SHANNON ALTHIN, FOUNDER NATTI NATTI, IN BROOKLYN
Shannon Althin is the passionate founder of Natti Natti, a Brooklyn-made children’s bedding and decor brand that inspires little imaginations. The mom of two created her whimsical brand with her Swedish husband Eric. “We are a small family owned company, passionate about art + good design and doing what we love. We strive to create organic, unique, and modern pieces that not only help our little ones sleep but also make a positive impact in our homes and lives.” Shannon says. The brand was born when they were expecting their second little one; Eric and Shannon (both former art gallery directors) decided to design and create a whole tribe of characters and give them life in a playful collection of duvet sets, baby blankets, and pillows.
Natti Natti, meaning Nighty Night in Swedish, is inspired by Sweden and handmade in Brooklyn, where the couple lives. "We love it! Amazing food, creative people and inspiration, diversity, and endless amounts of activities for kids," explains Shannon who shares here with us her favorite spots around town.
IN BROOKLYN WITH SHANNON ALTHIN
Eating out with the kids. Insa Korean BBQ is a fun kid friendly korean bbq and karaoke place! For awesome pizza we love Table 87 or Giuseppina’s. Bareburger is all around good brunch, lunch and dinner spot.
Your favorite activities on a sunny day. On a sunny nice day we love exploring the park and playgrounds in our neighborhood, we are fortunate to live close to Prospect Park! We also love taking a day trips to the beach.
Your favorite activities on a rainy day. A few fun spots close by on a rainy day are Brooklyn Childrens Museum, Private Picassos, Shipwrecked miniature golf. Our favorite in Manhattan is definitely the Museum of Natural History, it's a wonder filled place and the kids absolutely love it! There's so much to see too so it doesn’t get old. We love taking the kids to art exhibitions as well. We used to own and operate an art gallery in Chelsea and its something we are passionate about.
A peaceful walk to take during nap time. There are so many beautiful spots in Prospect Park and its very relaxing to wander around and sort of escape the city for a moment.
A pretty shop for the kids. Hands down our favorite children's shop is Norman & Jules in Park Slope! The have the most beautiful selection of toys, soft goods and decor for children. For clothing, I love Sweet William.
A kid-friendly hotel. I would definitely recommend renting a house or apt via Kid & Coe or Air bnb! There are so many nice ones available in Brooklyn and I think it makes it so much easier and enjoyable with the kids rather than staying in a hotel room.
A trip outside the city. We love taking day trips to Stone Barns Center. Its only about an hour from the city but you feel so far away! They have an amazing little cafe with delicious baked goods and food. The grounds are beautiful and there are farm animals for the kids to visit and lots of different events throughout the year. Another spot which we go to every fall is Westwind Orchards They have organic pick-your-own apples, pumpkins, and berries. A cute little shop with locally made goods and also some of the best authentic Italian pizza they make right there. Don’t forget to try their honey, its seriously the best honey I’ve had. We always stock up on it.