Does your town have a baby friendly place to hang out?

[Snapdragon]

If so, tell me about it! I just went out to town with my 3 month old and htere is nowhere baby friendly to hang out By this I mean- I was thinking my ideal would be a great coffee shop/ tea place/ lunch place that was especially made for parents and babies/ little kids to be. So the moms (or dads) could go to this place and know there would always be other parents w- kids there, and the parents could get some adult interactions and enjoy a sandwich and a cup of coffee or tea while the environment would be one that parents felt good having their babies be in. Good chairs for nursing, safe places for moms to put their babies down on a clean rug, for the toddlers to play, quiet reading corners.
I think places like this should exist in every town!! every town has parents who would love to take their babies out and would if there were great baby friendly places to gather.

does your town have a baby friendly place where parents and babies can regularly get together? If so tell me about it!

[aramat]

Hi, Katie! There's very little where I am -- no Gymborees or anything (probably because most mothers either don't have the money or have nannies). But there is a mom's group that gets together to take their babies to the movies (reserved theatre, I guess--I think it's a little silly, because I want to TALK to the other moms!). Other than that, public parks are the places to go around here... Can you get together with your friends, organize outings together or a playgroup?

[Snapdragon]

we do have a once a wk baby and mom gathering which started only pretty recently- I have been to 2 out of the 4 so far and will go this week. that is super fun, about 7 moms and babies and usually 4 or 5 show up. I missed it last wk but look forward to it in a couple days.

[strawberryprincess]

your idea sounds a little like a utopia to me that would be wonderful to have someplace like that to go. we have lots of kids stuff to do around here--but very little is baby-friendly.

my LLL group has organized a "breastfeeding cafe" where once a month we meet at a coffee shop with our babies. It's been fun. we also do a weekly play date at a park. there may be something like that nearby you.

[Snapdragon]

bumping my own thread because I am really curious about this:
Does your town have a baby and parent friendly place to hang out? If so please tell me about it!
maybe it can inspire me to get something going in my town!

[Knitting Mama]

Gosh, I want your idea! Not only do I wish it was in existance in your town, I wish it was a chain everywhere!!

My spinoff idea is this: Maybe find a local shop that's willing to plan one day a week for family day like you described? Like every Tuesday from 9 am to 1 pm is family time, or something to that effect? With enough calling around and you volunteering to spread the word, maybe they'd be willing?

[hildare]

we sure don't.. but my sil had moved to va, and i don't know if she found this place there or while traveling, but there was a coffeeshop that had a play area! I thought it was the coolest idea. I wish there was something like that anywhere around here.
she said they had sandwiches and healthy finger foods!! coffee!!! a play area that had multiple areas for different young ages that parents could sit at tables and view (it sounded like it was in a lower area and the parents were elevated) with toys, play kitchen, and rubber mat type flooring. sounded so amazing.

[moobiegirl]

I've never been there, but I know of at least one place like that in Philadelphia. The website is nice and I've heard great things about it. It's called The Little Treehouse. We just live a little too far to make a trip there.

[tanyam926]

Yep! In my little town a friend of mine opened up a Play Cafe. It's a coffee shop (really excellent coffee, lattes, tea, etc. and cafe type food) that has areas for kids to play; a gated baby area w/tons of toys, a sectioned off toddler area, and a large outdoor play structure for the older ones.

It's great. We are there at least 2x/wk bc I have my moms groups meetings (BF and babywearing) and it's such an awesome place to hang out.

[a-sorta-fairytale]

Originally Posted by tanyam926

Yep! In my little town a friend of mine opened up a Play Cafe. It's a coffee shop (really excellent coffee, lattes, tea, etc. and cafe type food) that has areas for kids to play; a gated baby area w/tons of toys, a sectioned off toddler area, and a large outdoor play structure for the older ones.

It's great. We are there at least 2x/wk bc I have my moms groups meetings (BF and babywearing) and it's such an awesome place to hang out.

is this in nm?

[Friendlee]

Okay I am SOOOO jealous. I would kill for a place like this...we're tired of roaming the aisles of Target for stimulation!!!

So how do they regulate these places? Like, do the older kids sort of over run the baby area like they do in malls? Does it get super loud or rowdy with the preschool aged kids? It'd be nice (for people like me who has 1 baby) to limit it to babies and toddlers, but I know that would exclude too many people who have preschoolers.

I'm just dreaming of opening one of these in my town and trying to imagine the logisitics...

[ladymeag]

In Seattle, there's a pub with a toddler play area.

I haven't found anywhere here yet. There is a movie day and a movie night in Campbell, CA.

[triana1326]

I'd have to drive an hour to get to it, but on Damariscotta, Maine there is a great coffee shop that I LOVE!! It's called North Cottage Coffee. It has comfy seating, and a play section for kids. Not completely baby friendly, but definitely kid-friendly! I just wish I could go there every day and could afford to go as well...

[em123]

There are a handful of places around my town, but one that sounds exactly like what you are describing is the Cup & Top. It is in Northampton, MA (the Florence section)

Here are some pics where you can see part of the play space (it extends to the left there and they have a bookshelf and a toy kitchen and a lego wall too) and the cafe: http://picasaweb.google.com/cupandto...AroundTheCafe# And the website: http://www.cupandtop.com/

We go 2-3 times a week. They also serve local coffee, and have sandwiches, baked goods, a good kids menu etc. It's peanut free, and they have a ton of gluten free stuff too if you have food restrictions.

Northampton also has an amazing parent's center during the school year where you can bring a coffee if you want and they serve snacks for the kids. It is two huge rooms and one small room in the basement of a church downtown (no affiliation with the church). There are a few other places that we go around town, but those two seem to meet what you are describing pretty closely.

[Nicole730]

We don't have any place like that, that I know of. We have quite a few indoor playgrounds, you have to pay to get in, but then there is comfy furniture and a snack spot, while the kids roam around and play. We also hang out at the mall play area a lot, usually there aren't big kids there, but once in awhile there is.

[Snapdragon]

wow, lovely! (to the one you showed pictures of in Northampton and also to the one in New mexico)
I am glad there are places like this out there! It seems like it would be a good business move for someone who was into running a cafe to have a play space like this. I know plenty of people would go if these places existed as an option! Keep em coming, it is inspiring to know about.

[tzs]

Originally Posted by Nicole730

We don't have any place like that, that I know of. We have quite a few indoor playgrounds, you have to pay to get in, but then there is comfy furniture and a snack spot, while the kids roam around and play. We also hang out at the mall play area a lot, usually there aren't big kids there, but once in awhile there is.

nicole...have you been to the JCC on santa monica?
they have a little cafe next to a really nice play area with slides, a ball pit, climbers, etc...
it's not necessarily "baby" but i've gone in there with my 9 month old and played around in there with her.
you don't have to be a member but i think the cafe might close in the summer when they move it to the water park.

[flower01]

Atlanta has a cafe like you describe - it has a play area that you can check your kids into also. So you can sit and enjoy your coffee...get some work done while the kids play with supervision. They don't change diapers or anything, and you can see your kids the whole time, but it's a nice enclosed area that totally safe for the little ones.

But, nothing where I live now. There was a coffee shop that had a play area, but it was run by a church and they recently closed it down.