I couldn’t love Brooklyn more. But lately, we’ve been doing the same things, going to the same old places. To shake things up a little, we decided to sign our daughter up for a Saturday morning class at Chelsea Piers. While we were excited about getting out of our hood’ we had no idea what Chelsea had to offer other than Chelsea Piers itself and of course the High Line. We were worried that finding a family friendly restaurant would be impossible, and that our only options would be crowded brunch spots featuring overpriced eggs benedict. Surprisingly, there’s actually much to do, and we found quite a few places to go where we wouldn’t get glares from the Bloody Mary swilling set for having a kid in tow.
STUFF TO DO:
Chelsea Piers:
While it’s not new to any of us, it’s worth mentioning. I had written it off as simply too big of a pain to get to. Who wants to trek all the way across town and then hike up the West Side Highway to 18th Street? It turns out that the M14d bus (don’t get on the M14a bus which only goes to Abingdon Square) runs across 14th street and will drop you off right across the street from the facility.
Chelsea Piers is a great way to kill an afternoon when faced with unreasonable weather. It’s important to keep in mind that the facility is home to quite a few classes and a popular birthday party destination, so while you can always check out the offerings on their website, it’s not a bad idea to give them a call before planning your visit. The Sky Rink opens for general skating at 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and bowling at 300 New York opens at 9 a.m. The Spa at Chelsea Piers offers a half-day treatment, including a 50-minute massage, a custom facial and a manicure for $243. A splurge obviously, but I admit this caught my eye and I couldn’t help but think I’d like to pay a visit while my husband and daughter went to the Little Athletes Exploration Center. Dream on sister! The Little Athletes Exploration Center is an indoor play space with a ball crawl, slides and your basic equipment to jump and crawl around on. It’s for ages 6 months to four years, but my 2.5 year old is just about to outgrow it.
Chelsea Market:
Another fabulous rainy day/winter time destination since once again, it’s all inside. Walking distance from Chelsea Piers, Chelsea Market has some great family dining options and you can wander around in the shops with your kids if you have to wait for a table. A few highlights:
Friedmans Lunch
Friedmans Lunch’s Southern Breakfast (cheddar grits, eggs, fried green tomatoes and a giant biscuit) is a massively delicious bargain at $10.00. My only complaint it that the southern breakfast is so good I’ve never been able to bring myself to order anything else, like their brisket burger which I can tell you looks fantastic.
Buon Italia
If you just want to be quick and sit at one of the tables in the market, Buon Italia offers chicken parmesan sandwiches, eggplant parmesan sandwiches, etc. Their selection of pasta, cheese, sausages, polentas, oils, and olives are worthy of Martha Stewart’s pantry.
Eleni’s
Now that you’ve satisfied your inner Marcella Hazan you’re kids are probably on the verge of a major meltdown. Cookies from Eleni’s are the answer. They have every shape imaginable from lobsters to dinosaurs to ducks. Crisis averted.
The Park
If you don’t want to eat in Chelsea market (and there’s way too many options for me to cover here – trust me, they have everything from Thai to lobster rolls) The Park at 118 Tenth Avenue is a surprisingly good option. I was skeptical at first. It’s one of those places that is so pretty, you just can’t see comfortably eating there with kids (or at least mine). But when I saw two massive towers of high chairs in the entryway I knew we had scored big time. The atrium room is the place to sit. It’s designed to feel like you’re sitting outside, you are not, of course. The pizza we ordered for my daughter off of the children’s menu was so good I ended up eating all of her leftovers.
The Donut Pub
If you’re headed back to Brooklyn but you’re feeling like you need a snack or a cup of coffee, consider popping into the Donut Pub at 14th Street and Seventh Avenue right by the 2/3. It’s an old-fashioned lunch counter. The offerings are few but couldn’t be better – donuts. My daughter is partial to the mini red velvet. They do have bagels, and they offer sandwiches, but after a long day of playing and shopping, we’re simply the kind of family that believes in the restorative power of a good donut.
Chelsea Piers
Between Piers 61 & 62
23rd St. & Hudson River Park
New York, NY 10011
212.336.6500
f: 212.336.6515
email: fieldhouse@chelseapiers.com
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Paula Balzer is a Brooklyn based literary agent and co-founder of the blog www.adhocmom.com, the blog for freelance and part-time working moms.