Best place for kids’ music

Winner Willy Bee’s Family Lounge
You could argue that music made this kidcentric Brooklyn spot: Families have been buzzing about the Bee ever since throngs of curious kids and parents coming from a nearby Audra Tsanos concert showed up early on opening day, and owner Serena Siegfried decided to invite them into her new lounge ahead of schedule. Just one month later, Audra herself christened the stage. A slew of local kids bands have followed suit: The Deedle Deedle Dees, Astrograss, and Chip and Vince are a few of the groups that regularly step up to the mike, and they all fit the lounge’s definition of adult-friendly: “When kids like a certain song, they’ll listen to it over and over again. So we try to book acts that the parents won’t mind hearing over and over again,” says Siegfried, whose husband owns the jazz club Detour. Add an affordable cover charge (around $12 per family) and an extensive café menu (including wine for adults), and it’s no wonder that families are turning this hive into a mainstay of the kid-music scene.

302 Metropolitan Ave between Driggs Ave and Roebling St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-599-3499, willybees.com)

Runner-up The Knitting Factory
Although adults might find the floor cramped when someone like Lady Sovereign performs at this well-established Tribeca venue, the tight quarters are no problem for your typical four-year-old. That said, the place can turn into a mini mosh pit when a hot ticket like Ralph’s World plays—but most parents see their kids’ attendance at such an event as essential training. (Full disclosure: This publication copresents the monthly TONY Kids Stage series at the Knit.)

74 Leonard St between Broadway and Church St (212-219-3006, knittingfactory.com)

And don’t forget…Liberty Heights Tap Room
The monthly Rockin’ Teen Showcase—a rotating lineup of youth bands and soloists—makes this Red Hook venue a hot spot for tweens and teens. On Showcase Saturdays, kids come en masse to hang out for the afternoon, munch on brick-oven pizza and give props to performers as young as eight.

34 Van Dyke St at Dwight St, Red Hook, Brooklyn (718-246-8050, libertyheightstaproom.com)