12 February 15

Kid Time in Tribeca
Bubby’s Pie Company and Balloon Saloon

Bubby’s opened as a pie company in 1990, then evolved into a restaurant within a few months. It is hard to imagine that back then there were very few places to eat in this part of the city and none emphasizing fresh, local and healthy ingredients. Bubby's relentless commitment to quality, and their own special brand of Americana, has paid off over the decades as they’ve grown from a Tribeca institution into an internationally recognized brand. Now you can enjoy their homey recipes in Tribeca, in the Meatpacking District by the Highline and even in Yokohama, Japan.

For my kids, the French fries place it squarely in their top-ten list so they can always be persuaded to eat there on a busy weeknight.

One of our first discoveries in Tribeca — probably my son, Emil’s — was Balloon Saloon. And we’ve been back countless times since to enjoy the surprises in this little wonderland.

As their name says, Balloon Saloon sells balloons, all kinds of helium-filled balloons, in all shapes and sizes and colors, in plastic or foil. But balloons are just the beginning as they also sell toys, books, pool floats, party accessories, candy and pretty much anything else a kid may find interesting. It’s amazing how much they pack into their space, and, with its location in central Tribeca, it’s a busy store.

Balloon Saloon started in the owners' living room, Tribeca pioneers who couldn’t find balloons for their young toddlers. Since then they’ve become an institution, delivering balloons to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and being immortalized in various movies and television shows. Meanwhile, their rugged industrial surroundings evolved into New York’s most kid-friendly neighborhood — perfect for the store voted “The Most Fun Store in New York City”. You can find echoes of the old days in some of the tacky toys sprinkled throughout the store, like the artificial dog shit that is particularly amusing to a certain nine-year-old.

Bubby’s Pie Company Tribeca, 120 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013
bubbys.com

Ballon Saloon, 133 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013
balloonsaloon.com