Brooklyn families can check out several new local spots this fall, including a new middle school in Windsor Terrace, West Elm’s new store in Williamsburg, a newly renovated playground track between Clinton Hill and Bed-Stuy, the Merci Milo toy shop in Park Slope, Brooklyn Science Spot in Carroll Gardens, the finished Citi Bike expansion in Bay Ridge and Kensington, and a play cafe opening in Bay Ridge on Halloween.
Empire Skate of Mind | Crown Heights | NOW OPEN
Empire Skate of Mind, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum’s rooftop roller rink, reopened on Thursday, October 1 for a second season, through April 11: Wednesday to Friday 2–5pm and weekends 10am–5pm, for families with children ages 3 and up. Skating is $10 on top of the $15 museum admission, or $8 with your own skates.
Star Spangled Playground track | Clinton Hill / Bed-Stuy | NOW OPEN
The running track at Star Spangled Playground, next to Brooklyn Community Arts & Media High School, reopened on September 30 after a three-month refurbishment: a new synthetic running surface, new bleachers and benches, and upgraded adult fitness equipment. New York Road Runners and New Balance funded the new track surface through NYC Parks’ Adopt-a-Park program. The playground also has basketball and handball courts and a turf field.
Junior Golf Center putting greens | Bay Ridge | NOW OPEN
City Parks Foundation and DICK’S Sporting Goods cut the ribbon on October 4 on six refurbished greens at CPF’s Junior Golf Center, next to the Dyker Beach public golf course. They are not mini-golf: the greens are designed for teaching, practicing and competing, and will let CPF expand its pee-wee golf program. Lessons and equipment are free for NYC kids ages 6–17.
The Caterpillar Room | Cobble Hill | NOW OPEN
The Caterpillar Room, a literacy and learning center that has spent six years accelerating young readers in Bay Ridge, opened its second location on Monday, October 5, at 224 Court Street, with five classrooms for pre-K through 6th grade. Grounded in the science of reading and the work of researchers like Stanislas Dehaene and Nadine Gaab, its small-group reading, writing and math clinics of six to ten children trade worksheets for whole-body movement, keeping kids actively engaged while building skills beyond grade level. More in our feature on The Caterpillar Room.
Prospect Schools Windsor Terrace | Windsor Terrace | NOW OPEN
Prospect Schools celebrated the opening of its new Windsor Terrace elementary and middle school campus with a ribbon cutting on Thursday, October 22, at 3002 Fort Hamilton Parkway. The free, open-enrollment public charter school serves kindergarten through 8th grade with an International Baccalaureate–based curriculum and no tuition or admissions screening. Spanish, science and the arts start in kindergarten, and in the middle school, Integrated Co-Teaching classrooms support students with diverse learning needs. Prospect Schools reports its elementary students reached 76% proficiency in English and 83% in math on the 2025–26 state tests.
Merci Milo | Park Slope | Open now
Merci Milo, a cult-favorite toy shop from Los Angeles, opened at 704 Sackett Street, between Fourth and Fifth Avenues, on Saturday, October 24. Toys and finds are arranged by color and story rather than by brand, and book readings and vintage children’s clothing pop-ups are planned.
Kid’s Social | Bay Ridge | Opening October 31
Kid’s Social, a play space and cafe that also hosts events, opens at 7110 3rd Avenue in Bay Ridge on Halloween, Saturday, October 31, with a grand opening from 2:30 to 8pm. The space is best suited to kids up to age 7, no reservations are required, and it will be decked out with not-too-spooky decorations for a stop after trick-or-treating.
Citi Bike | Bay Ridge and Kensington | NOW OPEN
Citi Bike now covers Bay Ridge and Kensington: the city and Lyft finished an expansion of more than 230 stations and 3,700 docks across seven neighborhoods, the mayor’s office announced on October 15. Bay Ridge riders have taken more than 75,000 trips since its first stations opened last September.
LeFrak Center Ice Rink | Prospect Park | Opening October 31
Ice skating is back at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park on Saturday, October 31. Hours, prices and more rinks are in our ice skating guide.
West Elm | Williamsburg | NOW OPEN
West Elm, the home furnishings brand, opened its new Williamsburg store on North 3rd Street and marked the opening with free coffee on Saturday morning, October 24.
Brooklyn Science Spot | Carroll Gardens | NOW OPEN
The two-floor science hangout at 478 Court Street is now open, with a chemistry lab, a live animal room and a STEM toy shop upstairs. Fall after-school classes, grouped by age, run to December 13; hours are 9am to 6pm, seven days. Birthday parties, holiday camps and school trips too.
Coming soon to our neighborhoods
Maison Cococo | Williamsburg | Aiming for fall 2027
Two Brooklyn mothers, Kayte Geldzahler and Maayan Perez, are building a family members’ club where parents can work, take a class or see a friend while their children play nearby — art, music, movement and STEM for the kids on one side, fitness and wellness for the adults on the other. No address yet, and they are aiming for fall 2027.
Carroll Gardens Library | Carroll Gardens | Reopening December 1, 2026
The landmarked Carnegie branch at 396 Clinton Street reopens on Tuesday, December 1, at 2pm, Brooklyn Public Library says. The two-part renovation adds a dedicated teen space on the mezzanine, the new elevator, new heating and cooling, new lighting and upgraded bathrooms. Until the branch is back, the pop-up library at 250 Baltic Street is open Monday and Tuesday 1–5pm, Thursday 3–7pm and Friday 10am–2pm; it closes on Friday, November 6.
Goodland Pickleball | Williamsburg | Opening late 2026 / early 2027
An indoor pickleball club is fitting out at 105 North 13th Street, with four courts across two floors under 20-foot ceilings, a private court, a terrace and lounge, a pro shop, and a full café and bar. The part that matters for families is the juniors programme — clinics and seasonal camps for ages 7 to 16, on cushioned courts the club says are built to take the impact off young joints. Members and non-members will be able to book a court online or walk in for open play. The club is slated for late 2026 or early 2027; no firmer date and no prices have been published, and a waitlist is open on its site.
Gifted and Talented Kids | Greenpoint | Opening January 2027
The new daycare and preschool at 16 McGuinness Boulevard South is enrolling for a January 2027 opening, with programs for ages 2 to 6 built around Howard Gardner’s multiple-intelligences approach, an after-school program for ages 5 to 7, and weekly open houses from November, no appointment needed. Full-day spots start at $2,700 a month, and the first 15 waitlist families lock in year-one pricing.
Red Hook Library | Red Hook | Reopening 2027
Closed since March 2023, the Wolcott Street branch is getting a $17.5 million rebuild that adds a dedicated children’s room for storytimes, a teen space, a community room and two reservable meeting rooms, along with 14 percent more public space and outdoor reading and activity areas. It is designed as a net zero building with rooftop solar. Brooklyn Public Library now expects construction to finish in early 2027 and Red Hook to reopen in spring 2027, later than the 2026 completion previously announced. The interim branch at 362 Van Brunt Street stays open in the meantime.
Trader Joe’s at Century Marketplace | Bay Ridge | Expected 2028
The long-vacant Century 21 building at 458 86th Street, between Fourth and Fifth avenues, is being rebuilt as Century Marketplace, about 110,000 square feet of retail by the developer’s count, and its grocer now has a name: Trader Joe’s, which Council Member Kayla Santosuosso announced on October 11. Burlington has signed for about 44,000 square feet and the grocery tenant for about 16,000, Commercial Observer reported in August. The site is a block from the R train and had stood empty since Century 21 closed in 2020. No opening date has been announced; the center is expected to open in 2028.
Perspire Sauna Studio | Downtown Brooklyn | Opening soon
Perspire’s Downtown Brooklyn studio at 281 Livingston Street is still listed as opening soon, with private infrared sauna suites, red light therapy and contrast therapy for parents in need of a reset. Founding memberships are on sale ahead of the opening — $129 a month for eight sessions or $179 for unlimited — and a VIP list gets first access once the doors open.
Outershed | Williamsburg | Opening date TBA
Outershed’s infrared-sauna and cold-plunge studio was slated to open in Williamsburg in mid-August, but no opening has been announced yet — the studio is currently signing up founding members on its site, promising private suites where you can sweat, plunge and reset on your own schedule.
The Beginning | Brooklyn Heights | Opening date TBA
The Beginning, the 45,000-square-foot family clubhouse taking over 50 Columbia Heights, was pitched for a summer debut and is now signing up founding-member interest ahead of opening. The promise is a modern country club for families: dedicated kids’ floors with supervised childcare, play spaces and classes, plus a work lounge, fitness center, spa and several dining rooms for the grown-ups.
Zara | Williamsburg | Coming soon
Zara is taking a large space at 184–192 Bedford Avenue. No opening date has been announced. Big-format retail has landed on Bedford before — Century Marketplace set the precedent — so the block is used to it by now.
Box Street Park | Greenpoint | Expected end of summer 2028
Construction started on the $40 million, 2.5-acre park along Newtown Creek, promised to Greenpoint in the 2005 waterfront rezoning, the mayor’s office announced on October 1. Plans include an esplanade, a lawn, gardens, a basketball court, dog runs and a public restroom.
Life Time Brooklyn Tower | Downtown Brooklyn | Opening December 2026
Life Time is opening a 78,000-square-foot club inside the Brooklyn Tower at 9 DeKalb Avenue in December, with a workout floor, six boutique studios (among them yoga, barre and reformer Pilates), a hydrotherapy suite with steam, sauna, whirlpool and cold plunge, a 75-foot, two-lane indoor lap pool and coworking lounges. Life Time tells current members that access will be included with their membership; a waitlist is open now.
Runway Green | Floyd Bennett Field | Breaking ground next year
New renderings show the $60 million, seven-acre education campus Runway Green plans at Floyd Bennett Field for city public school students, New York YIMBY reported. Phase one, slated to break ground next year, includes a three-acre farm, a public high school, a welcome center, a ropes course and campgrounds. No completion date has been announced.
Fred Astaire Dance Studios | Park Slope | Opening soon
The ballroom dance franchise is opening a studio at 508 Fifth Avenue, between 12th and 13th Streets in the former Bobby’s Sportswear space, with ballroom and private classes. Commercial Observer reported in June that the studio had a 10-year lease on the 2,500-square-foot ground floor and expected to welcome its first students in September; the studio has not yet announced an opening date.
Brooklyn Bridge Park recreation center | DUMBO | Community input from late November
Brooklyn Bridge Park is going ahead with its plan to replace the Education Center at 99 Plymouth Street with a community recreation center three times as large, using the space that was the dog run and climbing wall. A swimming pool with free swimming lessons and lifeguard certification has been suggested. Community engagement is expected to begin around late November, followed next year by a design competition and the hiring of an architect; the current estimate has the existing building coming down by Memorial Day 2028. Our earlier report on the plan.
Noel Pointer Foundation music school | Cobble Hill | Expected fall 2028
Construction has begun on converting the two-story 1857 firehouse at 299 DeGraw Street into a music school for the Noel Pointer Foundation, New York YIMBY reported. The $17.8 million city project adds soundproofed lesson rooms, a recording studio, a music library and gallery, an ensemble room and a courtyard. Completion is expected in fall 2028, according to the Department of Design and Construction. The foundation celebrated the groundbreaking of its first permanent music school and performance space in early October. Chinita Pointer turned the death of her husband, the Crown Heights-born violinist Noel Pointer, 32 years ago into a program that has taught 29,000 Brooklyn young people to play string instruments, and Council Member Lincoln Restler said his office secured more than $2 million in this year’s city budget to fully fund the new headquarters.
Gowanus Golf Club | DUMBO | Opening soon
The private, self-service indoor golf club is adding a third clubhouse at 215 Water Street, with three TrackMan simulator bays, a putting green of roughly 300–320 square feet, a gym and physical therapy rooms. Annual memberships, from $300 a month, cover the Gowanus, Prospect Heights and DUMBO clubhouses.
Blue Rose CrossFit | Downtown Brooklyn | Opening late November 2026
Blue Rose CrossFit is opening a coach-led CrossFit gym on the lower level of 430 Albee Square, near City Point, with an estimated opening in late November. The owners say no CrossFit experience is needed and every class can be adjusted to the individual. Founding memberships are on sale now, and a free one-on-one consult is offered.
Brooklyn Basketball | Greenpoint, Bushwick and Gowanus | Opening in 2027
Brooklyn Basketball, the official youth basketball program of the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty, will open three new locations in 2027: Greenpoint (100 Dobbin Street), Bushwick (53 Knickerbocker Avenue) and Gowanus (483 Baltic Street), Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment announced on October 14. They will host its After-School Club, camps, clinics and community programming. Its first Training Center opened in Downtown Brooklyn, at 140 Flatbush Avenue, in September 2025.
My Gym Williamsburg | Williamsburg | Opening November 9
My Gym is opening a Williamsburg location at 118 North 11th Street, on the third floor, on November 9. It serves babies, toddlers and kids up to age 10, with classes, camps and birthday parties. Free 45-minute grand opening open houses run November 8 and 11; sign-up and a liability waiver are required. My Gym is offering the first month for $49 through November 8.
Casa Blossom | Greenpoint | Opening spring 2027
Casa Blossom, a 5,700-square-foot family space founded by local mom Angela Reyes-Nariani, has secured 33 Franklin Street in Greenpoint and goes into construction this fall, with plans to open in spring 2027. It will combine child-led play for kids six and under, coworking and a parent lounge with guided play while parents work on site, a café, enrichment classes, afterschool programs and birthday parties.
175 Third Street | Gowanus | Under construction
Charney Companies has broken ground at 175 Third Street, its fourth and largest project in Gowanus. It will bring 1,100 new homes, a new public waterfront and artist spaces to the neighborhood.
SKATE at Domino Park | Williamsburg | Opening November 9
The Williamsburg waterfront rink is open November 9 through February 21, and Domino Park is partnering with Fireworks Skating Academy on a Learn to Skate program this season. Prices and more rinks are in our ice skating guide.
Roebling Rink | DUMBO | Opening November 14
Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Roebling Rink is open daily November 14 through January 31, 2027. Last season’s prices and free-ticket hours are in our ice skating guide.
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