A Kid-Friendly Map to Downtown Brooklyn

2. City Point

With two residential buildings, Target, Trader Joe’s, a sprawling underground food hall, and chain and independent shops — including Camp, a retail wonderland for young kids — this mixed-use complex is the vibrant commercial epicenter of Downtown Brooklyn.

3. Blick Art Materials

Professionals, art students, and hobbyists alike swear by this Flatbush Avenue stalwart, which sells made-in-Brooklyn paint, craft supplies, and other goods that promise to stoke creativity.

4. Angelica’s

In a city that often tries to make pizza into a gourmet event, this old-school pie shop and deli is a real-deal family favorite, right down to the mozzarella sticks starter and sauce-slathered meatball subs.

5. Casella Bagel Coffee Shop

This minuscule hole-in-the-wall near Metrotech Plaza is a neighborhood go-to for bagels with a smear, bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwiches, and — perhaps the New York-iest of all breakfast orders — butter rolls. 

Photo Credit: Melt Bakery

6. Melt Bakery

This DUMBO dessert shop does one thing, and it does it right: ice cream sandwiches. The clever spin on red velvet cake, stuffed with cream cheese ice cream, is sure to please sweet-toothed visitors of all ages. 

7. Peaches Hothouse

The Fort Greene location of Peaches, a restaurant group devoted to Southern culinary traditions, serves Nashville-style hot chicken, ‘cue and sides, and smoked-meat sandwiches, all among the best on offer in the borough.

8. IT’SUGAR Brooklyn Heights Plaza

Indulge your kid — actual and inner — at this colorful Brooklyn Heights candy shop, which sells sweets of all styles, shapes, and colors by the pound. 

9. Willoughby Square Park

Sandwiched between City Point on one side and a 19th-century house that was part of the Underground Railroad on the other, this planned 1.15-acre park will be great for families looking for a slice of fresh greenery.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of NYC Parks

10. Cadman Plaza Park

This centrally located park has off-leash early morning hours for pups, access to all the major subway lines, and a new “Juneteenth Grove,” complete with benches painted red, black, and green, that honors Black American history. 

11. Brooklyn Bridge Park Dog Run

Tucked under the Manhattan Bridge at one of the northernmost points in Brooklyn Bridge Park, this waterside dog run is a haven for pups of all sizes, who come to fetch and roll over on soft, hilly turf.

12. McLaughlin Park

A favorite among preschools and youth sports leagues, this small park, with a playground, athletic courts, and plenty of shade, feels worlds away from its surroundings.

13. Golconda Playground

Tucked under the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, this playground area has a 18,000-square-foot public skate park that beckons skaters of all levels to test their skills on concrete pipes and ramps. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum

17. Brooklyn Museum

At this sprawling art museum, Degas, Monet, and O’Keeffe headline the permanent collection and zeitgeisty temporary exhibitions are a draw for plugged-in locals.

18. International Charter School of New York

This free elementary school — a favorite among families throughout the district – follows the “Responsive Classroom” model, a student-led approach to teaching and learning.

19. Brooklyn Friends School

A 900-student independent Quaker school serving children from preschool through 12th grade, Brooklyn Friends sits at the nexus of Metrotech Plaza, Borough Hall, and Fulton Street.

20. Subway Lines: 2,3, B,Q,R, A,C,G

Direct access to more than 10 subway lines keeps all the far reaches of the city — from Coney Island and Hudson Yards to the airports — within an easy commute. 

21. East River Ferry

See the Brooklyn and Manhattan skylines from the breezy top deck of this commuter ferry, which runs along the East River and makes stops in DUMBO, the Financial District, Queens, and more.

22. Brooklyn Hospital Center

Steps from Fort Greene Park, the Mount Sinai–affiliated healthcare complex is anchored by a 464-bed teaching hospital. There’s a new center scheduled to open at the end of 2021. 

Photo Credit: Alexander Rotker

23. Brooklyn Bridge

The city’s most famous bridge has been linking Brooklyn and Manhattan since 1883. Amble over it early in the morning or later at night to enjoy the views (relatively) free from crowds.

24. Wegman’s

Part supermarket, part cult obsession, this grocery store chain — whose first New York City location anchors the Brooklyn Navy Yard complex — is as reliable a one-stop shop as it is a weekend field trip for the kids.