The Children's General Store

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This venue is closed.

Tucked away in Grand Central Station's less-bustling Lexington passageway, The Children's General Store is claustrophobic in the best possible way: The studio-size shop's categorized shelves are stocked to the ceiling with timeless, gimmick-free toys for kids from infancy to age 9. Board games? Check. Stuffed animals? Check. Cheap, bright hi-bounce balls like the ones kids beg for in the supermarket? Check. With an emphasis on educational toys and classic books, this shop understands the enticement of felt stickers and the blissed-out glory of pink-jeweled princess tiaras. It also gets the importance of simplicity; the store's handmade marbles, at $2 each, are about as fancy as it gets. When one customer came in seeking the type of thing that shoots the bubbles, the manager coolly responded, "We only have the bubbles that you blow. The way bubbles are supposed to be." With tons of stuff under $6, the General Store is also a goody-bag supplier's best friend. — Dana Schuster