A Legacy Ends: The Closure of West Side Kids
After 44 years of serving the community, a beloved toy store in New York City has closed its doors for the last time. West Side Kids, located in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, shut down on July 31 after struggling with declining customer traffic and financial difficulties. The store owner, Jennifer Bergman, had been trying to keep the business afloat for years, but eventually, the challenges proved too great.
Bergman took over the shop from her mother, Alice, in 2010 and spent thousands of dollars out of her own pocket to maintain operations. However, the situation worsened when the U.S. imposed steep tariffs on goods imported from China earlier this year. These tariffs led to higher prices for many toys, which impacted sales significantly.
Despite a reduction in tariffs in May, the store was unable to recover from the drop in customers or the rising costs. Bergman shared that May and June are typically busy months, but she didn’t see the usual levels of activity. In fact, June saw a 43% decline compared to the previous year, and even that wasn’t great. Over the first seven months of 2025, sales were $100,000 lower than in the same period in 2024.
West Side Kids was known as the neighborhood toy store for Manhattan’s Upper West Side. It offered a wide range of books and toys for children of all ages and even accepted online orders. However, Bergman found it increasingly difficult to obtain specific toys for the store, which contributed to the decline in business.
“There was merchandise I couldn’t get,” she said. “Baby and preschool toys that I would normally have a lot of, I didn’t have.” She also mentioned that she could no longer afford to order arts-and-crafts toys, leading to empty shelves.
The rise of British-made Jellycat toys was another challenge. Bergman struggled to get shipments of these popular stuffed animals for over a year and a half. While Jellycat products brought in $54,000 in 2023, sales dropped to just $16,000 in the following year.
Bergman attributed part of the store’s struggles to the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. “The city’s never recovered from Covid. We never recovered from Covid,” she said. To adapt, the store moved to a side street in 2023, hoping to revitalize business. But the move didn’t bring the expected results.
In July, the store experienced a surge in customers after news of its closure spread, but this increase in volume didn’t translate into better financial stability. “My volume may seem higher, but my expenses are higher,” Bergman explained. “For a store like mine, it was 5 percent here and 6 percent there. It adds up fast.”
As a last-ditch effort, Bergman tried to sell the store to interested buyers at the start of the year. However, the impact of the tariffs made it impossible to continue. Eventually, the decision was made to close the store.
Loyal customers visited the shop for their final purchases, but many found it hard to accept the closure. One customer, who has supported the store for 50 years, said, “There aren’t that many local stores anymore.” Another shopper, Annie Emanuel, recalled buying toys from Italy, Spain, and Britain when her son was a baby.
Social media users also expressed their sadness. An Instagram user wrote, “So sad to hear. Our daughter is now 19, but you were my go-to place during her birthday party phase.” Others wished Bergman well, praising the store’s selection, gift wrapping, and personal service.
The closure of West Side Kids marks the end of an era for the Upper West Side. Its legacy, however, will live on in the memories of those who cherished the store.
