Toys "R" Us (Finally) Opens In North Haven, Closes Hamden

Remember that story we did over a year ago about Toys "R" Us putting a store in North Haven? Remember when we breached the story early? So early, in fact, we had doubts it would ever come to fruition, which is why we almost retracted the story.

Behold!

Toys "R" Us of North Haven opened as the thirteenth store in Connecticut, but only the ninth succeeding store (see the list below, folks) to date.

The bright, vivacious location along Universal Drive opened with somewhat dim fanfare on July 3, 2009 and is the newest Toys "R" Us in the state since 1997. Not since 1997 has the company opened a store from the ground up; the relocated Waterbury store which was, at that time, a "Concept 2000" store.

Unlike other states, North Haven is the only store in Connecticut sporting the new 2008 logo (as seen above, taken from the Bay Shore, NY store).

Ever since that disastrous CEO dropped out for the new guy, he decided to take the company's greatest (highly profitable) asset, Babies "R" Us, and mesh the stores together into one superstore -- and its taken place in many markets though not entirely in our little, albeit fertile Toys "R" Us market of Connecticut.

Seeing the greater of opportunities, the company simultaneously shuttered its 13-year Dixwell Ave. Hamden location in place of the North Haven store, which is planted in the posh, new North Haven Commons, right off I-91, which also opened ripe in Spring 2009. The now dark Hamden location, apart of the well-established and "historic" Hamden Mart recently underwent its own umpteenth remodel to escape the once ghastly balloony red-tarp motif they had going on there for decades, succeeding a long-standing Stop & Shop which once flanked the center's far right end many moons ago.

Here's a bevy of shots from the now closed Hamden store, taken recently in August 2009.

Just last Summer, the company closed up another well-established, yet oddly placed Westport location, once along Boston Post Road (US-1) which has since become a Homegoods. While some have closed, many more across the country have remodeled into the ambitious new age of Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us combo stores.

And now, our known list of stores in Connecticut, now with more pictures!

History of Toys "R" Us in Connecticut

WATERBURY | OPENED : 1979(?), CLOSED : 1998
WEST HARTFORD | OPENED : 1981
EAST HAVEN | OPENED : EARLY 1980s, CLOSED : 2003
MILFORD | OPENED : 1983
WATERFORD | OPENED : 1985
DANBURY | OPENED : 1988
NORWALK | OPENED : 1992
WESTPORT | OPENED : 1992
MANCHESTER | OPENED : 1993
NEWINGTON | OPENED : 1996
HAMDEN | OPENED : 1996
WATERBURY / Brass Mill Commons | OPENED : 1997
NORTH HAVEN | OPENED : 2009

*All stores before DANBURY (1988) contained the brown roof, rainbow-striped palette, and have all been remodeled since.

A nice looking store, no doubt, but I can't shake my obsession for the past -- especially when it comes to what used to be the greatest toy store.

Oh, if anyone has any fond memories of their Toys "R" Us experience(s), leave a comment. Leave as many as you want if you have information (especially opening year) on the troubled, "sinking" former East Haven location and of course any photographs of the original Waterbury store.

PHOTO CREDIT: East Haven, CT (Unknown), Milford, CT (Milford Town Assessor Database)