Importance Score: 35 / 100 🔵
Brooklyn Dads Find Camaraderie and Community in Williamsburg Stroll Club
On a balmy Saturday morning in March, as the youthful influencers and finance professionals of Williamsburg were still asleep, a group of over 30 men convened in McCarren Park. This gathering of fathers, some traveling from the distant Catskills and others from nearby residences, quickly bonded over shared experiences of sleep training and stroller admiration. Their common ground: fatherhood. “How old is yours?” became a recurring question as the group expanded, highlighting the burgeoning Brooklyn dads community.
Park Meetup and Shared Experiences
Benjamin Velez, 32, a switchboard operator and receptionist just finishing an overnight shift, joined the assembly with his one-year-old daughter, Wynter. A comment on the Monster energy drink visible in Wynter’s stroller led Mr. Velez to mention its added coffee content, a relatable detail for sleep-deprived parents.
Victor Ayala, 36, a quality control inspector, arrived at the park via Uber from Cobble Hill with his two-year-old son, Cassius. The pair garnered praise for their distinctive style: Mr. Ayala sported a jersey, a white canvas jacket with black stripes, yellow sneakers, and a Brooklyn Stroll Club hat. Cassius relaxed in a Bape x Airbuggy stroller shipped from Japan through a friend of his father.
The Brooklyn Stroll Club Takes Shape
As the group prepared for a walk around the park before heading to Canopy, a Williamsburg play space for children four and under, Calvin Eng, 30, celebrated chef and owner of Bonnie’s restaurant and author, accompanied by his two-and-a-half-year-old son, Levi, integrated into the group. Joe Gonzales, 32, welcomed him with warmth as if they were old acquaintances, despite this being their initial meeting.
Strolling is, in essence, the essence of the Brooklyn Stroll Club. Founded in October by Mr. Gonzales, a senior producer at a creative agency and a first-time father to a 10-month-old son named Sol, the club emerged from a desire for connection and peer support.
“Mothers have historically excelled at building community,” Mr. Gonzales observed. “I lacked a network of dad friends in New York and sought to connect with others navigating similar life stages,” he explained, emphasizing the need for fatherhood support.
Community Growth and High Demand
The group has evolved into a genuine community where fathers have forged authentic friendships. The club’s popularity is rapidly increasing.
“When Joe announces an event, it’s akin to a coveted sneaker release,” noted Colin Rocker, 28, a content creator and father to a nine-month-old son, Isaiah. He added that he had been unable to secure complimentary tickets for the February gathering, illustrating the high demand for Brooklyn Stroll Club meetups.
Adapting to Seasons and Managing Capacity
During colder periods, indoor venues became necessary, albeit with limited attendance. Mr. Gonzales disseminates event details through a Discord channel boasting over 1,000 members. The release of 50 tickets at noon triggers a rapid rush to claim them.
Remarkably, everyone arrived promptly, a considerable achievement considering the complexities of preparing a young child for departure. The collective of approximately 35 fathers and babies crossed the street, exchanging anecdotes about their partners’ morning activities. Notably, no child tantrums had yet occurred.
The queue to enter Canopy nearly extended around the block. “We once waited in lines to enter nightclubs,” Mike McGlarkner, 38, a construction flagger from Harlem, commented to the father behind him while accompanied by his two-year-old son, Jackson. Gradually, the dads and their children filled the elevator.
Inside Canopy: Connection and Shared Experiences
Upon entering, both fathers and children removed their footwear. A miniature pair of baby Air Jordans rested inside an adult-sized pair.
Mr. Rocker, the 28-year-old content creator, considers himself a young dad in the New York City context. “In New York, becoming a father at 28 is almost considered teen pregnancy,” he joked, mentioning that none of his peers were currently sharing this paternal experience. Samuel Ourlicht, 28, father to a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Zuriah, who lives in the South Bronx and works at a cookie shop, concurred.
Finding Connection and Support
“I was seeking something like this but doubted its existence until I discovered Joe on Instagram,” Mr. Rocker shared, seated on a couch beneath a bookshelf with a sleeping Isaiah on his chest. “This kid can’t keep up,” he jested. Near the windows, some fathers paused to provide their children with snacks.
Luis Cisneros, 34, a small business owner who described himself as having “waited” to have children, sat on the floor with his son Noah, who had taken his first steps that very morning. Nearby, amidst a rocking horse and discussions about children’s shows like “Bluey” and “Miss Rachel,” Rene Jimenez, 31, assistant dean of students at the Dalton School, balanced his 19-month-old daughter, Aubrey, on his hip.
“Fatherhood initially felt very isolating,” he admitted, with a nearby dad nodding in agreement. Mr. Jimenez had traveled from East Harlem for the meetup, demonstrating the draw of this NYC dads group.
“Being part of a community with other men striving to be excellent fathers and break negative generational patterns is profoundly significant,” he emphasized, highlighting the importance of modern fatherhood and positive change.
Musical Finale and Naptime Anticipation
As the anticipated countdown to tired outbursts approached, the vibrant atmosphere of the play space transitioned to a bright, airy side room. Eganam Segbefia, a trumpeter known professionally as ÉGO, produced his instrument to conclude the event with a musical performance.
While his usual performances involve playing during halftime at Knicks games in Madison Square Garden, today he performed children’s classics such as “Bare Necessities” from “The Jungle Book” and “Under the Sea” from “The Little Mermaid.”
Joy, Tears, and Shared Exhaustion
The room filled with dancing, smiles, and eventually, a few tears. After an eventful day, the children were ready for naps. The fathers, suppressing their own yawns and fatigue, wordlessly acknowledged their shared need for rest as well, cementing the bond within this unique father support group.