Iconic Manhattan toy store FAO Schwarz — where Tom Hanks danced on the piano in the movie "Big" — closed its doors for the final time this week.
Located on Fifth Avenue behind the "glass cube" Apple Store and across the street from Central Park and The Plaza Hotel, FAO Schwarz has been a New York institution since 1862,
The New York Times reported.
"That stinks a lot because this is an awesome store,"
one young fan told NY1.
"I used to bring my nephew here, and he would watch the electric trains for hours," said another patron, named Lydia. "You’re not going to take away the Empire State Building, so why would you take away FAO Schwarz?"
Owner Toys R Us said in May that the reason for closing is that the multi-floor, 45,000-square-foot retail space has simply gotten too pricey to sustain.
Representatives for the store noted, however, that FAO Schwarz has moved locations several times in its long and storied history, and that it's possible it will someday reopen elsewhere in Manhattan.
It was previously reported that Toys R Us looked at a Midtown retail space, 1633 Broadway, close to Times Square.
NBC New York reported that in its final days the store attracted celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears, and Victoria Beckham, as well as everyday patrons.
Scott Wolfson from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for instance, remembers visiting the store as a kid, and this week brought his son to see it.
"To see it through his eyes, from his perspective, it brought a whole new meaning to me," Wolfson said.
With this week's closure, Mary Arnold Toys on the Upper East Side will become the city's longest continually operating toy store, NY1 reported.
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