The flagship FAO Schwarz toy store is shutting down for good. Visits there were always about the experience more than the toys–but oh, how magical, those visits were.
My wife and I both grew up in the NY Metro area—me in Staten Island, she in Rockland—when trips to Manhattan (“the city” even to those of us in the outer boroughs) were special events. In addition to excursions to Broadway shows and museums, we both have sweet memories of visits to FAO Schwarz, the legendary toy store on Fifth Avenue, which is set to close its doors on Wednesday.
FAO Schwarz was never just about the toys, most of which we could get elsewhere (and cheaper, even before the Internet). That’s not to say we walked away empty handed, of course: I remember the joy of choosing—after a seemingly endless decision-making process—a small magic trick to add to my collection. But, no, FAO Schwarz was less about the toys we left with than the toys that we encountered there. Some were larger than life, quit literally. Others filled out the shelves and tables in themed rooms, with more variety than I’d ever seen before; a room of every imaginable Lego product was heaven to a child like me.
It is remarkable how similar my wife’s memories are to mine. Stephanie writes:
Growing up, I thought FAO Schwarz was like Disney World in New York City. I remember the amazement of walking into the soaring two-story atrium, with the escalator leading up past a hanging display of toys while cheery music played. It didn’t matter what weird, eclectic toy I was interested in at the time—Legos or Hello Kitty—FAO Schwarz would have a room or space devoted to that toy, with a humongous selection of all shapes and sizes. I remember begging my older sister, who was attending college in Manhattan, to venture north to the FAO flagship to get me a special treat.
We never had a chance to share that magical experience with our own kids. Somehow, in this age of spectacle everywhere, it may not have left the impression on them that it did on us. Perhaps that, as much as anything, explains the store’s closing, though it still surprises me.
For better or worse, our nostalgia will have to remain just that—warm memories of a changing New York. Plus, we will always have Tom Hanks in Big:
