Philadelphia Moms

Jones

Chances are, if you live in Center City, you've already been to Jones for dinner and/or drinks.  It's one of about a bazillion Steven Star restaurants in the city.  And yes, "bazillion" is an actual numeric amount, at least in my book. 

Anyway, I've been going to Jones for years with my girlfriends and my husband.  And now I go with my son.  It's good "fun" restaurant to bring a baby when you'd like to go somewhere other than Friendly's or Ruby Tuesday's.  It's noisy enough that a crying baby isn't a problem, but not so noisy that you wouldn't bring your child there to begin with--if that makes any sense.  The staff is great about storing strollers and it's easily accessible.  There are high chairs available, BUT if you have a toddler or young child, there is no official "kid's menu".  However, with menu items like grilled chicken sandwiches, soy burgers and grilled cheese, not to mention glazed carrots and buttered peas as sides, you hardly need a kid's menu.  My son doesn't eat a whole sandwich, but the staff happily provides take out containers for leftovers.

Jones is located at the southwest corner of 7th and Chestnut Streets and there is limited outside dining available.

Oh, and did I mention there are really fun drinks?  Indeed, there are.

Piccolini

Oh, I'm in love (again).  This time it's with Piccolini at 264 S. 20th Street (there's also a location in Bryn Mawr).  The location is great, just a little over a block off of Rittenhouse Square, and while it's not a super-spacious store, it's easy to get a stroller in and out.  If you are pregnant or have a newborn this is the place to go for gear, clothes and fun accessories, but they also have some toddler gear.  I just dropped in recently to pick up a couple of Dwink holders since my son has discovered the joy of juiceboxes.  The staff was friendly, helpful and not one bit pretentious.

One of the things I like is that Piccolini founder Jessica Troiano dropped her day job after having her baby to start Piccolini because, among other things, she believed people didn't have to give up personal style just because they had kids.  Tell it, sister!

Best of all, Piccolini donates 10% of its profits to Alex's Lemonade Stand.  That alone makes me want to give Piccolini a big fat kiss on the cheek.

Genes

I know, I know, it's like I dropped off the face of the earth right?  Well the bubonic plague hit our house last week, resulting in one very sick, very sad toddler.  And once he started feeling better, I started hitting the hard liquor.  KIDDING.  I digress.

I popped into Genes on 13th Street, between Walnut and Sansom Streets. I'll be honest: it's not exactly my taste.  But that doesn't mean it's not a good little boutique store.  It's very modern, probably a little too sleek for me.  They have lots of hip kids's clothes, baby bedding, some nursery furniture and other baby-related items.  They have Orbit and Quinny strollers to test out and, best of all, Bloom high chairs on display.

Not too many toys to be found here, but there are a few, and plenty of interesting high-end gagets and gear.  Also the store is wide, for a Center City location and well-organized, so getting a stroller around is no problem.

Happily

Still looking for holiday gifts for the little ones?  Head on over to Happily Ever After, located at 1010 Pine Street, which very well be one of the best toy stores in the city.  Happily specializes in all kinds of dolls, but there is also a wide array of other toys and books.  In fact, the overall selection was pretty impressive.  There was everything from some Fisher Price toys to other wooden toys by European manufacturers to plush animals by miYim.   If you're looking for something "a little unique" for that kid in your life, this is the place.

The store is stroller-accessible and the owner is very knowledgeable.  In these tough economic times, I decided that I would still try to patronize local toy shops, instead of exclusively shopping the giant national retailers.  The benefit of going to stores like Happily Ever After, in addition to supporting local shopkeepers, is that it's a great way to become familiar with toys that aren't usually carried in the national retail chains.

Happily Ever After has a great selection of books, including a number of Hanukkah-related books.  Plus, there are a TON of Golden Books, which I can never resist because they make me completely nostalgic.  Actually, I think Happily Ever After makes me all nostalgic.  Go there!

Marathon Grill

With slight variations on the name, there are 7 Marathon Grills in the city, and the ones with the actual "Marathon Grill" title are particularly kid-friendly.  There are high chairs, changing tables and a kid's menu with over 15 items (several of them are relatively healthy meals).  What I love most about Marathon is that you can go there, know your child will have options, but you'll still feel like you're at a grown-up restaurant. 

Admittedly, now that my son has entered toddlerdom, I've been less inclined to eat out with him.  You know, at places other than Friendly's.  At Marathon, though, I've felt pretty comfortable.  And my son, who has some food allergies, has been able to eat off their kid's menu with no problem and has enjoyed the food as well.  Best of all, at least at the locations, I've visited, they haven't looked at me like I was nuts for bringing in a stroller.  Which is one of my most important criteria since those of us living in the city rarely drive from point A to point B. 

Lastly, if you can't actually make it to any of the locations (or frankly, if it's just too damn cold), Marathon offers take out and delivery. Perfect.

That's a Whole Other Post

I'm not the first, and I certainly won't be the last, to complain about the lack of changing tables.  Often non-existent in establishments where you might expect them.  Basically, in nicer restaurants in Philly and certainly most BYOBs, I wouldn't expect to find changing tables in the rest rooms.  I also don't think you should bring young children into certain fine dining establishments, but that's a whole other post.

There are the places, the ones that have kid's menus and high chairs, but no changing tables.  This baffles me.  But what I'm complaining about today is Starbucks.  There's one in particular that I visit often at the corner of 8th and Walnut Streets and it's pretty stroller accessible.  Two double door entrances, wide open space at the counter, it's definitely easier to maneuver a stroller into this particular store that its sister locations at 9th and South Streets, or at Broad and Pine Streets. 

There's a nice, large rest room.  Plenty of room for a fold-down changing table.  But, alas, none to be found. 

Now that I have a kid, I'd hate to become the type of person who thinks the entire universe should revolve around making everything kid-friendly.  Because kids don't belong everywhere.  Neither do dogs, but that's a whole other post. Although, I do deeply believe that ADA-compliant automatic door opener things (so much easier for stroller entry) should be on the doors of every business everywhere--but that's a whole other post too.

The truth is, I kind of expect changing tables at chain establishments.  They can afford them (they start at about $150.00, so all but the smallest of restaurants could afford them, really) and they get so much business, there's likely a demand for them.  I realize Starbucks is largely a take-out kind of deal, but they do have tables both outside and in and when I'm enjoying coffee with my girlfriends for a hour, it would be nice not to have to change my kid's poopy diaper while he squirms all over the bathroom floor.

So you know, changing tables people.  They shouldn't be this hard to come by.

GAP

The GAP at 15th and Walnut Streets is like the mecca of shopping for me these days.  Not because I'm so, so, so in love with GAP clothing.  I'm not, although I have to admit, it's great for supplying your summer wardrobe.  And your maternity wardrobe actually.  The aisles are wide enough for the stroller and it's never too crowded (with the exception of Christmas-time).

But I digress.  The GAP at this particular location is the mecca of shopping for me because it's one store where I can shop for both myself AND the baby, it's stroller-friendly and best of all, there's a changing room outside the restroom that services as a changing station.

Well, it's officially a changing station at all.  It's supposed to be the men's changing room, but I was in there once when my baby was only a few weeks old, and the staff offered the room and a place to sit while my husband shopped.  Since then, I've popped in there to change the kiddo when we're out and about (always careful to clean the area when finished).  I figure since about 80% of my kid's wardrobe comes from the GAP, it's not too much of an inconvenience.

The men's and kids' sections are on the second floor and there is an elevator near the back of the store.  And while, I may stick to GAP t-shirts and jeans, I think just about all their kids' clothes are adorable.  Extra bonus: the clothes all go sale regularly, so I usually wait a couple of weeks and pay half price for all those super cute khakis and onesies.  I've found that their baby clothes run pretty true to size and hold up well to multiple washings.

Whole Foods

When I was on maternity leave, Whole Foods (the one at 10th and South Streets) was one of the places I knew I could manage to get to with the stroller.  Plus, it was more than just a grocery store.  It was like a destination: I could pick up dinner for that night, grab a sandwich for lunch and investigate all sorts of organic beauty products.  There's a seating area inside so you can have a cup of coffee or a salad and read the paper.  Plus, there are fresh-cut flowers greeting you as soon as you walk in.  I love me some fresh-cut flowers.

Whole Foods has been a great resource for me.  It's where I initially found Earth's Best baby food.  Earth's Best offers a wider selection of organic options than Gerber and my son loves just about everything they make.  I also found Born Free training cups there when virtually everyone was sold out of them.

Whole Foods has also been my go-to place since my little guy was diagnosed with allergies to milk and eggs.  Virtually every product they sell outlines potential allergens in plain language, which is helpful since you might not realize that the ingredient "natriumcaseinat" is really a milk product with a fancy name.  Yes, Whole Foods is more expensive than SuperFresh or ShopRite, but not outrageously so, and it depends greatly on the product.  Many of their own brand, 365 products are just as inexpensive as other stores.  But for me, any additional costs are ones I'm willing to take on.  Buying organic and making sure my kid isn't accidentally exposed to allergens makes it worth it for me. 

In addition to the location on South Street, there's a Whole Foods in the Art Museum area at 2001 Pennsylvania Ave.

The Children's Boutique

On Sunday myself, my husband and the little dude were taking a stroll around the city, but it was so humid that we found ourselves often ducking into stores to take advantage of the A/C.  We were just off of Rittenhouse Square when I suggested we head into The Children's Boutique (1702 Walnut Street).

I love this place.  I had only been there once before, and while the clothes are pricey, they have a great selection--including European lines.  More importantly, the aisles are wide and you can navigate a stroller in there pretty easily.  In addition, there is an elevator (hallelujah) and on this particular visit, we made a beeline for the 2nd floor, where all the toys are. 

The entire floor is dedicated to toys, but I stuck to the section geared towards infants.  They carry many pieces from the Haba and Plan Toys collections, which thrilled me to no end.  I was surprised to see that they stock many larger items, like Radio Flyer wagons, and Kettler trikes.  I wound up picking out two small things, a toy car by Plan Toys and a cell phone by ELC.  The staff I encountered were helpful, knowledgable but not overbearing, which I truly appreciate.

I don't know that I'll ever routinely shop for clothes there.  I've got this thing about spending a wad of cash on something that my kid will only wear once or twice before he outgrows it.  But it is fun to shop for gifts and toys  there.

Cantina Azul

Last year, a upscale pizza joint on the northeast corner of 10th and Spruce closed its doors.  I think it had only been in business for about a year and before that it had been a lower-scale pizza place that had great chicken parm sandwiches but terrible pizza.  It just seemed like one of those corners where no restaurant would survive.

The doors remained closed for months and then in the winter I started to notice some activity.  New doors and windows were installed. Contractors going in and out. A liquor license application in the window (promising).  But for months no word on what it would be. 

Suddenly, one day late spring there is was: a new Mexican-inspired restaurant, Cantina Azul.  A beautiful mediterrean blue, slick furnishings, an impressive bar.  It was crowded from the first night.  It seemed the neighborhood had been desperate for a place like this to open.

My husband and I went there for my birthday.  We brought the Little Dude in his bugaboo, and because it was ungodly hot, we asked if they allowed strollers inside.  The owner smiled and told my husband that of course, of course, they allowed strollers, he had small children himself.  There's not a whole lot of room inside but they gave us a table in the back so we could park the bugaboo without it cramping anyone else.  There are no high chairs, so again, this is the type of place to meet friends for a drink and a quick meal if you have a baby in a stroller. 

They have a great margarita menu, some made with freshly crushed fruit.  I'm usually a traditionalist when it comes to my margaritas but I'm very tempted to try one of their watermelon ones.  The food menu is great too, a nice selection of affordable tacos, salads and enchildas and a reasonably priced entree menu. 

I've been back since my initial visit and the food was just as good.  On my second visit we sat outside and I do think sitting along Spruce Street is a little nicer than sitting where we did along 10th Street.  Luckily the killer guacamole more than made up for the lack of atmosphere. 

I drive past Cantina on a fairly regular basis, as it's only a few blocks from my home and it's ALWAY busy.  I'm hoping this means it's going to stick around for awhile.  I'm already itching to go back.