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Daycare Shortage and the Rise of the Stroller Mafia
Rachel Markowitz | August 8, 2007
Most deadly gangs can be identified by their colors. The Bloods are red. The Crips are blue. But the Park Slope Stroller Mafia can be easily identified by – that’s right – their strollers. I’ve heard tales of hip young parents bringing their babies to bars, parking strollers up front while they kick back with a beer. Ever been to the Tea Lounge on Union Street? Good luck not spilling your coffee as you maneuver around the assorted strollers on your way to find a seat. Once a defining trait of Park Slope, the stroller mafia has moved west. But is the neighborhood ready for them?
I spoke recently with a local parent and long time resident of the community. While he loves the neighborhood, he’s recently been looking at Connecticut real estate. Why? Simply because he can no longer get his kids into daycare. Bergen Carroll-land daycare centers are overcrowded, and their waitlists are long.
I decided to do some investigative work, so I called Choo Choo Train Daycare on Court Street. The heavily accented woman I spoke with informed me that their class of 22 has two spots available, but they already have two families coming to look at the school. If these families decide to enroll their kids, Choo Choo Train Daycare will be booked up for the school year. Choo Choo is a very international place, I was told, and the class is run by three certified teachers.
Next on the list was Cobble Hill Playgroup. The director, Carol Troha, was very nice and called me back right away. She asked if I would be interested in putting my three year old daughter on a waitlist (my five year old is too old, as they only accept children 2-4) for the afternoon session. Everything else was completely booked. In fact, when I first called, she asked if I was calling about fall 2008. Troha told me that they try to keep an even mix of girls and boys, thus waitlists are separated by gender and age. While my three year old had a good chance of getting into the afternoon session, all other waitlists were closed.
My last call was made to Linden Tree Preschool and Playspace at Christ Church. Linden Tree takes children ages 2-4, but I was told that they were already booked up for two and three year olds. I asked the man I spoke with if he’s noticed a higher demand for preschool and daycare in recent years. He said that demand has risen considerably, particularly in the last two years. Several new preschools and daycare centers have opened recently, but it seems supply is far from meeting demand. Any entrepreneurs out there interested in the kiddie biz?
We’ll keep you posted on the daycare status in weeks to come.
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Do you know about Sunflowers daycare? It’s the only one I know of that you haven’t mentioned.
A group of parents are opening up a daycare for children ages 2.5-4 in Red Hook Brooklyn. There is an Open House August 28, 2007.
Check out the website for more info: http://www.redhookplaygroup.org
Does anyone know anything about Sunflower daycare?