Where the Wild Things Are: Young at Heart in NYC

by Keith Wagstaff - Citysearch Editor - 216 Reviews - 112 Lists

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Updated: October 22, 2009

It’s not just kids who are lining up for Spike Jonze’s “Where the Wild Things Are;” plenty of adults, nostalgic for Maurice Sendak’s prized children’s book, are going to see the film too. Don’t let the fun stop at the movies. Release your inner Max and go wild at these five New York spots where you can be a kid again. (Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros.)

Let the Wild Rumpus Start!

  1. 1 3 Star Rating: Average Momofuku Milk Bar
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    207 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10009 (map)

    The Momofuku empire’s East Village dessert spot is the perfect place to (literally) feed your inner child, thanks largely to chef Christina Tosi's wild imagination. It’s as if a genius second grader with a culinary degree was put in charge of the menu: soft serve that tastes like sweet cereal milk, compost cookies that include everything from potato chips to graham cracker crumbs, candy bar pie with a peanut butter nougat filling. You’re guaranteed to feel like a kid again after eating here (although your cholesterol will remain at adult levels).

  2. 2 5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended Desert Island Comics
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    540 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211 (map)

    Wasting hours at the local comic book store is a cherished, if not endangered, staple of American childhood. Now that you’re older you might not be as into mutants and men in tights as you used to be. Luckily, this Williamsburg shop lets you indulge your love of comics with slightly more adult themes, courtesy of respected cartoonists like Gabrielle Bell (who once collaborated with director Michel Gondry on a short film) and Adrian Tomine of Optic Nerve and New Yorker fame.

  3. 3 3.5 Star Rating: Average Gutter Bar
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    200 N 14th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211 (map)

    Who doesn’t have memories of childhood parties filled with bowling and birthday cake? Just replace birthday cake with craft beer and you’ve got the Gutter. Table hockey, groups of emotionally stunted man-children, shy hipsters awkwardly flirting; it’s like you never grew up at all! Bonus: If you were a child in the ‘70s, this place should have even more nostalgic appeal, as all of the vintage decor is from that era.

  4. 4 Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.
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    372 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (map)

    Not only can you live out your childhood fantasies at this quirky Park Slope store, you can also help out the children of today. That’s because this seller of superhero capes and cans labeled “Immortality” and “Antigravity” raises money for non-profit literacy organization 826NYC. In fact, you can drop your kid off in the “secret lair” in back for tutoring and writing workshops while you giggle over all of the clever puns and products dreamed up by organization founder Dave Eggers and his literary cohorts.

  5. 5 5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended Bronx Zoo
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    Bronx River Parkway at Fordham Road, Bronx, NY 10460 (map)

    If watching wildlife documentaries like “Planet Earth” on the Discovery Channel is considered an adult activity, then why is actually going to see live animals at the zoo considered child’s play? The impulse to gawk at a pride of lions or a swinging monkey is just as strong at age 35 as it is at 5. With 265 acres filled with more than 4,000 animals, even a jaded New Yorker will find it difficult to get bored. Plus, how often do you get to see creatures in New York City outside of the rodent family?