You’re in Clinton Hill or Fort Greene. It’s a weekend morning, perhaps after a ballet, soccer, or gymnastics lesson. Maybe you’ve just gone to the playground, or are on a sanity/fresh air walk with a small baby. Your child is begging for a treat, or you’ve needed a coffee for hours- or both. Welcome to parenthood. Here’s the direct list of the easiest places to go and get your fix:
753 Fulton Street, Fort Greene Brooklyn, 11217
AMAZING menu, excellent atmosphere (if you can get a table), and top-of-the-line coffee. This is affiliated with The Green Grape, so Fulton Ave. is all the better for hosting this wonderful eatery. Meet your friends, gather your thoughts, grab a treat, or quickly get a tea or coffee. Baristas have manners, are professional, and you couldn’t ask for a more convenient location.
147 Greene Ave. Clinton Hill, Brooklyn 1123
This is a charming place, and can make you feel like you’re not in NYC for just a little while. They have a basic menu, but don’t come here if you are expecting lots of gluten free or diet-like dishes. It’s old fashioned in that sandwiches, oil, and fat are just fine by them. It’s conveniently located across the street from Greene Playground, and near to Underwood Park. The salads are good, as are the pastries. The staff is a little slow, but does it really matter? You just want to relax anyway. There’s room here to do it.
781 Fulton Street, Fort Greene Brooklyn NY 11217
Good for a quick in and out coffee for you, or a soup or savory pastry. Not the best place to sit with kids because it’s tiny, and sometimes the servers are a little snarly. But if you just want something fast to go, it’s easy to look past their ways. It’s fine for what it is. If you are with a baby, it’s great.
299 Greene Ave. Clinton Hill Brooklyn, NY 11238
Gluten free, vegan. Not much space for lounging, but famous for their treats and coffee. A fun place for kids to sand in awe at pastries behind the glass case. Totally nice staff, and bowls of water for dogs out front. A charming option if you are strolling through the great community gardens in Clinton Hill.
270 Vanderbilt Ave. Fort Greene Brooklyn, NY 11205
Practical, no-nonsense, and easy. Old school, working-class New York vibe- before foodies, $9 pastries, and precious woodwork flooded our every turn. Their TV may be turned on, and chairs are usually available to sit at and converse. Near Fort Greene Park, the Pratt Sculpture Garden and Dekalb Ave. I like it here for meeting to talk with someone with or without the kids.
Rebecca Conroy is an artist, stylist, and Editor of A Child Grows in Brooklyn. She is from New York City, and has an MFA from Columbia University in screenwriting. Rebecca often finds herself on film and photography sets making things run or look better, and is the mom of two outrageously wonderful kids.