Tribeca Safe Haven

If you're at the new (and very nice) playground/park area on the West Side Highway, in Tribeca, and you're completely overstimulated and annoyed and hot and bothered, just a couple of blocks away, a 5 minute walk, is one of the nicest cafes I've been to in forever. Kaffe 1668. It's dark, it's cool (as in temperature, and in vibe), and the people who work there are friendly. They serve nice coffee, and good food, and they have wine in the evenings. Check it out.

And the park is actually great--there's miniature golf, a great playground, and even volleyball. It's just super crowded on a weekend, so it's good to have an escape to a place that couldn't feel more different.

London: Lamb's Conduit Street

We had a couple of hours on our last day in London, and asked our friend Paul what his favorite street in London, right now. Lamb's Conduit in the Bloomsbury neighborhood was his first choice, so off we went. We stopped in at Oliver Spencer, a really lovely store that carries men's and women's clothing, all of it great. Then we had a quick lunch at the Spanish restaurant on the corner, Cigala , and a perfect macchiato at The Espresso Room (Paul said this is probably the best espresso in London). This area is a block away from the Coram Fields Park , which I had high hopes for, since its website looks great. From the site, it appears to be a country farm in the middle of the city, but instead it's a bit sad, with a couple of bunny rabbits in hutches, and some chickens and goats in gloomy pens. But it is a big open space nonetheless, with a large playground area, so it's just good to know it's there, if you find yourself in this neighborhood. I am linking to a neighborhood report done by Monocle Magazine, because I think it will give you a nice sense of the area. 

lunch at Cigala--Clara loved those potatoes...

London: Borough Market

One of my favorite food experiences in the world is Borough Market. We went there a couple of years ago,  on a weekday, when the market wasn't even open, but several of the stands and stores were. It was empty, and it was delightful. I wanted to go there this trip with our friends, so we made a morning out of it, on a Saturday. Big Mistake. Don't ever go here on a Saturday, especially if you are with children. It's insanely crowded, and all of the food vendors have the longest lines. We had been craving a chorizo sandwich and a coffee from Monmouth , and both were mobbed. We ended up sitting down at Fish for some delicious fish and chips--it turns out that if you find a restaurant with seats, you don't really have to wait--it's all the stand-up food vendors that have the lines. 

All the food at Fish is organic, no GMOs, and fish is caught in a sustainable, responsible way.

The line here was so long that we just bought beans and had the coffee at home. On less busy days, this place is dreamy. Long wooden communal tables to nurse your individually dripped coffee, with pots of jam and butter on the table for your toast.

Neal's Yard Dairy, probably the prettiest cheese shop in the world. Plus they are warm, enthusiastic, and generous with samples and explanations.

They keep this shower going to keep the humidity in the shop.

We Love the Ace Hotel, NYC

lamb burger at the breslin

Yesterday we were out and about in the city, and craving lunch at a cozy restaurant, ideally with a fireplace (it was 18 degrees for most of yesterday).  We were in lower midtown, so we headed to Keen's , one of my all-time favorites, but it's closed on weekends for lunch.  Disappointed, we figured we'd head to the East Village, and switch gears to a Japanese noode house, like Sobaya , Ramen Setagaya, or Momofuko Noodle Bar ...but then we remembered the Breslin at the Ace Hotel , and figured since we were in the area, it was worth seeing if we could get a table.  Luckily, we got three seats at the bar, and settled into the most delicious lamb burger ever (and I'm not even a big fan of lamb).  The fries they serve with it are huge, and perfectly fried, and come with a kind of curry mayonnaise.  We also got lentils with poached eggs and steak and eggs. It was all perfect. Afterwards, we got a coffee from Stumptown  (they have an outlet in the hotel, right next to the Breslin, and then asked to see a couple of rooms.  We got shown around by the nicest guy, Adam, who was so informed about the hotel, and so passionate, and ended up showing us probably 5-6 rooms.  They are so well appointed, and so well priced--and it's a property with so much personality, we became instant fans.  We're sending our friend here who is visiting from Austria next month, and I'd send families and hipsters, and hipster families, and families with teens.  They have rooms with bunk-beds (big with the Europeans who are used to hostels), which would be perfect for teens, especially if you get a room for the parents right next to it.  Adam works in reservations, and says he talks to people calling the hotel all day long, helping them figure out what room is right for them.  Because it was an SRO before it's life as the Ace, each room is really different, so it's a good idea to call, rather than just book off what you see on the website.  When I say it's reasonable, we are talking rooms that are super nice, and reasonably big, in the range of $199.  And you get a very cool coffee shop and restaurant downstairs...and a very enthusiastic, thoughtful staff.

Blooming Hill Farm, NY

One of the most idyllic farms I have ever been to is Blooming Hill Farm, which is pretty close to the Woodbury Commons Premium Outlets in New York, off of Highway 17, 60 miles north of Manhattan. They are open on Saturdays and Sundays, and not only do they sell the most beautiful organic produce you have ever seen in your life, they also serve a couple of brunch-ish options -- usually a delicious waffle, a frittata, or a quiche, sometimes a chili. They also have Gorilla Coffee (my favorite), delicious ice teas, and amazing desserts.  If it is warm enough, you can sit at tables by the stream, and sometimes if it is really cold, they make a bonfire outside, so you can still hang out there without totally freezing. They also sell Balthazar bread, and lots of local cheeses, yogurts, and milk.

Viceroy Hotel Santa Monica

We stayed at the Viceroy in Santa Monica recently, and even though it might not be thought of as a family hotel, it turned out to be perfect for us.  Its location is great--just up the street from the ocean, and a playground right there...and a 10-minute walk from the Santa Monica Pier, with its ferris wheel that overlooks the Pacific Ocean, a carousel, and plenty of other rides and games. It's also  right across the street from the best breakfast spot in town, Cora's... so you can hop out of bed, get the free coffee downstairs at the hotel, take a morning walk on the beach, and eat at Cora's instead of the hotel breakfast, which would set you back at least three times as much as eating out.  Bonus: You don't need a car to do any of this!

Binghamton NY

Binghamton (also known as the Carousel Capital of the World, in upstate New York, was
just listed on the Today Show as one of five cities to invest in real estate (check out the clip), which is good for Grandma Carmie (grandma to my daughter Clara), and it's about time. It's been a long time since Binghamton seemed to hold some promise of getting the kids to come back and set up shop after they left to go to college, but we were back there this past weekend, and saw several exciting new places (and a festival!)...

   Kilmer Brasserie in the old Kilmer Building, where they made perfume ages ago, is now a really good restaurant, serving grass-fed beef and nice wines. We went with Clara,  and loved it, but they would do well to add in a kids menu--since it is on the expensive side, and it's hard to see ordering your kid a $30 petite filet because they ran out of the $17 steak frites. The  owners are a husband and wife team who moved to Binghamton with their son (the mom is originally from Binghamton), to seek a better quality of life, great public schools, and neighborhoods where their son
could ride his bike around freely.

The other spot we discovered is L'Aveggio Artisan Coffee, in downtown Binghamton.  Their coffee is fantastic, and it seems like there is hope for a gloomy downtown when a cheery and smart coffee shop opens up.

If you happen to find yourself in Binghamton (maybe on your way to  the beautiful Finger Lakes?), you should check these out, and also, stop in at the TJ Maxx and Old Navy there.  Nobody picks them over, and you can find Bruder trucks for $20 and super well-made athletic pants for $12 to $20 at  TJ Maxx. At Old Navy, I got so much on sale -- 50 percent off the lowest price -- that we left with a bag full of things (including kids' clothes, so it was stuffed) for $35.  The Salvation Army is also my secret place to load up on used ice-skates for $2, and I often find old school outerwear and shoes there.

Borough Market, London

Borough Market is the oldest food market in London (it's been in this location for 250 years) and it's probably the most exciting food court we've ever been in!  It is open as a market Thursday through Saturday, and even though we weren't there on a market day, we STILL loved it!  We started off with probably the best fish and chips ever at Fish!Kitchen and then we had a chorizo sandwich (3.50
pounds -- a bargain in this ridiculously overpriced town).

Next, we meandered into the Neal's Yard cheese shop, where they explained cheeses to us and gave us lots to taste. Finally, we finished up with a delicious coffee at Monmouth Coffee, where they drip each cup to order -- just like at Blue Bottle in San Francisco!