Best of New York 2012 • Kids

• Metro Minis

  821 Park Ave., at 75th St.; 212-313-9600; metrominis.com

  Baby slings far more fashionable than the Bjørn are easy to spot on the streets these days, but it’s hard to find a store with a serious selection. Metro Minis, on the first floor of a gracious prewar building on Park Avenue, has about 30 brands, beautifully organized by type: cloth carriers, wraps, Asian-style carriers, and colorful, chic models cinched around a large silver ring. The store also offers classes like Babywearing 101, Introduction to Wrapping, and Fearless Childbirth. It’s manned in part by Koyuki Smith, a doula who often carries her own 7-month-old in a sling as she advises the best way to tie oneself up. Metro Minis even has dolls weighted to match newborn and 4-month-old babies, so you can try out any product as if you’re carrying the real thing. Prices range from $40 to $200.

From the 2012 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine