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A small island in Queens, sitting in the middle of Jamaica Bay with water on all sides, Broad Channel has a residential feel that is nothing like the rest of the city. The streets are quiet and low-rise, mostly single-family cottages on short dead-end blocks. For a parent with a toddler, the anchor outdoor spot is Broad Channel Park on Cross Bay Boulevard, which has a renovated playground with slides, climbing equipment, and dolphin-themed water features that small kids tend to love. Right next door is the Queens Public Library Broad Channel branch, a small neighborhood library that runs programming and is an easy, no-hassle stop on any outing. Most families here drive, and most visitors come by car too. The A train does stop in the neighborhood, but the island is not set up for walking to multiple destinations in one trip. Streets are calm, foot traffic is almost nonexistent, and pushing a stroller around the residential blocks is easy and peaceful. The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge wraps around the community, so a walk here means herons and open sky rather than storefronts, which is a genuinely different kind of afternoon with a small kid.