Owner Carla Barbosa opened olá baby—Portuguese for “hello baby”—in Carroll Gardens, the neighborhood where she grew up, and she keeps it homey with public restrooms, a couch where moms can nurse, and a poster of her nephew. The spacious baby-blue-and-pink store has a wide range of products from a select few brands; Barbosa uses her background in retail management to choose well-designed, functional, often organic labels. For baby-shower gifts, pick up a rock-and-roll concert tee by Kaos, a Diaper Dudes carryall bag, or any number of all-natural health and beauty products for mom and baby. Furniture to outfit a new nursery is selected with small spaces in mind: Oeuf’s clean, classic cribs transform into toddler beds; expandable, oval-shaped Stokke cribs work well in cramped city apartments. Stokke, Bugaboo, and Phil & Ted strollers are in the back, as is the play section, which has Melissa & Doug’s wooden toys, nontoxic art supplies, and Putamayo Kids CDs. — Caroline Kinneberg
