News: Fresh Treat Shops in Park Slope and on the UWS, Fancy Nancy Returns, ELA and Math Scores Revealed

8/6/13 - By Jeff

Family movies aren't the only big things opening for kids this month (though we are really excited about Planes.... the 3D One Direction flick? Not so much). There are also three tasty kid-centric businesses making their debuts in NYC this month, including a cake pop mecca in Park Slope, a new allergen-friendly treat shop on the Upper West Side and a delicious creperie in Soho. We also bid goodbye to a few old favorites, and look at a few exciting upcoming play projects, Plus, ELA and Math Assessment scores are about to be released and one Queens restaurant is serving up FREE pancakes for kids! (From what we hear, after you see the scores, you may need a carb binge.)

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Say hello to... Fabipops, a new Park Slope cake-pop shop that takes customizing to a new level with Jay-Z, President Obama and other celebrity pops. The gourmet treat store can even make a cake pop of your kiddo!

More sweet stuff: After making a splash on school bake sale scene, a local family is opening Treat House (pictured) on the Upper West Side. The menu includes breakfast bars, ice cream bars and cake pops, all kosher, and most items are also gluten-, dairy- and nut-free. Best of all, when you treat yourself you help others: 10 cents from every goody sold is donated to the Food Bank for New York City.

In the quick snack wasteland that is Soho, a new contender has just opened. Eight Turn Crepe sells sweet and savory crepes rolled up into cones for easy hand-held eating. Anna dropped by with her son and despite his being a not-so-adventurous eater, he loved his Chicken Thai crepe.

Did you miss Fancy Nancy the Musical when it played earlier this year? Well forget your regrets (that’s a fancy word for feeling bad). The Vital Children's Theatre's hit returns for an encore run this September.

And here's an opening we're not so sweet on: Williamsburg's first-ever Dunkin’ Donuts. For the tourists, we assume?

Waving goodbye... Big Nick's Burger and Pizza Joint, an UWS staple for more than 50 years and one of our favorite burger spots has closed due to a massive spike in rent. We'll miss the grease and gruff old-school service.

Meanwhile, decade-old Upper East Side toy store Very Good Toys East is also shutting down due to financial woes. Its Upper West Side outpost will remain open.

Free food If you and your kids find yourselves hungry in Long Island City, drop by Masso on Vernon Boulevard for FREE pancakes for children under age 10. The offer is good every Saturday in August with the purchase of an adult meal.

Future fun Although they won't be open for a number of years, we were excited to read about a planned playground for teens in Hudson Yards and a proposed beach and kayak launch beneath the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan. No swimming allowed sadly in the East River.

Random bits Yet another reason to breastfeed if you're able: A new study claims that breastfed babies have higher IQs on average than tots who receive formula from an early age. Of course in the end, regardless of how your infant fed, love, attention and guidance are what really make the difference, right?

Finally the results of the new Common Core tests are set to be released on Wednesday and schools chancellor Dennis Walcott is warning that they won't look pretty. We've known for months that the new standards would mean a dip in the numbers. How are you preparing yourself (and your child) for possibly low scores? Update: Although percentages are current available, individual student scores won't be released until the end of August.