By Molly Jong-Fast 4/03 10:14am

Competitive Parenting

(Illustration by Jason Katzenstein)

Ending the Brat Race

Sitting at Yura, the upscale coffee place on Madison Avenue and 92nd Street, surrounded by women in Lululemon workout pants and Moncler jackets, I can hear it. I can hear moms whispering at each other. They are talking: the über-competitive mothers of the Upper East Side (and Downtown and the West Side and Brooklyn) are always talking. They are talking about preschool spots, they are talking about ongoing (K-12) spots, and then, as they get a little grayer, they are talking about college admissions.

Why are they so obsessed with sussing out the competition? Why are the mothers of Manhattan so insanely competitive? Why does it always feel that there isn’t enough for everyone? I like to think of myself as a semi-Bohemian living on the edges of polite society, but even I have started having private school admissions anxiety dreams. Read More

By Benjamin-Emile Le Hay 9/18/12 7:27am

Getting To Know Your Neighbor

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Fro-Yo And The Building

TOWN Residential and 16 Handles teamed up to host the residents of 301 East 79th Street, Continental Towers, at the frozen yogurt eatery’s Upper East Side location for a special social mixer and meet-and-greet with Town real estate agent Karen Stone. Nearly four dozen residents of the Continental Towers participated in the event, taking the chance to get to know their neighbors and take a break for some family time, all while enjoying some frozen delights.

“At Town, we say ‘we define neighborhoods as much as they define us,’” Ms. Stone stated. “This frozen yogurt social at 16 Handles for one of the largest residential towers on the Upper East Side is a great example of how we strive to bring neighborhood residents and families together.”

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By Peter Feld 5/14/12 7:18pm

Kids' Fitness

The Gaga Center - Three Pits

A Very Gaga Workout For Kids On The Upper East Side

“A lot of times, kids get into a sport where parents have expectations. Here, it’s just a game,” said Alissa Schmelkin, co-founder of the newly opened Gaga Center on the Upper East Side. “You don’t have to live up to standards.”

Gaga may be “just a game.” But played in octagonal pens – though rules can vary, the basic aim is to avoid getting hit below the knee – it offers a high-energy workout that kids seem to love, building endurance and flexibility, according to general manager Avi Gordon.

The Gaga Center – the only such venue in Manhattan – offers coed groups for kids under 7 and for 7- to 10-year-olds. The game – the ball is soft – is well suited toward the littler kids, though their games often devolve into simple passing of the ball. Read More