KIDS & EDUCATION
BESTOFBK.COM • WINNERS GUIDE • BEST OF BROOKLYN 2018 19
BEST ART SCHOOL
BAY RIDGE ART SPACE
321 86th Street (347) 719-2787
A unique art space presented by Alonsa
Guevara and James Raczkowski – two
professional working artists with Master
Degrees in Fine Arts from The New York
Academy of Art – the Bay Ridge Art Space is a
creative escape all its own. The Bay Ridgebased
studio offers premier private art lessons
for children and adults (starting at just $75 an
hour) available both in-studio, in-home or for
a group. On a rolling basis, a small number of
students are admitted to the acclaimed studio,
with priority given to those who show a strong
desire to hone their craft. With lessons ranging
from beginning to advanced in mediums like
drawing, oil and acrylic painting, mixed media
and more, Bay Ridge Art Space is pictureperfect
as the best art school in the borough.
BEST COLLEGE OR
UNIVERSITY
BROOKLYN COLLEGE
2900 Bedford Avenue (718) 951-5000
Brooklyn College’s resume is an impressive
one. The school – voted best college
or university in the borough – boasts
approximately 17,000 students enrolled in 120
undergraduate and graduate degree programs
in the humanities, social, behavioral and
natural sciences, education, business and the
arts. To boot, Brooklyn College is renowned
for its rigorous academics, diverse student
body, award winning faculty and highly
affordable tuition. Located on a beautifully
landscaped 35-acre campus, Brooklyn College
offers a rich student life within an urban
environment. With more than 80 years of
academic excellence under its belt, it’s a nobrainer
as to why the innovative liberal arts
institution was voted the best in Brooklyn.
BEST DAY CARE
BUILDING BLOCKS DAYCARE
6810 20th Avenue (718) 331-2595
Serving the children of Brooklyn since 2010,
Building Blocks Daycare Center has been
on the receiving end of critical acclaim. The
Bensonhurst childcare center – known for its
caring staff and clean facility – offers up a wide
range of activities for its clients, from music
and movement and story-time to outdoor
play, computers and work with pre-math and
reading skills, it’s easy to see why Building
Blocks Daycare was voted best day care in
Brooklyn. Fully licensed by the New York City
Department of Health, Building Blocks offers
both full time and part time sessions – both
of which come complete with an experienced
and professional staff, playful and education
environment and room for your little one to
grow.
BEST NURSERY SCHOOL
STEPPING STONES NURSERY SCHOOL
245 86th Street (718) 630-1000
Stepping Stones has dug its roots in the
Bay Ridge community. The nursey school
– founded in 2002 by two New York City
public school teachers – is a high-quality early
childhood facility that services preschoolers
ages two to five. Both the Stepping Stones
Nursery School and its sister pre-school
(located just blocks away) are a community
its curators like to call “family.” All of the
students are loved and cared for by their
nurturing teachers that are always dedicated
to their class – and the proof is in the happy
parents and caregivers who swear by Stepping
Stones. Children at Stepping Stones will
engage in large and small muscle activities,
sensory and discovery exploration, social
interaction and creative expression. Stepping
Stones is equipped with age appropriate
activities where children experience music,
art, dramatic play, housekeeping center,
block corner, sand and water play, puzzles,
table games, library, storytelling, outdoor
play, computer time and field trips. Couple its
loving team of teachers with its exceptional
facility and it’s easy to see why Stepping
Stones is so loved – and why it’s the best
nursery school in Brooklyn.