See what happens when you ban smoking in bars?
These days little children are brought along to places that would have been considered inappropriate a generation ago: four-star restaurants, cocktail parties, rock concerts. But for all the sniping from adults who resent this territorial invasion, the onslaught shows no sign of letting up.
In fact, one of its latest flash points is the local bar.
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In New York, too, the smoking ban has altered the bar's image. No longer a den of adult sin, the local tavern is seen as an attractive option for afternoon gatherings among parents. (Neither New York state nor city law forbids minors in bars, although state regulations say children younger than 16 must be accompanied by an adult, a State Liquor Authority spokesman said.)
It makes extra sense, parents said, in Park Slope, where the demarcation between generations has blurred - in Brooklyn, hoodies and skateboard sneakers constitute a uniform for parents as well as their 5-year-olds.
While critics of bringing children to bars are vocal, some parents have embraced the habit with gusto. In recent years, mothers in Manhattan gathered for Wednesday afternoon cocktail mixers called Tots and Tonic.
Sorry, there are some places babies shouldn't be, and bars are at the top of the list. Tots and Tonic? Come on.
