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NEWS
Toy store draws kids, parents to Pullman Square
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008, for Latta's Toy Station located at 943 3rd Ave. in Huntington.
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HUNTINGTON -- Families now have another pit stop they can make when they go downtown for dinner or a movie -- Latta's Toy Station on 3rd Avenue, across from Pullman Square.
The shop had its official grand opening Tuesday at 943 3rd Ave., which is between Reuschlein Jewelers and Mug & Pia. But it had a soft opening on Sunday, and it's a success with the customers so far, said store manager Jack Mullarky.
"They love it -- I think it's going to do really well," said Mullarky, son of Mike Mullarky, the owner of both Latta's Toy Station and Latta's on 4th Avenue, which sells supplies for teachers and artists. "This is a specialty store with things that you can't find at Wal-Mart. It's what Pullman Square needed."
The new shop sells a variety of safe, quality, nonviolent toys for kids -- from rockets and magic sets to doll houses and kitchen sets. There's a section for infant toys, and Latta's Toy Station also will fill a niche in the community by selling toys that help with development, both for small children and special needs children.
Those include toys that improve dexterity and have various textures, such as putty, play foam, Gerti Balls (which bounce and help with grip) and puzzles that have knobs on each piece for easier grip. Some items also are helpful for adults undergoing therapy as they recover from a stroke.
Customers can keep an eye on the store's calendar as well, for it's planning to host special activities such as story time, puppet shows, magic shows, tea parties and the like. It even has a little castle-like stage set up for puppet shows.
Emily Nelson, the event coordinator of the toy shop, said that in planning events, she tried to keep it universal for the first month, and eventually will begin to plan events that target girls or boys, such as a tea party for girls, or a construction party for boys. She wants it to be a place where the whole family can come, but it's also about the kids. "I can't wait to see their faces," she said.
It's great to see an already successful business owner expand, said Mark Bugher, president and chief executive officer of the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce. After 75 years, Latta's is still thriving on 4th Avenue, and will continue to sell educational and art supplies. And it's nice that when Mike Mullarky decided to fill another niche he chose to, once again, invest in the downtown, Bugher said.
Plus it's another great-looking addition to 3rd Avenue, he said.
"This is what the downtown ought to look like -- unique shops with wide appeal," Bugher said. "It's very quaint."
