OCCUPATION: Editor, author, blogger
MY STYLE: Classic meets art teacher! I love staples that I can use for years (jeans, a perfect white tee, my roomy burgundy Marc Jacobs bag), but I also adore boho-esque trimmings. Anything beaded or fringed makes me happy. As for décor, my home is a mix of French country home and Park Slope stoop sale chic!
I LOVE NEW YORK BECAUSE: What’s not to love about New York? There’s always some fabulous new area of the city to discover, and there are endless activities for kids.
Franny’s
Lots of New York pizzerias vie for the title of best crust, best sauce, best pie. And while Grimaldi’s, Lombardi’s, and Patsy’s remain worthy—albeit old-school—contenders, Tia Williams’ vote goes to a more newfangled spot. At Franny’s, exposed brick walls encapsulate a homey dining room, where super-thin-crust pizza is cooked in an environmentally responsible kitchen, and served with locally sourced toppings. “This top-rated restaurant is right across the street from Lina’s school, and we’ll stop in for special occasions (i.e. days when mommy’s too exhausted to cook)!” says Tia Williams. Photo courtesy of: Jon von Pamer/Franny’s
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
The Brooklyn Children’s Museum cannot be missed—thanks largely to its bright yellow façade and, on a less literal note, its crowd-pleasing exhibitions and play spaces. Recurring events include Tales for Tots (stories from around the world) and Keep Your Balance (an interactive workshop about the mass and density of natural objects). “This museum is perfect for play dates and birthday parties,” says Tia Williams of the recently renovated, eco-friendly space (which even received recognition from the U.S. Green Buildings Council). “It was a long, cold winter in Park Slope; don’t what we would have done without this playtime extravaganza!”
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
“Gorgeous” and “soothing” are Tia Williams’ go-to descriptions of this 52-acre, indoor-outdoor park in the heart of Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (BBG) receives most of its visitors on sunny springtime afternoons, but a variety of indoor spectacles—such as the greenhouses and the special viewing rooms for academic experts—are open year-round. What’s more, despite the gardens’ worldwide renown (BBG is considered the foremost spot for viewing cherry trees outside of Japan), the gardens are surprisingly peaceful. Case in point: “I once wrote an entire manuscript here,” says Williams.
RedBeri
For nearly a decade, owner Suewayne Brown has sold affordable garments at two charming Brooklyn storefronts—RedBeri on the Prospect Heights/Park Slope border, and BlueBeri in DUMBO. The stores’ offerings combine pieces from international labels with personally solicited designs from students, resulting in a wholly unique selection. ‘This flawlessly stocked boutique carries everything from flirty cocktail frocks to vintage-inspired earrings,” says Tia Williams.
Hotel Gansevoort
Credited as the first “hotspot” to transform the previously gritty Meatpacking District into its current state of chicness, the Gansevoort is all about kicking things up a notch. After a night of club-hopping (the city’s best clubs are a stone’s throw away), guests can swim at the rooftop pool, get a nightcap at Ono, or just hunker down amid Egyptian cotton sheets. And if all this isn’t enough, take Tia Williams’ endorsement: “The Gansevoort is cooler than cool.”