I'm not gonna' lie...I was really sad when Toys 'R Us closed. I also know a lot of other parents…read morewho were sad right along with me. But, I get it...the prices were high and online shopping destroyed toy shopping in general. Now that my kids are older, I haven't thought much about toys, until tonight when I happened to be in Party City and decided to check out their brilliant new addition--Toy City! Walking past the Lego sets, I fully admit to getting choked up, wanting to take one home, but I moved on (because my kids are at that age where they would rather go get their teeth cleaned than spend time with me). Oh, I forgot to mention, Lego sets over $50 are 20% off. The good news, is if my kids decide they like me again, Toy City is here to stay at this location. Some other locations are short-term pop ups. The selection overall is nicely curated, and there's a little something for everyone, including older kiddos. You'll find a giant slime selection, bath toys for toddlers, lots of girly crafting kits like making bangles and quilting, Alex brand toys, sparkly plush pillows, and...OMG a Baby Alive! I had a Baby Alive when I was a toddler. For those parents who might not be digging the smaller selection of toys at Target and miss Toys 'R Us, you can thank me for this review. Your birthday party shopping just got a little bit easier. And, you can pick up wrapping paper while you're at it!

Beanstalk is the kind of toy store I wish is around when I was a kid. They carry a variety of toys…read moreand educational activity games. The store is clean and organized and I must mention the friendly staff on duty this past Saturday morning who offered to put a ribbon on a stuffed animal I purchased. There are plenty of street parking in front and around the store. It's a unique treasure for kids of all ages. Instead purchasing toys from of big box stores or Amazon, give Beanstalk a try!

This is an adorable toy store for the under 10 set. I am not in company with many youngsters…read moretheseadays, but I imagine this store is the kind of place they'd love. There's a train track that runs above the store with a train toddling along. I saw moms sitting on the floor while their kids explored. I was looking for newborn stuff, the store is more geared to toddlers and up, although lots of baby gear here too. I didn't stay long as I was looking for infant stuff but I imagine I'll be back when said newborn gets a little older.

To begin with, I'm not a Lego person. I can appreciate it, but it's not my thing. My husband,…read morehowever, is. We don't have kids, but in the de Taylor household, I have to watch where I step, because there may be a Lego underfoot. Accordingly, my husband asked if we could stop by Brick Loot on the way home from Beyond the Cheddar Curtain, and I'm a team player. It's a pretty adorable store. The owner's dad** said that he has three main things that the store does. First, there's a monthly loot box for subscribers. Secondly, they sell lighting kits for legos. Finally, they sell legos themselves. It's not a huge shop, so it's not an alternative for going to the lego store. However, they have a lot of clever kits that I think the owner or the owner's dad put together, as well as the light kits and various spare parts. It's definitely a neat place to go for a lego enthusiast. The only thing I'd suggest is getting a "partner's chair" for when a partner comes along for the ride. However, I imagine that would also inspire inattentive parents to sit down and let their kids run wild, so perhaps that's not a good idea after all! ** The owner's dad was very clear that his 12 year old son was the owner and brain behind the operation, which I find pretty adorable too.

Their light kits are made in China, very poor quality. The one I received had multiple issues,…read moreincluding one which made the install not possible. Customer "support" tried to blame me for it, refusing to send a replacement or refund. Will be contacting my bank to dispute this charge.

Wow is all I can say about this place. My husband and I had been to almost 5 different stores…read moretrying to look at strollers and either no one would help us or whoever did was too junior to know anything about them. Then we walked into Galt this past weekend. The woman who helped us was unimaginably helpful. She didn't sugarcoat anything and helped us pick a stroller that was right for our lifestyle. I just kept saying over and over, that visit put me so at easy (which is hard to feel during pregnancy). 12/10 recommend!

On the hunt for a stroller and car seat, which is an annoying task when preparing for a baby. But…read moreGalt & Buy Buy Baby are the two stores that I've heard of that carry a variety of strollers to compare, so off I went. This store isn't that large, though I don't know how it compares to other locations. They did have several strollers, all of the more expensive variety: Bugaboo, Uppababy, Cybex, etc.; you won't find a Graco or Chicco stroller here. I did appreciate that the woman showed me how to reverse the stroller, switch out the seat for the bassinet, and a variety of other features of the stroller. As I walked around she also told me about a couple of the gliders I was testing out, and showed me how simply one of the strollers worked with the carseat adapter. The employees here don't work on commission and that was good to hear, and were friendly enough making sure that I knew they were around if I needed help and then explaining things to me. She told me that if you purchase from them, they'll have someone put together the stroller, set up the car seat, crib and so on depending upon what you purchase. The cribs they had seemed to be of good quality and I'd like to take a closer look at them on another visit to some Galt location, since I know I'll probably make one.

I really enjoyed visiting Barnes & Noble. It's such a clean, cozy, and welcoming place with a…read morerelaxing atmosphere. There's a great variety of books for all ages, and I was especially impressed by the selection of children's books. The kids' section is really nice and inviting, with a cute little corner featuring a train that makes the space more fun for children. It's a great place to let kids explore, look through books, and discover something new while parents can take their time browsing. Overall, it's a lovely bookstore to visit, especially with kids. The atmosphere is peaceful, the store is well organized, and there's something for everyone. Definitely a nice place to spend some time!

This location format is similar to the Old Orchard's, almost labyrinthine. But I like that the…read morecounter is situated by the entrance and not hard to find. The bargain shelves ar to be found on the northeast corner of the store. I was on the hunt for the Illustrated Odyssey B&N edition. I'm glad to find it here still in sale.

Offering exclusive drops of the newest viral squishys, this place has it all! With friendly…read moreservice and a wide variety of options, Parkway is our favorite toy shop on the Northshore.

I was very disappointed with my experience at this store this evening.. Unfortunately, the owner's…read moremanner was rude and unprofessional, and I did not feel that I was treated with the level of courtesy and respect I would expect as a customer. Our bday shopping experience was unpleasant. Also heard her complaining about another customers who was coming in to exchange a present, as if why are they exchanging them. As an owner you should be greeting people and making every customer welcome, regardless if they are buying or exchanging. Also a smile goes a long way, but the owner would like to roll eyes instead and make you feel like she is doing you a favor. this business lost us as customers.

This store was cute. I was greeted by multiple staff members when I entered. But I'm surprised how…read moredifficult it is in 2023 to find gender-neutral clothing. This shop didn't really seem to have much that was gender neutral, at least not for newborns. Even if I knew the sex of my baby I don't believe that there are specific colors for gender so I am not interested in having a closet full of just blue or pink things or otherwise gendered things. A couple of the staff greeted me but that was it. I wandered around and didn't really find much that piqued my interest. Parking is all on the street, and this is maybe just on the outskirts of the more active downtown area of Highland Park, so I imagine it can be difficult to park here (I think I had to circle the block once to find a spot that opened up). It's only a few blocks from Highland Park's Metra stop so that could be convenient if you need to make your way here.

It's been a while since I had to purchase a baby gift so I don't really know what's in anymore but…read moreI knew I could find an appropriate gift for a newborn here. They are very friendly and I found really adorable items for both genders for sizes tiny to toddlers. There were personalized blankets, hats, etc but I wasn't sure of the spelling so I went for an adorable onesie with tacos and guacs and a teeny tiny rainbow tutu which will be great for photos (imho). It is a little pricey but this is high quality and OOAK merch that will be appreciated. Also wrapped for me, a plus!

Oh, this place is fun. You can find any Hello Kitty item you want here, with the possible exception…read moreof a volkswagen beetle! My girlfriend loves Too Cool, and I think I better take her back there soon before she has a Hello Kitty withdrawal symptoms!

they have comics four a dollar and they have a grate solection of comics. i would give this storr…read moreaa967578575785675785785685675786578543574783247823457324526343278500000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 if i could

Great experience in the shop today! Picked up some new stuff and old stuff and the shop owner was…read moreterrific. The store had kids, grandparents and adults, they were selling tons of comics and Pokémon cards too. Owner was massively friendly to everyone in the store and I'll be coming back for sure.

We made an appointment for our little man's first haircut and we're a bit late but they still…read moregreeted us with a smile and happily accommodated. We were shown over to the car for little man's, and got his little cape on before she asked us what we were hoping to do for his hair. Our little man came out with a ton of hair and we weren't sure what to do so she presented us a few options and we met somewhere in the middle. She was kind, and gentle with our little and he was laughing and had a blast the whole time. Afterwards he received a little prize and gift certificate with a picture and a lock of his first haircut. Such a fun first experience.

I was running about 10 mins late the day of the appointment because of traffic, I usually travel…read morefrom afar to come here because my kids like the experience. I call and ask if it's ok if I am 10 mins late and the lady up front is always rude and without hesitation says we don't "accommodate" that. I'm like cmon lady even the doctors office gives you 15 mins before rescheduling. How long does it take for a kids haircut anyways? Oh well I had to call somewhere else and they took me in right away. Anyways the people there are always nice but the lady up front I always have bad experience with, I am not sure if it's only me. Oh well