Located at Guadalupe and 29th St. for more than a decade, Toy Joy is relocating to downtown Austin this summer
After the last week of May 2013, you won’t be able to find Toy Joy on Guadalupe anymore.
Rumors have been circling for the past few months, but the iconic local toy store just officially announced a move to downtown Austin.
Toy Joy has called 2900 Guadalupe St. its home for over a decade, just north of The University of Texas campus.
The reason for the move? Ownership shares in an official press release, “to better serve our customers, it is time to move on.”
You’ll be able to find the new location at 403 2nd Street, a block west of Austin City Hall. Fans of “the weirdest independently owned toy store in Austin” can celebrate its grand opening on June 1, 2013.
“In addition to making Toy Joy more accessible to more Austinites, this location also provides more parking for customers. Toy Joy customers will be able to park for 2 hours at three convenient parking garages. We’re very excited about this opportunity to play a part in the revitalization and development of Austin’s downtown!”
To stay up to date as Toy Joy makes the location shift, follow this exciting bunch on Facebook, Twitter and their website.
@QuasiBrit asks:
How do you feel about the upcoming Toy Joy move?
They gotta stay weird. It will be hard in their new high-rent district, but they just gotta!
Rent is actually cheaper on Second Street than the Drag. Go figure.
DOES THIS MEAN VEGAN ICE-CREAM IS COMING BACK????
Cafe is not reopening. Want to buy the equipment and open one yourself?
NOOOOO
Fuuuuuucccckkkk Thissssssss. More accessible? Who are you kidding toyjoy,yourselves or us?
nah! ever since “the Drag” started to die off along with the other stores that slowly dwindled away…. it is time to relocate! Screw the hipsters!
They’re moving straight into the heart of hipster-ville dumb-ass. The 2nd St district should be called Little California.
@cf23a622fe66ab8ce9bfb4ed1fe77fae:disqus, the name calling really isn’t warranted.
Apparently you don’t know Austin because there isn’t a hipster alive that can afford to live there. Hipsters are in East Austin.
This is the beginning of the end. In a few years they’ll go out of business because no one will go to the new location.
Really? have you been downtown lately? Thousands of people work, live and visit every day.
I will! I work downtown, so it’ll be super convenient to walk over when I want to take a break.
That’s great. I’m sure your ten minute visits will be more than enough for them to pay their rent.
Moving into downtown makes me far less likely to shop there. Everything changes, right? Looks like I need to find a new favorite toy store in north central Austin.
When’s the last time you shopped there?
Hmm, I remember Gomi not faring too well down on 2nd Street. Hopefully this move works out, but I’m really bummed that The Drag keeps getting less and less awesome by the year.
Unfortunately, rent on the drag is higher than some prime spots in downtown Austin. I know a few businesses that operated at a loss on the drag (with students being gone in the summer) for a few years before throwing in the towel, moving elsewhere and being replaced by a chain. 🙁
Good writeup about what’s been happening on the Drag: http://www.statesman.com/news/business/on-the-drag-near-uts-campus-a-business-evolution-1/nRn4f/
Haven’t they been in that spot for a LOT more than a decade?
yes – they were just a bit further north in the 80’s
Downtown is a great market and will bring them many new customers, it will be hard for those left behind. Shopping in the 2nd Street District is great though, free validated parking, and mostly all indy Austin businesses. Don’t knock it till ya try it!
I love the current location and would be happier if TJ kept the current location and then expanded. But if TJ can’t afford to keep it, at least they’ll still be around. Also, there are now over 7,000 people living downtown and I see them out walking their dogs and just enjoying their urban neighborhood.