Are you staycationing around New Westminster with small children this summer? Looking for some places to connect with friends and get outside?
In honour of the summer season, we’ve rounded up this list of 10 “coffee and a playdate” options for parents around the city — pairing some of our favourite coffee and treat spots with some of our favourite parks.
We’ve chosen parks around the city to try to find something walkable for just about everyone. So grab the sunhats, pack up the stroller, and head off to enjoy your day in the sun.
Fratelli Bakery and Hume Park
Obviously, when you grab yourself a coffee at Fratelli (459 East Columbia St.), you’ll want to pick up a few indulgent treats to go with it. Once you’ve satisfied your sweet tooth, trundle on down East Columbia to Hume Park, where a day of fun awaits the small person in your life — with the playground, splash park and outdoor pool calling your name. You can also take the trail and stairs down to Lower Hume Park, where you can dip your toes into the Brunette River on a hot day.
Starbucks (or Little Miss Coffee Co.) and Sapperton Park
Grab yourself the latte or frappuccino of your choice at Starbucks (411 East Columbia St.) and zip over to Sapperton Park (East Columbia and Sherbrooke streets), where your kids can be entertained on the splash pad, the toddler playground or the larger adventure playground for bigger kids. There are also plenty of trees and seating areas, making this an ideal place to meet friends for a picnic.
If you’re not lured by chain-store coffee, then keep your eyes open for New Westminster’s roving Little Miss Coffee Co., whose pink trailer can often be found on East Columbia Street (by Chan’s Garden). Check out her Instagram page for the current week’s locations.
Take Five and Sapperton Landing
Take Five Café (202 East Columbia St.) offers an always delectable assortment of sweet and savoury treats to enjoy with your coffee. From there, it’s a short walk to Sapperton Landing (at the foot of Cumberland Street), where your small explorers can enjoy a walk along the river, follow a trail down to the tiny “beach” area (going into the fast-moving water isn’t recommended, but watching ducks and other wildlife certainly is), check out the view from the dock or enjoy a tour of the fish mosaic art along the way.
Note there’s no playground at Sapperton Landing, but its boardwalk path makes a perfect location for scooters, cycles and other wheeled adventures for your small folks.
Caffè Mira and Glenbrook Ravine
Savour an ube latte, a matcha tea or a classic coffee beverage from this Victoria Hill coffee shop (28 East Royal Ave.) — and, of course, grab a pastry while you’re at it (the croissants come highly recommended). Then make your way over to the stairs by Blackberry Drive and descend into Glenbrook Ravine, where your small folks can explore nature to their hearts’ content. Wander down to the pond at the Jamieson Court end to visit with the turtles, koi and ducks.
Rocky Point Ice Cream and Queen's Park
There are plenty of coffee shops and eateries within walking distance of Queen’s Park, but we’ve chosen Rocky Point Ice Cream (100-500 Sixth Ave.) because, well, ice cream. Hand-crafted, locally made ice cream, to be exact. Plus, if you’re so inclined, you can get yourself a coffee drink — or if you can’t choose between ice cream and coffee, grab an affogato and enjoy both simultaneously. From there, it’s an easy walk down Sixth Avenue (or Fifth, Fourth or Third avenues if you prefer less traffic) to the park, where the small folks can spend many a happy hour in the splash park or on the playgrounds. Plenty of trees and picnic tables make it an ideal spot to spend the day. If you time it right, you can even catch live performances on the bandshell stage in the Queen’s Park Concert Series (Thursdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.)
Flavor Balance Espresso Bar and Moody Park
If you’re not already a fan of Flavor Balance (619 Belmont St.), you will be once you stop in for a delicious dark-roast coffee and find yourself staring at a selection of tempting cakes in the display case. Do yourself a favour and just get the three-slice deal, because there’s no point settling on just one. From here, it’s a short stroll over to Moody Park (Eighth Street and Eighth Avenue), where your kids can enjoy the playground, run around the fields or get into the Moody Park Outdoor Pool for a swim (book ahead if you want to be assured of a spot, but drop-ins are also being taken this summer). Once again, there’s plenty of shade and lots of seating options, so it’s a good spot for a picnic, too.
Tre Galli and Westminster Pier Park
If you’re looking for good coffee in downtown New Westminster, you’re spoiled for choice — but we’ve chosen Tre Galli Gelato Caffe for its can’t-beat-it combo of excellent coffee drinks and delectable gelato flavours. Plus, the café is right at River Market (121-810 Quayside Dr.), making it a short walk over to Westminster Pier Park to enjoy the award-winning playground — not to mention the hammocks, grassy lawn space and the appealing riverfront pathway for wheeled fun of all sorts.
Craft Café and Quayside Park (or Port Royal Park)
Craft Café is a popular waterfront destination, and one glance at the menu will show you why. Beyond the usual array of classic coffee drinks, you can find Mexican mochas, maple lattes and caramel delights — plus, of course, all-day breakfasts, sandwiches and a host of grilled cheese choices. Grab your food and stroll on down the waterfront boardwalk to Quayside Park, where you can find washrooms, seating areas and a fun marine-themed playground for the small folks.
Or, if you feel like an on-the-water adventure, it's just a hop, skip and a jump to the Q to Q Ferry dock, from where you can catch a ride over to Queensborough and play in Port Royal Park instead. Or make a day of it and do both.
Take The Cake and Ryall Park
While we’re on the subject of Queensborough, we can’t forget about Take The Cake (150-1110 Ewen Ave.), where you can grab yourself a breakfast pastry, a slice of tea cake or some decadent shortbread (chai spiced or orange cardamom, anyone?) — or maybe a fruit tart, or a cookie, or biscotti, or … well, you get the idea. Add on a coffee beverage, hot chocolate or masala chai and then take a walk over to Ryall Park (920 Ewen Ave., at Queensborough Community Centre). You can turn the kids loose on the playground and splash park or wander through the community garden.
Rainbow Play Café and Riverside Park
This pairing is really a three-for-one offering, since the Rainbow Play Café (921 12th St.) exists to serve up fun for the kids alongside coffee and snacks for the adults. You can sip your coffee while the kids enjoy the interactive indoor playground ($3 for parent and baby, $6 for parent and tot, or $6.50 for parent and preschooler). If you still want to get outside and you’re ready to stretch your legs a little, it’s not too far to Riverside Adventure Park (at Stewardson Way and Sharp Street), with a good all-ages playground and treed greenspace to enjoy.
☕ Got another favourite coffee-and-park pairing in New Westminster? Let us know. Send an email to reporter Julie MacLellan.
