Image via YouTube
FAO Schwarz, the store that helped make it perfectly acceptable for adults to pal around on a giant piano, will be closing its midtown Manhattan location in July.
Bloomberg Business' Matthew Townsend and David M. Levitt report the popular toy store that is something of a tourist hot spot for families will be shutting its doors this July.
While the store was always crowded and noisy, brimming with kids and families who seemed oblivious to anyone in their vicinity, it remained an institution of fun and frivolity.
There was something about stepping through its doors that caused a couple decades to melt right off your age.
In the end, rising costs will send the toy store packing to another location, taking with it the opportunity for adults to feel like kids and children to, well, be themselves.
The report states, "The FAO Schwarz toy store in midtown Manhattan will close in July because of rising rents, leaving the 153-year-old brand without a retail outlet."
Now those of you who haven't frequented the store might know it from its most famed entry into pop culture, namely an iconic scene in the movie "Big."
Now this isn't all bad news, because there is slight glimmer of hope for those who like to infuse their Manhattan trip with the kind of fun that's had at an enormous toy store.
Bloomberg Business reminds that Toys "R" Us Inc. owns the FAO Schwarz store, and is currently considering other options around the city.
In fact, this story might be more about one business moving than it is about an institution closing: "A new outlet could open in late 2016, a person familiar with the situation said."
Additionally, Toys "R" Us emailed Bloomberg Business and sounded positively optimistic about how things might go in the near future: "The company is committed to the FAO Schwarz brand and growing its legacy. While we are sad to say goodbye to our current location, we are excited about the opportunity to create a new flagship location in New York City that will no doubt delight generations of children to come."
The location might change but the experience will remain - at least that is what we hope moving forward, because there is something truly special about browsing in that store.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
