I’m not so sure. Yeah, it’s convenient if you don’t have a babysitter. But really, do parents need their kids with them when they’re having cocktails?
Oops, that sounds a tad judgmental. And I’ve had many a cocktail with my daughter in tow…
I’m just saying.
This issue comes up at on bar or another every few years ago. Who can forget the bartender at Patio on Fifth Avenue who wrote the now-famous (or infamous) "No Stroller Manifesto" on an A-frame sandwich board outside that establishment.
Now, Union Hall says no to strollers and small children. And, according to Gowanus Lounge, for good reason.
The word comes via a Union Hall employee that says the bar and popular
hangout has been having issues with minors being sent in as bait by the
police without ID. They have apparently been threatened with closure if
anyone under 21 is found on the premises. (Actually minors are legally
okay if they are with a parent or guardian.) Infants are still allowed,
but any kids that are old enough to walk are out as are strollers
because of "fire codes."
When I was in the English countryside in the late 1970’s, there with pubs that seemed to be gathering places for families with children and dogs. I loved the feeling of those places.
But this is NYC. And Union Hall is a grown up bar. I’d even go so far to say, it’s designed for the younger Park Slope crowd — you know, those people you only see at night and on weekends in Park Slope who live here in great numbers.
They need a place to hang out, too.
Union Hall is also a music space, which occasionally sponsors shows for teen bands like Care Bears on Fire. And don’t forget their Secret Science Club, spelling Bee’s, Name-that-Song nights and literary readings.
It’s a fun place. But they’re going to be put out of business if they break fire code or have people under 21 on the premises.
Don’t think that just because they have a huge Bocce court, it’s a place for kids. Or parents who don’t want to get a babysitter.
Thank you for that comment! I’m so tired of this “age of entitlement” among parents and their offspring, too. Note to parents: as the mother of a 17 year old, I can tell you that babyhood/childhood does not last forever and if you focus on actual “kid friendly” spots, you can have a good time with your child and eventually get your adult life back. We spent the “early years” at places like Two Boots having a martini with pizza (and awesome fried chicken and cajun shrimp) while our son enjoyed the pizza dough show, coloring books and sippy cups. Now we can go where we want. It wasn’t a stretch…really. And we still go back to Two Boots with our soon-to-be-an-adult son and enjoy the food and the memories.
Here I go again…
There are basically 2 kinds of narcissism that develop in childhood – “primary narcissism” and “phallic narcissism.” The first stems from the first year or two of life, the second from around age three-four. In the first case, the child never learns to accept that he is not the center of other people’s universes. In the second type, the child becomes addicted to attention and adoration. In both cases, the child develops a fragile, dependent personality. BOTH types of narcissism stem from the child having parents who are overly involved with the child in inappropriate ways. Does taking a child to a bar constitute innapropriate? Come on!
IMO Bars are for adults not children. Not every venue in Park Slope has to be child friendly. Hire a babysitter.
spelling bees not spelling bee’s!