On the side streets of new york

The Children’s General Store — 168 East 91st StreetThe Children’s General Store is everything one could desire in a toy shop. It is well organized with different sections for bath play, outdoor items, and dress up. On one wall, there are dozens of puzzles and craft kits for a variety of ages. A rack of animal hand puppets greets customers as they enter, and in a central aisle, the “novelty” items, including yellow taxi cabs, slinkies, and other old-school toys call out for attention. Laura Pintchik, who now runs the store with her daughter Tess, has a design background and, back in the mid 90’s, decided to turn the downstairs waiting area of the indoor playground that she and her husband ran into a toy shop. On the first day, she sold out of almost everything. She credits her success to the fact that she “created an expression of what a child really lives with.”

To read more, visit Manhattan Sideways (sideways.nyc), created by Betsy Bober Polivy.