Only in Williamburg can you find a children’s playground with a theme of rock ‘n’ roll. And to this writer’s delight, I mean old school, real rock ‘n’ roll and not the obscure indie rock flooding the music scene today. Founders Julia Dawson and Carey Balogh created Frolic! hoping to merge their past lives with their present. Think of it as a less sad/creepy version of The Banger Sisters. The two were originally in the fashion industry and met in Williamsburg after popping out some children. They left the business to open up the 5,000 square foot space hoping to bring classic rock into their children’s lives.

With a Rolling Stone tongue-inspired slide, an old Volkswagon van, and some Velvet Underground bananas lying around, it’s hard not to send your kids here. But it’s easy to not fall in love with their prices. You can sign up for membership on a monthly basis which essentially gives your child the freedom to roam the playground whenever he wishes. Birthday parties are offered for as “little” as $750 a month. But if you can afford to hang out in Williamsburg, that’s a steal! Your kids can even sign up for music lessons and be on the lookout for fun events everyday.

Start your kids off right, with amazing classic rock in Brooklyn.

Forget Mimosas and Bloody Marys in Williamsburg – brunch at J.K. & Sons, which I affectionately call  “J.K. Rowling,” on Broadway in Bushwick, is where it’s at. J.K. & Sons is warm and unpretentious, run by a couple that’s been married for 40 years. No haughty waiters here, just good ol’ fashioned service, just the way I like it. The menu is a veritable novel and filled with eggs and bacon, waffles, cheese burger deluxes, lamb gyros, Greek and Cobb salads, chicken wraps, steak and potatoes, and all of that good sort of stuff. I always have extreme difficulty making my choice. And each day, they have soup specials, which I can never pass up – who would, when a tasty bowl of Manhattan Clam Chowder will set you back only $2? Whenever I walk into J.K. & Sons and see the waitress (there’s only one), I feel happy. Long live J.K. & Sons.

J.K. & Sons is located at 801 Broadway, Brooklyn  NY11206 (Btwn Fayette & Ellery St). Near the Flushing Avenue J train station.

Between eggs, meat and now cheese, it seems like nothing’s safe to eat anymore. The Brooklyn Paper reported that a cheese manufacturer in Williamsburg had to recall two products after workers in RI found a nasty bacteria in them.

“The Rhode Island Health Department found traces of bacteria that could grow into “Listeria monocytogenes” — which can cause serious and even fatal infections in young children and elderly people, or symptoms like diarrhea in healthy adults — in the Azteca Linda Corporation’s Queso Fresco white cheese and Queso Hebra string cheese, with a Sept. 11 expiration date.”

The bacteria apparently hasn’t aged to the point of danger, and the recall wasn’t demanded, but the Williamsburg workers decided not to risk it.

A couple of months ago, dehydrated and exhausted after wandering aimlessly through the heart of Williamsburg all day, my friends and I discovered Peach Frog. Perhaps we were drawn in because of all the comfy sofas and armchairs at the entrance – yes, we tried them out, and they felt good.

Peach Frog sells the most delightful designer clothing, footwear, sunglasses, candles, gifts, furniture and homewares, and they guarantee you’ll always save up to 90% off retail prices. As soon as I walked in the door, I was astounded to find an irresistibly lonely looking teddy bear for only a couple of dollars and an array of soaps and Poivre D’Or jams and honeys at similarly low prices.

After trying on expensive Fedoras in the neighborhood all day – she’d been considering buying a nice-looking but ill-fitting one for $70 at a nearby over-priced vintage store – my friend found The Perfect Fedora at Peach Frog, and it was less than $15.

Definitely check out Peach Frog next time you’re in the neighborhood – you’ll score hipster stuff, but you won’t pay hipster prices.

Peach Frog is located at 136 North Tenth Street between Bedford and Berry Streets, Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Catch the L train to Bedford Avenue.

As residents all over Brooklyn are laboring to fill out those 10 tedious questions, those in Williamsburg as laboring a little less strenuously. Gawker reports that Williamsburgers have only a 30% return rate for the census, significantly less to 50% return rate in all of NYC.

Oh well, at least Williamsburg is pretty, as depicted in this photo via [charlie cravero] on Flickr.

If you’re digging the warm weather like us, you probably hate to go inside, even for some grub. (Or sauce.) To remedy this situation, Brooklyn Based brings us a list of BK food and drinkeries savvy in outdoor cuisine.

Rocky Sullivan’s in Red Hook features a surprisingly tranquil rooftop bar, perfect for knocking back a couple after a long day.

Crown Height’s Franklin Park provides a much-needed beer hotspot in the neighborhood with a serene front patio. And the 12 brews on tap aren’t bad either.

My Moon (pictured) in Williamsburg isn’t known for its food or wine selection (although both are perfectly acceptable), however the plant-rich patio is downright luxurious.

Check out the whole list here.

Elle oh elle! Curbed NY posted this hilarious and/or terrifying sign found on Kent & N. 1st Aves. in Williamsburg. We knew there were hipsters over there… but servants? Jeez.

Check out Curbed NY for another funny sign from Greenpoint.

You’re not going to believe your nose!

FREEwilliamsburg recently posted about a bodega selling Obama-scented incense. The store is purported to be at the intersection of S. 2nd and Havemeyer.

We don’t know what it smells like, but we’re betting it’s a scent we can believe in.

Imagine if Goldilocks went apartment-hunting in Brooklyn.

She would shun Crown Heights — although super-convenient for Manhattan commuters, this efficient region is crowded to the point of bustling to the point of claustrophobic. “Too metropolitan,” she would say.

But what about Williamsburg? Metropolitan in a very different way — the jeans are claustrophobic, not the streets — Williamsburg would probably be a little posh for our yellow-haired youth, who still prefers porridge to crêpes. “Too trendy” would be the complaint.

For something, ahem, just right, Ms. Locks would likely travel to Greenpoint. One of our favorite neighborhoods, Greenpoint is a comparatively quieter neighborhood featuring a longstanding Polish community and recent smattering of hipsters overflowing from Williamsburg.

Goldilocks would love the neighborhood’s proximity to the L (…and the G), and even its nearness to Williamsburg, which is good every once in a while.

Now, to shop for chairs…

Image via flickr

Dazzling a date over burgers and fries is a task best left to professionals. For the rest of us, a trendy restaurant with something interesting on the menu is usually the way to go.

Enter SEA, a destination for Thai cuisine with a decidedly modern flair. From the presentation to the ambiance, SEA comes off as a chic Williamsburg nightclub… with noodles.

SEA’s menu is as memorable as its décor—that is, if you can tear yourself away from the swinging benches and pod seating.  Despite the name, SEA offers a diverse range of courses with a subtle nod toward ocean cuisine, guaranteed to satisfy even dates without their sea legs. When in doubt, the Pad Thai and “Drunk Man” Noodles are dependably delectable.

Of course, nothing is trendier nowadays than saving money, which is great, since entrées at SEA are priced at only $10 to $15.

SEA is located at 114 North 6th Street, off the Bedford Avenue stop along the L. (718) 384-8850.