A Peek Inside The Wonder, A New NYC Hangout For Families
Written by Erin Feher
Photography by
Photography by Andrew Boyle
Where can you get a rainbow grilled cheese and have the stroller detailed while you join the kids for a Yayoi Kusama–inspired art class? The Wonder, a new fun-for-the-whole family hangout in Tribeca, launched by Sarah Robinson and Noria Morales—mothers to 4 kids under 10 between them. With backgrounds in fashion and design, the two women dreamt up a candy-colored space that catered to kids and adults equally. From a cozy nursery outfitted with everything needed for diaper changes, feeding, pumping, and even naps (babes can snooze in a Stokke crib) to a playspace boasting rotating interactive installations (current theme: the moon landing!), The Wonder is all about facilitating quality time for families. Another detail we love? The text/talk electronics ban in any kid-centric space means play won’t be mobbed with people filming their latest Instagram story. We asked Sarah and Noria to walk us through the space and give us the full scoop—take the tour in our slideshow below!
We spot a trend—check out our stories on other high-design hangouts created with families in mind, such a The Little Wing, Maison, and Big & Tiny.
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- "When I (Sarah) had my son Henry, I quickly found that if we wanted to go out together we had to choose something for kids or something for grownups. There was nothing for both of us. It was either a kids class with no place for parents to sit or a restaurant where he was immediately bored and I wolfed down my food to get out as fast as possible. There was no space we could go as a family and truly feel engaged and at ease. It was in one of those kids classes that I first had the idea for The Wonder."
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- "They are fun, easygoing, and love to play. The parents might channel Tom Hanks in Big."
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"You just apply online right here. We wanted the process to be super simple."
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- We did take outside investment—a $2M pre-launch round of seed funding from angel investors, including Marissa Mayer and Rebecca Minkoff, as well as VCs including Female Founders Fund, Red Sea Ventures and Brand Foundry. We met with 40-to-50 potential investors over the course of a few months, speaking with both men and women—some who had children and others who didn't. We were lucky in that, even if the investor we were talking to didn't have children, they had been a child themselves years ago. Because of this, there was an immediate sense of understanding and connection about our vision for The Wonder with just about every person we spoke with.
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- "The Wonder is a one-stop shop. The reality is you can’t go to the park everyday, you don’t always have the energy to plan a trip to the science museum, and sometimes, you just want to hang with your friends while your kids play. The Wonder is a place where the entire family can have meaningful and memorable time together."
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- "We’re encouraging real life connection, but we’re not naive to parents' needs to be digitally connected. We ask our members to follow a no talk/no text policy when in the lounge and playspace, and we provide a grown-ups only workspace so they can take a call or answer emails if needed."
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- "Ideally it’s a mix, but it depends on the age of the child. Families definitely come in to hang together—they are in the playspace, reading books, doing crafts. But when we have classes and kids can be on their own, parents can go to the cafe, hang with friends in the lounge, or go into the workspace. We try to create an environment that is easy and convenient for families to experience."
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- "When building out our amenities we wanted to think about what would add ease and convenience to parents’ days. For example, our cafe serves an all-day menu that kids will love, but we also made sure to have a full coffee bar for the morning and adult beverages for the evening, so parents can catch up over a drink. We are also offering stroller detailing with Dyson, to tackle all the crumbs, sand and spills, and ensure parents can leave the space with a clean, smooth-rolling stroller."
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- "Our memberships are designed to be one flat fee for the entire family, no matter how many children you have. To cater to working parents, members will also be able to add a caregiver to their account. The membership is based on an annual commitment and is $4,800 if paid upfront or $450 if paid monthly."
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- "We wanted the design to be chic, but easy, and unfussy. We designed with parent pain points in mind, to create a space where every member of the family feels comfortable. To bring that balance to life we focused on distinct tonal color schemes for each room, rounded details throughout the furniture and elements of repetition like the vintage robot toy collection in our book nook. We worked closely with Ryan Fitzgerald, a dad, of Studio Fitz to design the space. It needed to fill a really wide range of needs for families, so we created a design that offers dedicated areas for everything from feeding your baby, to art classes and family board game nights. Some of the key areas are: the set-designed playspace which is currently themed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, our book nook with a library curated by The Reading Ninja, a serene and quiet nursery, and the family lounge with two oversize serpentine couches."
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- "It was a magical corner space, and such a rare find in Tribeca. When we saw the afternoon light filter in, it was a done deal. We love the high ceilings and the airiness. It just feels like an extension of home."
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