In the running competition for Best Aunt, I am going for gold. One key to achieving that goal (as shameless as it may be) is getting excellent gifts for my nephews. Not the flashiest little outfits or the newest, most expensive toys, but things that are truly unique and special—a vintage coloring book, maybe, or a one-of-a-kind shirt. Lucky for me and other New Yorkers, the last few months have seen a wave of exciting new children’s stores open in the city.
These new offerings bring a fresh burst of energy to the independent children’s store landscape, joining established standbys like Mary Arnold Toys, Books of Wonder, and Kidding Around, and relative newcomers like Misha and Puff. Even better, they also serve as community spaces, with story times and other events to bring everyone together.
Below, meet the newest brick-and-mortar children’s stores that are delighting the city’s kids and adults alike.
Store Called Store
141 India St, #4, Brooklyn, NY 11222
A candy-colored dream in Greenpoint, Store Called Store opened in October 2025 and was conceived by artist Kelly Adelia as a “living installation” full of vintage toys, quilts, lamps, collectibles, and unusual objects.
“It’s an ode to the five-and-dimes I grew up wandering in Kentucky and to the artist-run stores I’ve loved as an adult,” Adelia tells Vogue. Think: miniatures, toys from the 1930s to the 1990s, vintage coloring books and craft kits, and contemporary and folk art. Go here with the little collector in your life.
Words on Warren
52 Warren Street, New York, NY 10007
With its lanterns, balloons, typewriter, paper chains, and pint-sized reading nooks, Tribeca’s Words on Warren is a young reader’s haven. Owner Jean Maeng opened the shop in October 2025, realizing a longtime dream of hers, and creating a space with the motto of being “purveyors of books and childhood memories.”
Maeng tells Vogue that nothing replaces in-person book recommendations, especially for kids—and that it’s one of her favorite parts of running the shop. “When a child asks for a ‘mermaid picture book with a mermaid that’s a bit angry,’ an experienced bookseller knows exactly what to suggest,” she says.
Darling Shop
149 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Opened in November 2025 by Rachel Jones Bellas and Michelle Friend Sternlicht—two Brooklyn Heights mothers who have worked in fashion, costume design, and retail—Darling Shop is a place offering one-of-a-kind pieces for the most stylish kid you know. The shop features vintage and designer pieces from Europe as well as small brands in the U.S., with an emphasis on long-lasting items.
“We think clothing should be cared for, mended, and repaired so it can be passed amongst multiple children. We aim to find special pieces that help create the visual memories of childhood,” Bellas and Sternlicht tell Vogue. The shop also plans to host mending workshops, closet sales, baby showers, storybook readings, local mom meet-ups, and more.
Spiral Books
147 Sullivan St, New York, NY 10012
Opened by former middle school English teacher Mallory Neidich in November 2025, Spiral Books is a paradise of picture books in SoHo. “There are few things more beautiful to me than a well-crafted picture book,” Neidich tells Vogue.
To truly celebrate the art of picture books, she set out to create a shop with a small, thoughtfully curated collection of books, “ones with pictures and words that have the power to delight and enchant the children and the grown-ups who read to them.”
