Stationery & Toy

On bustling West 72nd Street, which neighbors Tip Top Shoes, Jack Rabbit Shoes, Bloomingdale's Outlet, and Le Pain Quotidien, there's a true mom-and-pop store: Stationery & Toy Inc. You need money tip envelopes for holiday time? Someone needs carbon paper? A box of Crayons? Plastic ID holders for our precious NYPD press cards? Check, check, check and check! The shelves are stocked with an extensive selection of pens and pencils, paper products (index cards, notebooks, folders, fancy drawing pads, print paper), craft supplies, gift wrapping and balloons (perfect for birthdays!) and much more that will make you feel stupid for buying those supplies at CVS.

Plus, there are also toys: From baby toys to big kid Legos, with sand pails and shovels in the summer and sleds in the winter, the store is a magnet to the neighborhood's children.

Yes, prices are a little more expensive than you can get on Amazon.com, but I feel it's worth it to support a store where the owner, Donna Schofield, or her dad Larry Gomez can easily chat up customers while they and their super-helpful staff track down items. They are just really good people.