New York Puppy Porn
Though adorable, comforting, and eternally sweet, puppies -- and the dogs they become -- require far more responsibility and commitment than most New Yorkers I know are willing to fork over. That in addition to space and financial restraints forces many a New York dog lover to exist in miserable pet-less solitude. I find personal solace in habitually checking Cute Overload. But when pictures aren't enough and I need to see some pups in person, I can just head to the closest dog run or doggie daycare. Sure, I feel like a pedophile spying on kids at the playground, but sometimes I just have to get my fix. If you need to scratch a similar itch, head to one of the following places where you can see whole packs of cute young things on display.
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Tompkins Square Park Dog Run
Avenue B & E 9th St, New York, NY 10009
Thought of by many as the best dog run in the city, Tompkin's Square Park's First Run features separate small and large dog runs complete with a tree carved into a giant … bone standing sentry over the whole area. The run always offers plenty of eye candy, but those of you who caught last weekend's Halloween dog parade saw the park at its cutest. [link]
Parrots & Pups
45 Christopher St
New York, NY 10014
Parrots & Pups seems to suffer a bad rap on the net, mainly because so many people are against pet stores in general and because the staff here seems less than … knowledgeable. However, it's still a great shop to walk by, especially if you a spending a fall afternoon wandering around the village. I don't support pet stores or puppy mills either, but it doesn't mean you can't gawk at the cuddly things behind the windows. [link]
McCarren Park Dog Run
Driggs Ave & N 12th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
McCarren Park is already fun for gawking with or without a dog run. However, the tight tapered jeaned Williamsburg folk have some pretty adorable pets, most of them small … enough to fit in subway friendly bags. [link]
Le Petit Puppy
18 Christopher St
New York, NY 10014
Just one of the West Village's many cute pet stores, Le Petite Puppy always has a puppy or two hanging out in the window. You typically see the small pint sized dogs so … popular in the neighborhood -- shih tzus, Malteses, and Yorkies. [link]
Happy Paws
157 Crosby St
New York, NY 10012
Located right by Gridskipper HQ, this is my favorite spot for doggy voyeurism. If you walk by the back of the store, on Crosby between Houston and Bleecker, you can see … both the small dog and the large dog playrooms through the large glass windows. Each room usually has one attendant playing with the dogs, and the pups often jump up to the windowsill to check out who's watching them. (photo) [link]
Groom-O-Rama
496 6th Ave
New York, NY 10011
Groom-O-Rama is great for its visibility. Located right on 6th Avenue between 11th and 12th streets, it's easy to make a detour here if you work or live near Union Square … or the Village. On a recent visit, they had some incredibly small Yorkies, shih tzus, Boston terriers, and French bulldogs. [link]
Biscuits & Bath Doggy Gym
1535 1st Ave
New York, NY 10028
Like Happy Paws, Biscuits & Bath Doggy Gym offers day care services to neighborhood dogs. Those lucky enough to pass B&B's giant glass windows on their way to … work get an eyeful of puppy play time. The store also offers overnight boarding and grooming services, but all we pedestrians care about is what's on display. Biscuits & Bath has two other locations, but we hear this UES is the best. [link]
