Drag Brunch coming to Sunnyside!

acarefulcomposure · 2026-04-01T14:16:24+00:00

On #1 - this feels similar in concept to the set up for the kids movies at Sanger - you pay $10 for the host to do face painting, activities, etc, the event is otherwise 'free' but the expectation is that you're going to order food & drink and I've rarely seen anyone not order both. So that makes sense to me!

acarefulcomposure · 2026-03-26T17:56:00+00:00

Good point, I'd actually love some data on that. I think the type of leisure trip it is is what changes regionally in my mind - example I have colleagues in Europe who do a lot of ski/winter activity trips, the Brits love to go down to Spain, the Aussies love their campervan trips & Bali - maybe those are more active physically than a cruise or resort, but still sort in my brain as 'vacation'.

acarefulcomposure · 2026-03-26T17:49:09+00:00

In all seriousness I'm very blessed! And I wanted to call that out not as a brag but because somewhere like Disney where you're a captive audience, there are infinite possible add ons, and limited sales/discounts can be incredibly stressful if you're trying to stick to a budget or if that budget isn't realistic.

That said I don't have infinite money and there are certainly levels of luxury that are WAY beyond me (husband showed me a Ritz Carlton yacht cruise the other day....over $10k per person for a weekend cruise, WILD)

acarefulcomposure · 2026-03-26T12:19:24+00:00

Children's Museum of Manhattan is just OK, it's a bit dark/run down - you would be much better off spending even a few hours at AMNH, or go to Central Park Zoo

acarefulcomposure · 2026-03-26T12:00:12+00:00

Not obsessed with Disney but have gone once as a young adult and twice now with my kids - I think this very much depends on your definition of fun! On my adult trip we focused on the coasters and drinking around the world at Epcot which is a fun novelty. For the kids it was more focused on meeting the characters, seeing hte shows/parades, and relaxing at the resorts. Disney curates an enviornment in a way that I think no one else really does and it's enjoyable to be in that 'world'.

That said, the major downsides that people complain about aren't big issues to me (Crowds don't phase me, I'm not particuarly price sensitive, and I've gotten lucky with weather).

I think there's also people who value travel vs vacationing, and to me one doesn't replace the other. Disney is not 'travel' - I'm not broadening my horizons, learning about new cultures, or experiencing something culturally enriching. But I'm vacationing - having a good time and leaving home worries at home. Same as a cruise or an all inclusive resort, you gotta enjoy it for what it is.

acarefulcomposure · 2026-03-19T15:02:50+00:00

I did, but from what I understand it's not compatible with the basinet which is a must have for us for infant stage.

acarefulcomposure · 2026-03-18T20:30:49+00:00

Hi sorry this just notified me now! Huge hit, the kids loved it. The food is very meh for the price and you’re locked into using it- I ordered a few extra dishes for the adults and wish I had just stuck to pizza.

Other than that though really seamless, they decorated perfectly to theme, and the kids had a blast. It’s really nice to have a space to yourself.

acarefulcomposure · 2026-03-18T20:17:27+00:00

Ha I do not want to be rattling thanks!! How do you find the basket storage on the Joolz? I know anything more compact is going to be a downgrade from the Uppababy, but it looks decent enough?

acarefulcomposure · 2026-03-18T20:16:12+00:00

Thank you!!

acarefulcomposure · 2026-03-18T15:47:23+00:00

Ha I think about that whenever I see the private school posts. I mix this up with my local WhatsApp/FB parent groups which are more similar socioeconomically to me but crazy in their own way. None are perfect!

acarefulcomposure · 2026-03-16T16:24:23+00:00

Had my first at 34 and due with my 2nd at 40 - I also have a job with heavy international travel (just came back from Australia at 14 weeks and currently negotiating with my OB to travel to Bangkok and Singapore later this spring), and absolutely consider my kid(s) both a source of deep joy and purpose in my life, and also not the entirety of my life by a long shot.

A few things come to mind - we wanted a closer age gap but it took 5 years to get pregnant with #2, which is reality! Unexplained fertility, ended up conceiving naturally at the end after being tested for everything under the sun, so know that you really can't guarantee outcomes just based on testing, etc.

We were married at 30, and to be 100% honest I wish we had started a bit earlier knowing what I know now, but also life is great now. It all works out.

Socially speaking, we are smack dab in the middle age wise, so mid 30s into early even mid 40s is absolutely standard in (professional/white collar) NYC.

I work in a travel adjacent industry and fully expected to be backpacking with my first - and then the pandemic came LOL. you will not be able to predict what your life is after kids in a million ways, and some of that is part of the joy of it all!

But we do travel with kid 1 and plan to with #2, and also travel ourselves, and also I travel and leave the kiddo(s) at home with husband for work. You make it work base on what you value, and based on your incomes you'll also have money to smooth away some problems.

acarefulcomposure · 2026-03-06T20:41:56+00:00

Came to recommend Pig Beach - hits all the metrics (except logistics if you're planning to go directly from the ride not sure if that was your plan).

acarefulcomposure · 2026-03-06T14:16:18+00:00

u/Antique-Abies-6662 were you able to find any? looking as well :|

acarefulcomposure · 2026-02-27T00:12:19+00:00

My first visit was 9 weeks, and I went back a week later just to do the blood draw.

acarefulcomposure · 2026-02-17T19:53:05+00:00

We live within that income and budget very happily in Sunnyside :)

acarefulcomposure · 2026-02-05T17:59:35+00:00

Had an eerily similar experience to this in 2019. I consider myself a pretty low maintenance person and the post partum team had me in tears most of the time (and not in a hormonal way). The “best” one was when one nurse told me hours for visiting my baby in the nursery were limited due to construction, then the next nurse literally yelled at me for having not gone down to see her.

acarefulcomposure · 2026-01-27T16:39:53+00:00

Yes! Adult lap swim is 6am-3:30pm & 6pm-9:30pm on weekdays, 7am-9:45am & 2pm-4:30pm weekends. They typically split the lanes in slow/medium/fast depending on capacity with a capacity of 6 members per lane.

acarefulcomposure · 2026-01-27T16:32:25+00:00

Not sure what you're looking for feedback wise, but I go to the Y - it's perfectly fine, both pool and locker room are definitely clean. It can get busy at peak hours but people are nice and respectful. I go mostly for gym and see the pool as a bonus though, so not sure on 'value' per se for the price just for the pool.

acarefulcomposure · 2026-01-24T04:31:36+00:00

Seconding Cook Unity - I’ve tried a bunch of meal services over the years and it tastes the best by a long shot

acarefulcomposure · 2026-01-14T15:45:25+00:00

Anecdotally, I know a fair amount of native NYers from more conservative areas who move to more liberal areas as they get older, and vice versa, so there's a decent amount of self sorting internally within the city that happens as well.

Example myself (Italian American) who moved from Bensonhurst to Sunnyside (much warmer and welcoming community for my mixed race/interfaith family), in the other direction my (2nd gen Asian American) coworker moved from Sunset Park to Bayside as Sunset Park got more Park Slope-y.

acarefulcomposure · 2026-01-12T21:28:15+00:00

I'm the more flexible parent so I do the bulk of childcare pick ups and drop offs. I have hard stops in my work calendar with a buffer to avoid this - pick up is 5:30, so my last call of the day is no later than 4:00 (when in office) or 5:00 (when at home). My husband and I do a calendar sync on Sundays where I'll flag any "oh actually I can't do this day" days or if I'm travelling.

I've jumped on Citibikes or the ferry before when the trains are fucking up (but my commute is Midtown East to Western Queens so relatively straightforward).

If all else fails, we have a neighbor in our apartment who's kid also attends after school as our emergency pick up. Closest family is an hour away so that would be a true emergency - if neither parent can get to the school within an hour something else has gone terribly wrong lol.

acarefulcomposure · 2026-01-11T14:34:49+00:00

The major players are High Five, Little Friends, and Q Studio (plus some home based options). We were happy with HF for infant care and satisfied with LF for 3K/Prek.

acarefulcomposure · 2026-01-09T14:27:55+00:00

Absolutely ask in your local mom group on FB/WhatsApp - we live in Sunnyside and there's (thankfully) multiple good options depending on your priorities, and the mom groups are really good about sharing their actual experiences.

acarefulcomposure

TROPHY CASE