I picked a really lousy day to leave my phone at home. With multiple Yelp reviews to my credit today, there's nary (by the way, we don't use nary nearly enough) a photo to show for it.
In case you hadn't heard, a new toy store has arrived on Mass Avenue. It's a delight, though I would definitely say it targets younger children. You're not really going to find much, if anything, for the teens here.
Owner Gwen Chastain, an Indy resident, weaves together her interest in child development and her belief in play to create Goodies & Giggles. It's located in the former Art Bank, an indie art shop that I dearly miss. The location is also a former bank. As you look around, you'll see the undeniable framework of the still existent vault.
There's a double-doorway, two-sided at both entries. This is an older building and this is definitely the area where accessibility is most challenging. I had to open both doors at the front to ensure I made it in without damaging the doorway. My guess is that power wheelchairs would have the same experience - my wheelchair is a smaller manual chair.
Parking on Mass Avenue is either metered street parking (disabled spots available within a block), a garage, or the Garage Food Hall lot with an abundance of accessible parking. While there's a side lot, it's apparently for employees.
Goodies & Giggles has a wonderfully bright vibe. Its definitely been spruced up since Art Bank. There are games, stuffed animals, a variety of toys, a relatively small selection of books, and some seasonal themes. For example, they had some Easter items and you can get some Easter baskets.
The website does indicate items for all ages, however, I'd definitely say the focus skews younger here.
Once inside, accessibility was pretty decent with a good product layout and an ability to get everywhere I wanted to go. There's a room off to the side that had a couple hands-on toys - loved that as I thought it really encouraged play.
I didn't end up purchasing anything this time around, however, for those times I'm shopping for a younger child I'd easily return. The crowd was pretty steady and I was never greeted, a minor faux pas for a new and up-and-coming business. For families with small children, Goodies & Giggles is a wonderful, locally owned toy store to check out. read more