FOR PUPPETS, PUZZLES, AND GRANDMA DAWN

 SO FIERCE HAS BEEN THE SUPPORT for Grandma’s Place that the 20-year-old Harlem store, which came under threat of closing in the pandemic, has become famous lately—appearing on the news, on New York Nico’s Instagram, and even on The Kelly Clarkson Show. “They’ve been a fixture on this block,” says father of two Mike Robles, who lives around the corner. The owner is 81-year-old neighborhood resident Dawn Harris-Martine, a.k.a. Grandma Dawn, who has been, Robles says, “so warm and open about creating an environment and fostering a place where kids can come in and have a good time. It really is like Grandma’s place, where you can just come in and say hi. And if you need a math book, for example, you know where to go.” Publicist and brand strategist Nakia Hicks, who has a 7-year-old son, says, “I can safely say that I have never purchased a toy for him from any toy store other than Grandma’s Place. It is essential that Black boys like my son see themselves represented in toys and books. I recently bought him a Black scientist puppet to introduce scientist to him as a viable career.” (The store covers all kinds of interests with STEM toys, puzzles, art supplies, and beyond.)