ModernTots

Profile

This venue is closed.

Sick of unwieldy strollers, monochrome décor, and stodgy kids' apparel, Brooklyn mom Sarah Rubenstein opened the ModernTots showroom in 2007 with a progressive taste in children’s design and a pint-size product consultant in her then-5-year-old son. Handmade wool rugs in electric pink, green, and blue dot the blond wooden floor, plastic seagulls and monkeys swoop overhead on mobiles, and decals by pop-art guru Keith Haring accent the walls. For grown-ups, the main draw here is the tricked-out tot gear, like Orbit’s interchangeable car seat, base, and stroller featuring subway-worthy one-handed folding. The kids’ furniture is on the higher end—no Fisher Price here—and is Art Deco–inspired, with foam cube chairs complementing stackable geometric shelving. The clothing selection favors girls (sizes infant to 6), offering poufy corduroy bubble skirts, silky alpaca knit dresses, and asymmetrical jumpers in Barbie pink and chocolate brown. While parents test the latest tyke gadgetry, kids congregate in back, where blocks, plastic food, books, and a low-riding (nearly) crash-proof Kokua bike encourage impromptu playdates. — Lauren Murrow

Yoga classes are offered seasonally by Jennifer Cohen of Little Flower Yoga Monday mornings at ModernTots, ages 18 months to 4 years. Brooklyn artist Jen Ferguson teaches art classes Tuesday evenings, ages 2 ˝ to 6.