My nine-year-old son has had happy feet practically since birth. He already has many years of tap-dancing under his belt and he took ballroom dancing in his school last semester. He was thrilled to be dancing (in school, no less!) and quickly picked up the foxtrot, merengue, swing dancing and even the tango. The ballroom dancing program hadn't even wrapped before he was asking if he could continue to take lessons outside of school.

I said, of course... but then I started doing the research. To my surprise, while there are plenty of schools that offer one-off classes here and there like flamenco or salsa, and lots of ballroom dancing studios for adults, there aren't that many programs for children that focus solely on the genre. However, I did find a handful of NYC spots that can give your little movers and shakers a dedicated ballroom dance experience, plus info on how you can bring ballroom dancing to your kids' school.

[UPDATED: December 1, 2012]

For the final post of our month-long focus on the Upper East Side, we're sharing our favorite practical shops for new parents and babies in the neighborhood. Take a stroll on one of the nabe's main avenues like Madison or Lexington and you'll pass a ton of fancy boutiques selling chichi wears for little ones (that they'll grow out in, oh, about a week). So instead of listing all of those swanky spots that have expensive outfits and not much else, we decided to focus on stores that offer necessities for new parents and babies. These five spots sell everything from nursing supplies to nursery furniture, baby slings to baby toys. Plus most offer special classes and events especially for new parents.

Our month-long focus on Riverdale and the surrounding neighborhoods continues with a look at family-friendly restaurants in the area. While Riverdale is not exactly known as a foodie hot spot (unless you love pubs), there are some great places to eat with kids in tow. From Jewish deli staples like matzoh ball soup and stuffed cabbage to perfectly prepared burgers to the best carrot cake in New York City, here are our top spots for families to eat in Riverdale.