This is a five-star toy store all the way! It's great to have a destination worthy shop in the…read moreneighborhood, and especially vital after the big hole from the Dime Store closing a few years back. The kids will be lured in by the displays in the windows 10 out of 10 times, so parents, I suggest an alternate route unless you want to pick up another unicorn stuffy or a whoopee cushion. There is such a nice array of classic toys, new ones, board games, science-centric toys, books, and more. This is a go-to when we're heading to another kid's birthday party and you can always find something pretty fairly priced. They also (if I'm remembering correctly) will offer to wrap things too, so it's absolutely worth coming here vs ordering something online. Great spot, please stay open for decades to come!

Brookside Toy & Science is something of a KC icon and for good reason as it's one of very few…read morelocally owned toy stores, and they do a great job of capturing childhood magic within their compact space. If you have little kids you'll know that there just aren't as many dedicated toy stores as there were back in the 90s. I remember when I was growing up aside from places like Brookside Toy and Science, there was also Toys R Us, a few other local spots, and the really cool FAO Schwartz on the plaza. As a kid the most magical places to me were always the FAO Schwartz and the local spots like the learning tree and zoom. Nowadays I feel like we often end up either online shopping on Amazon or going to Target to find a birthday present for kid's parties. This spring I decided we were going to break that cycle and start supporting small, local businesses instead. Brookside Toy & Science was the first on my list. We visited here on my daughter's birthday and I told her she had a certain amount she could spend. In retrospect that may have been too much leeway for five year old, but she had a ball exploring, trying out some of the toys on display, and eventually landed on a robot lizard. What I like about this toy store in particular is that they really do blend toys and science. There are taxidermied animals, skulls, and other oddities on display and for sale closer to the back. This gives the store a bit of unique flair that makes it stand out. I also like that the shelves are mostly at kid height so they can explore independently, and I love that they have a huge space dedicated to kid friendly board games, which I took a mental note of for the holidays. My only disappointment was the lack of playmobil toys as my daughter has recently gotten into them and they were listed as an official retailer online. I did see a few, but it was just not very robust. I'm guessing that they aren't super popular and that's why - which I understand! Just sort of a bummer for me. Overall though this is for sure a five star spot and if you're on the hunt for a toy store this should check your boxes.

Yeah, I give it five stars. Big whoop. Wanna fight about it?…read more Back in the day there were multiple bookstore chains (I even used to be employed by one of the biggies) and the books game was somewhat cutthroat. Nowadays, less & less people want a tangible BOOK, because digital. Sorry, techno kiddies, but you simply will never be able to replace the feel of a book, turning pages of a thriller, or flipping to the back of a choose-your-own-adventure with some gizmo. And B&N has stayed the course, while incorporating digital options for those that like screens, but they stay locked on their core business: being a bookstore. The Plaza location is flagship-y, what with a multi-floor layout and escalators seemingly running in MC Escher directions. The cafe is on L2, kids' stuff is at the top, non-fiction & fiction are clearly marked but separated by floors, and on and on. Find something that you want to peruse? Grab one of the many chairs and read to your heart's (or schedule's) content. The bottom level, below the street walk-in, has all the music you could want, with a solid vinyl selection. If vinyl's comeback doesn't signal how hard it is to kill a media format, then I don't know what to tell you. Books may not have that kind of resurrection, but B&N isn't letting go of the rope just yet. There are value buys everywhere, from large coffee table books to older titles (in the biz they call these 'remainders'), boutique-y items with themes, and one of the best LEGO selections outside of a specialty store. If you need help, then there are friendly folk here and there, or you can use a self-service kiosk to help you find something. Foot traffic from the Plaza drives this store and you are pretty much guaranteed to walk out with something you like. And you'll be glad you did.

Alright Barnes & Noble still has their fastball…read more My girls were going a bit stir crazy his was a wonderful way to spend an hour or so on a frigid Sunday. Easy parking in the garage next door, and tons of stuff to do here. We needed to get a Lego set, and there's a really decent selection. In the age of online shopping, it's a nice change up to actually go in a store and look around. There was one book that looked good and I happened to notice it was half price on Amazon vs in store, which is how it goes, but worth noting. There's also a Starbucks cafe, and then a kids section up top that's a lot of fun. My girls each got to pick out a book and they ended up spending a lot of time looking around and having fun. Honestly, really great all around. Fun way to spend an hour or two and so many great things that the kids enjoyed.

I can't believe I never knew this place existed!!! It's located in westport and has a green door so…read moreit's easy to spot. As soon as you walk in, it transports you to a vintage renaissance vibe. It's extremely comforting. It kinda feels like you're shopping in someone's grandmas home. There is a wide variety of cooking utensils, machines, gifts, snacks, beauty, and miscellaneous items. If i had more time i could've been there for an hour or two. Also downstairs there is a lady and her father who makes pies!! They are delicious, especially the lemon one!

While driving through Westport, we came across a cool distinguished building and decided to…read moreinvestigate. Upon entering, we discovered a vast array of kitchen, gadgets, cookware, and bakeware. The store is a treasure for kitchen enthusiasts , offering everything one might need. If you're in the area, I highly recommend stopping by to explore their extensive selection, and I love the creaky floors. there is also a big shop downstairs. The staff was very friendly and asked if we needed help. I looked at a few things. Prices are a little expensive but affordable. Hours are Monday through Saturday 10 to 5 Ashleigh's Bake shop hours are: Thursday 10 to 4 Friday and Saturday 10 to 5

I love this place. Everything is so nice. I was traveling out of town and found a beautiful…read morewedding gift and card. I will always stop here!

ella was great! so knowledgeable and helpful she was able to find the exact notebook that checked…read moreall my boxes! would recommend :)

Didn't know this place existed!…read more Stopped in on a lark and bought three LPs right off the bat. This place is a dream. It's look and feel harken back to the old days of being able to wander into a record store shop around and flip through several hundred LPs check- out the latest stuff in from both the new and the latest used music. Then you can wander over to the other part of the store and look at the classic toys you grew up with and reminics about how much your Heman collection would be worth. Then snag a Voltron figure for your office shelves! I guess this shows how nerdy I actually am... but I know I will see many of you at this store!

Great guys, great selection, very knowledgable of the music. Old school record store!read more

If you're needing a gift for a baby shower or if you're just shopping for your own little one pop…read moreon into Lil Dudes! Such a cute kids store with unique pieces! Oh, and they have Nee-Dohs!

From the owner: We're a family-owned children's boutique offering a curated collection of trendy clothing, toys,…read moregifts, and accessories. We love bringing modern, fun styles and unique finds to families looking for something a little different. Shop small, support local, and discover pieces you'll love.

I live within a walking distance of the store which is great when I need last minute gifts. Their…read morehome decor stuff is so cute!! It is a little bit on the pricer side but the quality of everything is so good. I love everything I get there and its totally worth it. Ive gotten some great gifts there as well for friends, family and even little kids. The women that work there are helpful when you need them. They also do a great job gift wrapping. This store is small but mighty in what they carry.

This city has more serious knick knack stores than anywhere I've ever visited! Maybe it's a…read moremidwest thing, decorating your house with memorabilia that makes sense to the inner collector of little figurines and decor. I'm not sure. Hiles Two is yet another gift shop that appeals to this bracket of consumer, those who long for Christmas year round so they can buy and show off their holiday "spirit" to anyone who might drop by. Hiles specializes in hand blown ornaments, mainly by Christopher Radko, and show off beautifully decorated christmas trees. They also have a baby section, with toys, clothes, accessories and more. Very distinct clothing sections for boys and girls, in fact, in everything they sold baby-wise. A bit pricey for the merchandise, but it was overly cutesy--so some might call them unique. The staff was available, but not ready to go out of their way to help you.

Returned a wireless Xbox controller, used, two days later when it wasn't working correctly (out of…read morethe package) and they refunded all but the 5 dollar "insurance". With prices as high as theirs is for used equipment, I'll save the gas money, and just buy new. So much for trying to recycle and reduce waste. Staff is cold, and not paid enough to give fucks. Maybe take all that money you're making off of bunk used equipment, and pay your staff a few bucks more.. or your repair techs.

Odds are if you're looking at going to Game Stop, you already know what you expect out o the…read moreexperience. I am here to tell you that this location delivers. Want video games? They have them. They have a good stock and have never been out of anything when I've been in. (Granted, I am SO not one of those "wait outside the door the night before a big name game is released" type of guys.) Want to sell video games? They'll take them. Sure you don't get much FOR them, but that's typical. The staff is nerdy, but not aggressively so. In fact, non-aggressive is a good way to explain them altogether. They mention and inform me of all the special deals, but they don't harass me about them like other stores have. They don't try and get me to pre-order every single thing that's coming out. They keep me in the loop as to what is coming up but there are no hard sells. I appreciate that. Additionally, they are always handy with their opinions of which games are worth it and which aren't. So what's negative? Parking. I usually NEVER ding a review on parking, as I hate how car dependent we are here in KC. But it's just bad news here. Right off Westport Rd and Southwest Trafficway and sharing a strip with two incredibly popular restaurants, you can forget about street parking anywhere nearby and the tiny lot is always full. I generally park at Blockbuster across the street. Hopefully they never notice and tow me away. But regardless, the parking woes are not enough to dissuade me from choosing this Game Stop when I want to get my nerd on.

So, I'm not quite sure what a "lifestyle store" is, but I think George supports the type of…read morelifestyle I'd like to live. This fantastic boutique doesn't have a ton of merchandise, but I want all of it. Well, not the ladies clothes, as I'm not a crossdresser. But if I were, I'd be a classy one and probably buy my clothes at George, too. Seriously, this store is nice! I'm impressed in particular by three areas: the pet stuff, their books and their dishes. Their little pet corner is small, but adorable. They had really great chew-toys, leashes, collars and dog bowls. The dog bowls would look fantastic in a modern home, and we plan on getting one of the collars for our pooch once her current one starts looking natty. Their collection of books is incredibly well curated. Lots of great cookbooks, cocktail guides and coffee table books. Also, they have a couple of kids books that certain parents would be way into, if you want your kids learning about CoCo Chanel and the like. Their dishes are all VERY nice (and quite expensive) and if I hung out with a higher tax bracket, I'd be hoping for wedding gifts from here. The store is just really pretty, as well. I was equally impressed with their fixtures and general ambiance as I was their merchandise. I'll be back for sure, as soon as I have some extra funds to spend on making my house look extra fancy.

If people were as passionate about shopping local retailers as much as they are eating at local…read morerestaurants, this store should be filled wall to wall with consumers. George is on the same level as Manifesto is to drinking and bluestem is to eating.....locally owned with great attention to detail. George is a beautiful, open and fresh boutique and design store. Everything in the store is well thought out and placed with purpose. It's a great destination for a gift, a thoughtful addition to home decor or even just a business to visit for inspiration. Stop by and treat yourself to some visual stimulation and support this locally owned boutique store in the beautiful Crestwood Shops.