441 Main St. in Farmingdale is a special address for one local family.
Taylor Carney held the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for Schoolhouse Play & Cafe, a new daycare center offering educational classes for parents and children, on Wednesday, July 2.
The building was packed with family, friends and members of the Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce.
Carney’s family didn’t have to travel far, though, as her sister and mother have their own businesses at the same address.
Carney’s parents, Laura and Joe Napolitano, opened Back In Time, an antique and home decor store, in 2019. The building also houses Elise’s Niece’s Cafe, which Carney’s sister has owned since 2020.
The Napolitanos created Back in Time as a result of their passion to find, rescue and repurpose American vintage and unique finds.
Elsie’s Niece’s Cafe was created by Jenna Tomeo, who drew inspiration from her aunt Elsie McCullough and the time that the two of them spent baking together.
Uniquely, all three businesses are in the same building and are connected to one another.
“As you go through my mom’s store, you reach the bakery, and then when you go further to the back, you’ll find me,” Carney said. “We joke around because it’s a one-stop family adventure. If people want to go shopping, if they want to get a coffee, or if they want their kids to play, it’s all here.
Carney had been an elementary school teacher for over 10 years, but she had the idea of opening a daycare after the birth of her second child.
“My husband and I were trying to plan for when I go back to work in the fall as a teacher, and we started to crunch numbers and really look at childcare, and how expensive it was gonna be,” she said.
Carney said that while she was on leave, she had been teaching Mommy & Me classes for fun, and that turned into a desire to continue teaching.
That feeling led to her starting her own business, culminating in the opening of Schoolhouse.
“It’s a really great way for parents to come together with their kids to form relationships,” she said.
Carney said it was an honor to have a work-life balance all within the same building.
“I feel so blessed to be able to work alongside my family every day,” Carney said. “I never really thought that this was something I would be able to do. I can do something I love alongside my family, who also have their passions that they love doing right here.”
Schoolhouse is open Wednesday through Sunday.
Class schedules can be found on Schoolhouse’s website. The theme of the classes changes each week, and each class is designed for kids of different ages.
