Is downtown crying for a Toy Store?

[shasta]

So, I've been following Discovery Green for the past year plus very very very closely and I've noticed an interesting trend. The kid's portion of the park (water feature and playground area) is extremely popular.

I see multiple school buses full of children during the lunch hours. I see parents and their kids spending a bunch of time in this area during the evening and the weekend. Just think this used to be a parking lot and now the catchment area is largely children. I see the ice cream vans parked near this area because they know they have a market here. Common economic sense.

With all of this being obvious.........I started to think about street level retail fronting the kids portion of the park and I'm starting to think a very nice high quality Toy Store like the ones they have in some of the other pedestrian full service downtown's (or something like that) may make sense. With the current makeup of buildings here let's think about the opportunity here.

Discovery Tower- Not sure what the retail component is going to be but that is probably the best location

One Park Place- Not an option as it fronts the entrance, drop off area, and we know the retail is ear marked for grocery which is what it should be in this application

Embassy Suites- This could work, I'm not sure if they are going to include a large ground level retail component but think of the spill over from the park to a quality toy store type attraction development. Would be a nice and unique addition

Future City Hotel Site- getting a little further away from the kids portion of the park but it is still a great opportunity and it would have visibility from the new rail line (I believe)

Just thought I's throw the idea out there based on what I am seeing everytime I visit Discovery Green

Edited August 7, 2009 by shasta

[musicman]

maybe some kids are crying but i doubt any downtown residents are. more open businesses on sunday would be great.

[Pumapayam]

So, I've been following Discovery Green for the past year plus very very very closely and I've noticed an interesting trend. The kid's portion of the park (water feature and playground area) is extremely popular.

I see multiple school buses full of children during the lunch hours. I see parents and their kids spending a bunch of time in this area during the evening and the weekend. Just think this used to be a parking lot and now the catchment area is largely children. I see the ice cream vans parked near this area because they know they have a market here. Common economic sense.

With all of this being obvious.........I started to think about street level retail fronting the kids portion of the park and I'm starting to think a very nice high quality Toy Store like the ones they have in some of the other pedestrian full service downtown's (or something like that) may make sense. With the current makeup of buildings here let's think about the opportunity here.

Discovery Tower- Not sure what the retail component is going to be but that is probably the best location

One Park Place- Not an option as it fronts the entrance, drop off area, and we know the retail is ear marked for grocery which is what it should be in this application

Embassy Suites- This could work, I'm not sure if they are going to include a large ground level retail component but think of the spill over from the park to a quality toy store type attraction development. Would be a nice and unique addition

Future City Hotel Site- getting a little further away from the kids portion of the park but it is still a great opportunity and it would have visibility from the new rail line (I believe)

Just thought I's throw the idea out there based on what I am seeing everytime I visit Discovery Green

If we can't manage to sustain an FAO Schwartz in the Galleria with its ample free parking and its destination as a shopping mecca, I don't believe any toy shop can make it in downtown with paid parking and inconsistent pedestrian traffic that can barely support the Houston Pavilions.

[Daniepwils]

We have two on Main Street already, and all toys are under $1.00

[citizen4rmptown]

I know they sell some stuff already in the park building like tee shirts and bags, but how about a gift shop with a section geared towards children.

Either a Discovery Green or City of Houston theme.

Don't they have the visitors center in City Hall, and one in the Convention Center.

They should make one like that.

[editor]

For the most part, toy stores are dead in America. Sure, you can find a few small ones scattered here and there, but they're throwbacks. Wal-Mart killed toy stores in the United States. Even the once mighty Toys R Us went bankrupt and closed most of its stores. FAO Schwartz is planning to expand, but only into protected spaces within Macy's stores.

There was a good piece a couple of Christmasses ago on one of the networks about this. Kids these days don't know what a "toy store" is. They've grown up getting toys at the big box stores. Anything else is Dickensian to them.

[Specwriter]

For the most part, toy stores are dead in America. Sure, you can find a few small ones scattered here and there, but they're throwbacks. Wal-Mart killed toy stores in the United States. Even the once mighty Toys R Us went bankrupt and closed most of its stores. FAO Schwartz is planning to expand, but only into protected spaces within Macy's stores.

There was a good piece a couple of Christmasses ago on one of the networks about this. Kids these days don't know what a "toy store" is. They've grown up getting toys at the big box stores. Anything else is Dickensian to them.

If FAO Schwarz (no 't' by the way) is Dickensian then I am Oliver Twist. Perhaps a cheap toy store similar to the toy sections of the old five and dime and current CVS and Walgreen's stores would do better. When you take the young ones to the park they can get a small boat, a kite, or jacks (remember those) and play with them right away. If the toys are accidentally left behind there would not have to be a great amount of grief over the loss.

[totheskies]

Man this would be a great idea, but

1. This is just speculation so it doesn't need to be in the "going up" thread... needs to be in either Downtown or General discussions

2. What kinds of toys do kids want nowadays? We as a society have managed to screw kids up to where they think they are miniature adults... IPod this, Twitter that, toy cell phones and computer games. They don't even want to get dirty. As sad as it sounds, a major toy store would fail in downtown b/c we as a society are raising kids to not even want REAL toys. They're just supposed to do like adults and play on the internet all day. Until we decide that we should reinvest in the human imagination, the only toy store we're going to have is Wal-Mart, Taget and the kids isle at HEB.

[LTAWACS]

If we can't manage to sustain an FAO Schwartz in the Galleria with its ample free parking and its destination as a shopping mecca, I don't believe any toy shop can make it in downtown with paid parking and inconsistent pedestrian traffic that can barely support the Houston Pavilions.

Perhaps but who goes to FAO Schwartz ?

[Gary]

Man this would be a great idea, but

1. This is just speculation so it doesn't need to be in the "going up" thread... needs to be in either Downtown or General discussions

2. What kinds of toys do kids want nowadays? We as a society have managed to screw kids up to where they think they are miniature adults... IPod this, Twitter that, toy cell phones and computer games. They don't even want to get dirty. As sad as it sounds, a major toy store would fail in downtown b/c we as a society are raising kids to not even want REAL toys. They're just supposed to do like adults and play on the internet all day. Until we decide that we should reinvest in the human imagination, the only toy store we're going to have is Wal-Mart, Taget and the kids isle at HEB.

Great post. I've often wondered how our "miniature adults" will view the culture they grew up in. I'm constantly trying to inform my kids about the time I grew up in where there was an actual culture.

[VicMan]

If we can't manage to sustain an FAO Schwartz in the Galleria with its ample free parking and its destination as a shopping mecca,

Did the FAO Schwartz Galleria close due to specific issues with having toy stores in the City of Houston? Or was it a larger problem with the chain?

Here is a list of the remaining Toys R Us locations in Houston:

* Toys "R" Us/Kids "R" Us #7019 - 1449 Bay Area Boulevard

* Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us #7031 - 6145 Westheimer Road

* Toys "R" Us/Kids "R" Us #7036 - 1212 Old Spanish Trail

Remaining stores in the Houston area:

* Baytown: Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us #7013 - 4815 I-10

* Humble: Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us #7012 - 20450 Highway 59 North

* Katy: Toys "R" Us/Kids "R" Us #7050 - 25024 Katy Mills Drive

* northwest Harris County: Toys "R" Us/Kids "R" Us #7009 - 1723 West FM 1960

* Pasadena: Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us #7002 - 5651 Fairmont Parkway

* Sugar Land: Toys "R" Us/Kids "R" Us #7046 - 16618 Southwest Freeway

* The Woodlands: Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us #7039 - 1420 Lake Woodland Drive

I remember driving down I-45 to Bush Airport. I used to see two Toys R Us locations, with one by the northside Fiesta and one in Aldine/Greenspoint. First the northside one closed and then became a Star Furniture location. The Aldine one went later.

Edited August 7, 2009 by VicMan

[jfre81]

I never see many cars in the lot at the Toys R Us on OST.

[gto250us]

The simple answer to your question is NO.

Did the FAO Schwartz Galleria close due to specific issues with having toy stores in the City of Houston? Or was it a larger problem with the chain?

Here is a list of the remaining Toys R Us locations in Houston:

* Toys "R" Us/Kids "R" Us #7019 - 1449 Bay Area Boulevard

* Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us #7031 - 6145 Westheimer Road

* Toys "R" Us/Kids "R" Us #7036 - 1212 Old Spanish Trail

Remaining stores in the Houston area:

* Baytown: Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us #7013 - 4815 I-10

* Humble: Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us #7012 - 20450 Highway 59 North

* Katy: Toys "R" Us/Kids "R" Us #7050 - 25024 Katy Mills Drive

* northwest Harris County: Toys "R" Us/Kids "R" Us #7009 - 1723 West FM 1960

* Pasadena: Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us #7002 - 5651 Fairmont Parkway

* Sugar Land: Toys "R" Us/Kids "R" Us #7046 - 16618 Southwest Freeway

* The Woodlands: Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us #7039 - 1420 Lake Woodland Drive

I remember driving down I-45 to Bush Airport. I used to see two Toys R Us locations, with one by the northside Fiesta and one in Aldine/Greenspoint. First the northside one closed and then became a Star Furniture location. The Aldine one went later.

The simple answer to these stores closing is WALMART

[VicMan]

Also the north Houston areas started to become more low income as the 1990s progressed. The three remaining locations in Houston and the remaining suburban locations are in fairly well off parts of the greater Houston area.

The simple answer to these stores closing is WALMART

[UrbaNerd]

Does anyone else here remember all of those Science toy store chains we used to have all over the place? Ya know, The Nature Store, The Nature Conservancy, The Discovery Channel Store, the PBS Store, etc. I don't think any of those places even exist anymore, with the majority of them closing before 2000. When I was a child, I'd spend most of my allowance money there on science related trinkets, such as bug kits, rocks, microscopes, telescopes, etc. I don't think these "little people" ever had the chance or desire to experience anything like that, save for the rare trip to the overpriced HMNS gift shop, or something similar.

[lockmat]

For the most part, toy stores are dead in America. Sure, you can find a few small ones scattered here and there, but they're throwbacks. Wal-Mart killed toy stores in the United States. Even the once mighty Toys R Us went bankrupt and closed most of its stores. FAO Schwartz is planning to expand, but only into protected spaces within Macy's stores.

There was a good piece a couple of Christmasses ago on one of the networks about this. Kids these days don't know what a "toy store" is. They've grown up getting toys at the big box stores. Anything else is Dickensian to them.

The only toy store I grew up knowing was Toys R Us, and we never shopped there because it was too expensive. Kids may not know toy stores, but they know about toy sections.

[lockmat]

Did the FAO Schwartz Galleria close due to specific issues with having toy stores in the City of Houston? Or was it a larger problem with the chain?

Maybe FAO Scwartz closed because it sounds like some investment company? Okay, so probaly not, but I never heard of it until now.

[TheNiche]

We as a society have managed to screw kids up to where they think they are miniature adults... IPod this, Twitter that, toy cell phones and computer games. They don't even want to get dirty. As sad as it sounds, a major toy store would fail in downtown b/c we as a society are raising kids to not even want REAL toys. They're just supposed to do like adults and play on the internet all day.

I figured it was the other way around, personally, that we've raised young adults who think of themselves as overgrown kids who have the luxury of frittering away their lives with iPods, Twitter, text messaging, computer games, internet bloat, etc., and who shy away from gritty, sweaty jobs because they've been raised as pussified germophobes.

[IronTiger]

FAO Schwarz did close down a WHOLE bunch of stores after it went bankrupt. Toys R Us is doing OK, KB Toys is gone. Shame.

[TJones]

Nope.

[musicman]

Maybe FAO Scwartz closed because it sounds like some investment company? Okay, so probaly not, but I never heard of it until now.

you need to come to the next happy hr. speaking of that? i'm ready cause i'm a native houstonian. all i do is drink, harrass people from outside the loop, and something else i don't remember.

EDIT: i remember now. i voted for carol alvarado at one point.

Edited August 10, 2009 by musicman

[TheNiche]

you need to come to the next happy hr. speaking of that? i'm ready cause i'm a native houstonian. all i do is drink, harrass people from outside the loop, and something else i don't remember.

EDIT: i remember now. i voted for carol alvarado at one point.

Speaking of that...

EDIT: Never mind, I see you've already bumped an old happy hour thread.

Edited August 10, 2009 by TheNiche