Iconic FAO Schwarz toy store to close in July
The closure of this toy store will leave both children, and their parents as well, in tears.
The famous FAO Schwarz flagship store in New York will close in July.
According to The New York Times, high rental costs have forced Toys "R" Us, the 153-year-old toy retailer's owner, to bring down the shutters on the store.
To children, it is a dream playground.
The massive three-storey store is home to a wide selection of toys, collectibles, candies and plush animals.
For adults, it's a place that evokes feelings of nostalgia.
Despite its many appearances in movies, it will be remembered most as the place where Tom Hanks' iconic piano scene from the 1988 film Big was filmed.
In the film, Tom Hanks' character, a young boy who transforms into an adult after making a wish, scores a job at the store after impressing the company's owner, played by Robert Loggia.
The two then proceeded to perform "Chopsticks" and American composer Hoagy Carmichael's Heart and Soul on the store's floor piano.
However, there's also good news for those who are not ready to part with FAO Schwarz just yet.
Apart from giving store employees new jobs at its own outlets, Toys "R" Us is also looking at re-opening the popular toy store at a new location.
In a statement published by NBC New York, Toys "R" Us said that "the store will close Wednesday, July 15 and is searching for another location in midtown to move the store".
Sources: Mail Online, The New York Times, NBC New York
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