Notable News: Moomah and Southpaw Closing, Refillable Unlimited MetroCards, Annual Winter Jam Canceled Due to Lack of Winter

This month we've lost a number of venues we've recently written about, like Park Slope's PSbkln and Perch Cafe, and Times Square's Mars 2112. Now we hear Moomah, which we just featured in our roundup of restaurants where kids can play, is also shutting its doors, as is Park Slope's Southpaw. All these closures are bringing up our abandonment issues.

Not all the news this week is bad. We also have info on a free elementary school admissions seminar, a new charter school in the Bronx and a change that will result in a lot less MetroCard waste.

We've been raving about Moomah ever since it opened in 2009. So we were heartbroken to hear that the cafe/crafts/play space will be closing come April 1. Founder Tracey Stewart says she will be launching "an exciting new non-profit organization that will take the best of Moomah and broaden its scope and reach." We're excited to hear more. Still, we’ll sure miss version 1.0.

Another impending closure: Park Slope's Southpaw. The popular Brooklyn music venue, which sometimes hosted kiddie rockers like Suzi Shelton, will reportedly be replaced by a tutoring center and play space.

You can finally stop tossing away those unlimited weekly and monthly MetroCards: Starting February 1, the MTA will allow riders to refill their unlimited cards, just like the pay-per-ride ones. There are some conditions, however, so get the full scoop before hitting the vending machine.

Are you in the process of applying to kindergarten or first grade? InsideSchools.org is offering a free seminar about the public elementary school admissions process at The New School on Tuesday, February 7 at 6pm. You must RSVP to secure a spot. Find all the info on the website.

A new charter school focusing on technology and special education is set to open in the Bronx this fall. The big news: It's a middle and high school, not an elementary. The Tech International Charter School will start with a class of about 100 sixth graders and eventually expand through 12th grade. Find out about upcoming open houses and the application process on the school's website.

How far would you go to protect your child from stereotyping? One British family went five years without revealing the gender of their child until this month, when Sasha’s sex was announced. It's a... well we're not going to ruin the surprise.

Those seemingly harmless responses to your kid’s wide-eyed career proclamations might be quietly crushing their dreams. Read one blogger's humorous interaction with her now 10-year-old daughter as they revisit her once-upon-a-time aspiration of becoming a professional dancer.

Due to lack of, well, winter, the Parks Department has been forced to cancel its annual Winter Jam, which was originally scheduled to take place in Prospect Park this Saturday, February 4. The inconvenient truth is that the unseasonably warm temperatures made it impossible to create the fake snow needed for winter sports action. Winter Jam will return in 2013—assuming winter does, too.

This week we did a post about the best kids' shows to see this winter. Two of them are by TheatreworksUSA, a nonprofit company that produces wonderful children's musicals all over the country, including a free Off Broadway production in NYC every summer. On Sunday, February 12, the organization is hosting a star-studded, adults-only benefit in honor of its 50th anniversary. The night should be pretty spectacular, with presenters like Nathan Lane, a performance by singer Barbara Cook and other theater greats. Tickets start at $100. Hey, it's still cheaper than Broadway.

Photo by ultrahi