Eric Costantino is the founder of Eric Paris Salons, which he owns with his wife Katy Sinnott, who is also the company’s CEO. Eric has lived in Beijing since 1996, Katy since 1998 and their 2-and-a-half year old son Andreas was born in Beijing. These long-time Beijing residents dished out their favorite Beijing spots to beijingkids.
Favorite Family Restaurant
Union Grill in Sanlitun as it is super kid-friendly. The staff bends over backwards, bringing balloons and crayons so the kids can draw.
Best Place to Play Outdoors
Ritan Park. It is really a beautiful place with many nooks and crannies to discover. We’ve also started going to
Chaoyang Park.
Family Rituals
Maybe we shouldn’t, but we like McDonald’s. So once a week, usually Fridays, we "order French fry" as Andreas says and watch Toy Story.
New Hangouts in Beijing
Black Sesame Kitchen is really cool. You sit at a
communal table for a gourmet Chinese dinner.
Favorite Shop Stop
Katy is an enormous fan of Taobao.com. You can find anything and everything there – and prices are much better than in the shops.
Best Place to Shop for Kids
Solana is fun because there is so much packed together. Plus in the summer, they have a bouncy castle, which Andreas loves.
Lazy Sundays
As salon owners, we always work on Saturday, so on Sundays, we love to stay home and cook together.
Rainy Day Activity
We put on our "big boots," run outside and play in the rain! Stomping in puddlesis a favorite.
Best Day Trip
The Pagoda Forest at Silver Mountain.
