Gowanus

This kid-friendly commercial corridor is WHERE? In Gowanus

Eye on Real Estate: Around Third Avenue, there are places to make robots, play guitar like a rock star and dance, dance

October 15, 2014 By Lore Croghan Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Wheels Up: Gowanus' Third Avenue industrial and commercial corridor is full of wheel-y child-friendly businesses, like Homage Skateboard Academy.
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It’s quite the kid magnet.

Third Avenue. In Gowanus. Really.

You might think the only place on the gritty-chic industrial and commercial corridor that appeals to our offspring is the cake-decorating station at the new Whole Foods. Think again.

At a brace of businesses on or around Third Avenue, kids can sharpen their racquet skills on pint-sized tennis courts, attend a skateboard academy, take ceramics classes from an artist who has been in the neighborhood for four decades, learn to be a junior Johnny Ramone or dance, dance.

They can learn to make robots. Foodies-in-training can plead with their parents to take them out for pie, ice cream or barbeque.

Gowanus is a promising place to plant these kid-friendly businesses — despite the presence on Third Avenue of somber stuff like auto-repair and fuel-oil businesses and South Brooklyn Casket Co. The industrial-artsy neighborhood with its poisoned but picturesque canal is sooo close to Park Slope, Boerum Hill and Carroll Gardens, which are full of families with oodles of disposable income.

* COURT 16, at 526 Baltic St. See related story. 

* GOTHAM ARCHERY, at 480 Baltic St. See related story.

* BROOKLYN MUSIC FACTORY, at 295 Douglass St., in the Gowanus Arts Building. Music education the fun way, ages 4 and up. There are band classes, and the bands perform at oh-so-cool Littlefield, a nearby performance venue.


* SCHOOL OF ROCK BROOKLYN, at 327 Douglass St. Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay. The teachers at this kids’ music academy franchise, whose Gowanus location opened last March, will see to that.

* BROOKLYN BOULDERS, at 575 Degraw St. See related story.

* BROOKLYN FENCING CENTER, at 600 Degraw St. See related story.

* HOMAGE SKATEBOARD ACADEMY, at 615 Degraw St. See related story.


* THE DANCE STUDIO OF PARK SLOPE, at 630 Sackett St. Teaching Brooklyn kids how to dance since 1976.

* AMPLE HILLS CREAMERY,  at 305 Nevins St. Grownups shouldn’t be the only ones who get to eat pretzel-infused ice cream with potato chips, Ritz crackers and M&Ms in it, which is one of this shop’s tastiest treats.

* TESSA GORDON’S PURE ENERGY MARTIAL ARTS, at 584 Union St. Tessa Gordon has been teaching Tae Kwon Do in the area for two decades. Classes for kids ages 3 and up.

* DINOSAUR BAR-B-QUE, at 604 Union St. It has a kids’ menu, which gives the grownups an excuse to eat there more often.

* JETÉ DANCE CENTER, at 274 Third St. Dance classes for ages 3 and up.

* BROOKLYN BRINE, 574 President St. The garlic dill half sour pickles are a top seller for kids, a worker at this popular pickle-maker told us.

* BROOKLYN ROBOT FOUNDRY, at 303 Third Ave. Kids do robot crafting, robot building and robot programming in after-school programs and weekend classes.


* THIRD AVENUE CLAY, at 418 Third Ave. See related story.

* THE BAHCHE, at 191 7th St. This Turkish café, whose name means “garden,” has a playroom for kids and a front patio with space for the small fry to run around a bit.

* POWERPLAY, at  432 Third Ave. A play space for kids, with camps during school holidays.

* FOUR & TWENTY BLACKBIRDS, at 439 Third Ave. What could be more kid-friendly than fresh-baked pie, which is the principal item on the menu? Unless your mom doesn’t allow you to eat dessert.

 

* BROOKLYN DANCE PROJECT, at 495 Third Ave. Dance classes for kids ages 2 and up.


* KOKO, at 539 Third Ave. In this storefront, Open Source Gallery runs its Creative Kids Program — which features workshops where kids learn to build boats and pet houses.
 

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