Kidrobot

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KidRobotÂ’s flagship is a true lab of creativity. Part art gallery, part designer toy shop, and part streetwear mecca, the Soho shop is as much for adult collectors, as it is for teen skater rats. Inspired by pop art from Hong Kong and Japan, owner Paul Budnitz enlisted the talents of graffiti artists as well as other designers when he founded his quirky multipurpose store in 2002. Since then, the small, colorfully painted interior has been featuring two walls worth of limited-edition toys that draw hard-core collectors eager for the latest Dunny (which resembles a rabbit) or Munny (a do-it-yourself baby doll that can be customized with add-ons, markers, or paint). Yet the shop is far from some edgy answer to American Girl. Another wall devoted to KidRobotÂ’s line of silk-screened T-shirts, hoodies, and sneakers knows itÂ’s not enough to own it. Sometimes, you have to look the part, too. — Jonathan Ages

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Best of New York Awards

• Best Modern Toys (2004)

Featured In

• Toy Story (3/31/05)