Welcome from Owner, Darcy
Welcome to Pikopye's Town! My kids have loved this place since the day it opened in 2022, so when the chance came to be the new owners ... we LEAPT at the opportunity!
As a mom, I'm passionate about all things Mom-Work-Life-Balance related, like healthy eating, screen-free play, and doing everything we can as a community to reduce the parent "adrenal burn out" that can be common in today's busy world. And if I can help in this capacity by curating a space where parents can grab an iced coffee and a moment to take a breath, while your kids play happily engaged nearby, whether at an Open Play session or a weekend birthday party, then that seems like a win-win.
My husband and I also own a real estate investment/management company that we run remotely, which is great ... but my kids like THIS business a whole lot more! See ya soon! --Darcy Alkus Barrow, Owner
[To learn more about Darcy or to get in touch, keep scrolling.]
the pikopye Town
oRIGIN story
From The Original Founder, Leah:
"It all started with 'oh how I wish…' in 2016, at 2am, while in bed still on my laptop, trying to catch up on work because my then one-year-old demanded a lot of my attention during the day.
Even though I was so blessed to have the flexibility of working from home that allowed me to keep my son home, there were days when I needed the change of scenery from the usual four-wall space, and to sip hot coffee I didn’t microwave for the 100th time. I also wanted my son to have interactions with other children without the fear or being trampled by bigger kids in an overly crowded play space.
It was that night when my dream of an indoor play + creative space for work-from-home or stay-at-home parents began."
so what does pikopye mean anyway?
More like WHO is Pikopye? Micah, the original founder's son, made up a word when he was 10 months old. It was one of his first words. For years, no one could understand why he kept saying "Pikopye, Pikopye" and they wrote it off as toddler babble. But once he was able to communicate, they quickly realized that "Pikopye" was his imaginary friend! So when Leah was thinking about what to name this imaginary play town, there wasn’t anything better than.... Pikopye’s Town!
Meet the
Owner
Darcy Alkus Barrow
Darcy is an experienced mompreneur with two kids, ages 6 and 11, and the owner of Pikopye’s Town, Lakeway as of October 2024. Originally from Malibu and the San Francisco Bay Area, she and her husband, Christopher Barrow, who runs their successful real estate/management company, moved to Lakeway in 2021 with the plan to better balance multiple businesses and family life.
With a background in operations, marketing, and event planning, Darcy has always loved creating memorable experiences. She has organized client appreciation events for years and served on non-profit boards focused on foster children and moms. During COVID, she founded a homeschooling group that grew to 2,000 members and earned national media coverage.
One of her greatest joys is leading international adventure travel trips for her kids’ school. Each year, she co-chairs a unique educational journey to distant corners of the world, where families and children aged 6 and up immerse themselves in hands-on cultural experiences.
When she’s not fostering puppies through Foster to Forever or practicing Bikram yoga, Darcy enjoys organic living, clean foods, and natural wines...
...and of course, planning parties.