The American Girl Place in New York is a Mecca of female adolescent wonder and commerce. Each day, thousands of starry eyed young ladies pass through the heavy revolving doors on 49th St and 5th Avenue and enter a world that many of them have only dreamed existed. Three floors stocked full of American Girl dolls! If you have a daughter or little girl in your life, American Girl has taken the steps to manufacture a doll that is an 18-inch look-a-like, with their “Just Like Me” series. For younger kids, such as our daughter, American Girl offers a line of Bitty Babies. They are the baby version of the American Girl and are a trimmed down, less expensive way to indoctrinate the very young into the AG culture and experience. No matter the doll, Bitty or otherwise, there are outfits to be purchased – matching sets of purples, reds, and yellows for your child and their little friend.
We were in midtown Manhattan primarily for lunch and the Bitty Bear Matinee show, a 45-minute tale feature the title character and two of her pals, however we indulged in a bit of shopping beforehand. I have to admit that even though we prefer, in most cases, that our daughter get creative and use her old baby onesies and dresses when playing with her dolls, it is very difficult to leave The American Girl store empty handed. Their merchandise, while pricey, really is adorable and has proven to hold up rather well. You are paying for the experience as much as the merchandise. Well, at least that is how this writer justified it!
The store is laid out in a very neat and organized fashion. There are sections for the Historical American Girl Characters, the “Just Like You” line of dolls, Coconut and Licorice (the pets), a bookstore, the Bitty Baby section, the restaurant and the theater. Also housed in this midtown Manhattan store is the American Girl hospital and hair salon (for the dolls, not your kids!) There are clothes all over the store, for the dolls and the kids, and like I stated before – it is darn near impossible to leave without carrying a crimson red bag in your hand!
While American Girl Place is not an everyday destination for anyone but the super spoiled and insanely rich, it is a special place that almost any young girl would find most enjoyable! If you are coming to New York City with your family, which I would suggest with or without a stop at AG Place, be sure to swing by and check out this little slice of heaven for your little ladies. It is a commercial enterprise, there is no getting around it, but in comparison to some of the other products marketing towards young girls these days – American Girl dolls and their backstories seems rather wholesome, even inspirational.
A couple tips:
If planning a visit to the store on a weekend, arrive as early as you can (try to get there as they open). The line outside gets very long and eager young women can be seen queuing along 49th Street, even wrapping around to 5th Ave!
If planning to incorporate lunch or the theater into your visit, book early. The shows and dining reservations fill up very fast (sometimes months in advance.)
For those in the Midwest or West, there are also locations in Chicago and Los Angeles!
Check back in February for a review of the American Girl Place restaurant and the Bitty Bear Matinee Show!
Additional Resources and Articles
The Official website of American Girl Place
A mother and daughter vacation to American Girl Place in Chicago
Extending the life of baby clothes
American Girl and the commercialization of childhood