman-owned bookstore, coffee shop, and wine bar from author Maura Cheeks.
Fort Greene
Greenlight Bookstore: Indie bookstore with a well-edited selection, a prominent children's section, and a strong calendar of author events.
Greenpoint
WORD Bookstore: Community-focused indie with a well-chosen children's selection and consistent author events calendar.
Prospect Heights
Love & Legends Books: NYC's first fantasy and romance bookstore, with dedicated children's and young adult sections and regular programming for young readers.
Red Hook
Record Shop: Vinyl and books, with a dedicated section of Arab and Middle Eastern titles and occasional live music. Check the schedule before visiting.
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For Children
Bed-Stuy
Cosmo Brooklyn: Kids' shop and event space dealing in pre-loved children's clothing alongside pieces from small independent makers. Art classes, storytime, and mending workshops run alongside the shop.
Boerum Hill
Misha and Puff: Children's knitwear brand with crochet sweaters, pom-pom hats, and cotton pieces for babies through age 10. Wednesday summer storytime at 11:30am.
Brooklyn Heights
Darling: Children's boutique with a curated collection of clothing, gifts, and accessories, including handmade pieces, international designers, and vintage finds.
Greenpoint
Parachute: Secondhand children's clothing, organized by size and season.
Park Slope
Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.: A retail store selling capes, superpowers, and imagination supplies — the front for 826NYC, a nonprofit writing center serving students ages 6–18. All purchases fund free writing programs.
Little Green: Black-owned children's gift shop with a well curated selection of toys, books, games, and crafts.
Owl Tree Kids: Children's consignment shop in Park Slope.
Design & Home
Bed-Stuy
Sincerely, Tommy: Home goods and gift shop with ceramics, textiles, candles, and Brooklyn-made objects.
Cobble Hill
Ayoon: Arab-owned concept store covering art, jewelry, accessories, clothing, furniture, and textiles, with a focus on craftsmanship and story.
DUMBO
Areaware: Design company Areaware's flagship store, with toys, puzzles, home objects, and gifts.
Food & Specialty
Brooklyn Heights
Sahadi's: Middle Eastern specialty grocery on Atlantic Avenue since 1948 — bulk spices, olives, halva, nuts, and house-made spreads.
Damascus Bread & Pastry Shop: Syrian bakery with flaky baklava, ma'amoul cookies, and fresh flatbread.
Park Slope
BKLYN Larder: Specialty cheese counter and grocer with a well-chosen pantry and sandwiches made to order.
Vintage & Eclectic
Clinton Hill
Su'juk: Boutique mixing vintage clothing, home goods, and children's pieces under one roof.
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If your timing lines up, things worth adding to your plans.
Brighton Beach
Boardwalk (summer): The boardwalk here runs quieter than Coney Island, with Russian bakeries and oceanfront smoked fish shops. The two beaches connect easily and work well as a full day.
Clinton Hill
St. James Joy Block Parties (summer): Summer block parties on St. James Place with live DJs and dancing in the street. Check their Instagram for dates.
Coney Island
Boardwalk & Luna Park (summer): Luna Park runs April through October, with rides ranging from the 1927 Cyclone to newer family-scaled options. Nathan's hot dogs on the boardwalk; the beach is free.
Crown Heights
West Indian Day Parade (Labor Day): Steel drums, mas costumes, and jerk chicken along Eastern Parkway.
Downtown Brooklyn
Brooklyn Book Festival (September): Literary festival with author panels, a dedicated day for children's program, and exhibitors from publishers and bookshops around the world.
Fort Greene
BAMkids Film Festival (fall): BAM's annual international children's film festival, typically running over a weekend in October. Check BAM's website for the current schedule.
Fort Greene Park Jazz Nights (summer): Free Thursday evening jazz concerts in the park's amphitheater. Arrive before 7pm to claim a good spot.
Park Slope/ Windsor Terrace
Celebrate Brooklyn (summer, Prospect Park Bandshell): Free outdoor concert series running since 1979, with a lineup spanning indie rock to West African jazz. Free general admission.
Prospect Heights
Brooklyn Children's Book Fair (November, Brooklyn Museum): Brooklyn authors and illustrators in conversation, with book signings and art activities for children from preschool through middle school. Free with museum admission.
Sunset Park
Lunar New Year (February): Lion dances, firecrackers, and street food along 8th Avenue. The celebrations run the length of Sunset Park's commercial strip.
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For when you have a babysitter. Our top three picks, no more.
Crown Heights
Barzakh Cafe: Café and cultural space run by a Mauritanian journalist and political dissident, with live music almost every night spanning qawwali, Ladino, Cuban, and West African sounds. Named for the Arabic concept of a liminal space between worlds.
East Williamsburg
Zoli: Seafood-forward restaurant from Ned Baldwin, set inside the Amant arts foundation. Reservations up to 30 days out, walk-ins at the bar.
Williamsburg
Shota Omakase: Michelin-starred Edomae-style sushi counter near Domino Park. Chef Cheng Lin runs an 18-course seasonal omakase. Book well in advance; flag dietary restrictions at least 72 hours ahead.
STORIES FOR THE ROAD
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For children
The Neighborhood Mother Goose by Nina Crews (ages 0-5): Nursery rhymes photographed on Brooklyn stoops and playgrounds.
All the Way to America by Dan Yaccarino (ages 4-8): Four generations of an Italian-American family, from Ellis Island to the present.
Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson (ages 8-12): Set in Crown Heights, middle-schoolers create a safe space to share their stories.
For parents
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith: The 1943 classic of tenement life in Williamsburg.
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson: Brooklyn Heights family wealth and class dynamics.
The Coin by Yasmin Zaher: A Palestinian woman navigating displacement and desire in Brooklyn.
Do the Right Thing directed by Spike Lee (film): Bed-Stuy on the hottest day of summer.
Explore more of our reading lists on Bookshop.
RESOURCES
Brooklyn Bridge Parents: Weekly roundups of family events and weekend activities across Brooklyn neighborhoods.
Brooklyn Magazine (BKMAG): News, food, arts, and neighborhood coverage, and a regular weekend guide.
Brooklyn Playgrounds: Reviews of NYC playgrounds, searchable by neighborhood and feature.
Let’s Go Baby: Searchable map of baby-friendly restaurants across NYC, filterable by high chairs, stroller storage, and changing tables.
These resources are updated periodically.
Have a suggestion? Let us know at hello@bychouette.com
