New LEGO Store NYC...

LegoDad42

Replacing the former flagship store at Rockefeller Center is the ALL NEW Lego Store just around the corner on 5th Avenue and 51st.
Bigger space, more interactive play with designing and printing your own minifigs, large scale sculptures, etc., etc.
BUT, what used to be the world's BIGGEST PaB Wall is now reduced to a small pittance.
A shame since you can see they clearly had the space to make a huge PaB Wall to accommodate common and/or a rare variety of parts.
Also a big shame, they WON'T let you pick your bricks. They will put them in the cups for you and they DON'T fill it up properly. Akin to a deli clerk chinsing out on the meat.

Now other than that, great new large brick built sculptures and a bigger space for more merchandise.

Really liked how some of the displays open up like a drawer so you can access the merchandise.

PaB Wall a big disappointment but the rest a grand store to visit.

madforLEGO

Neat creations for their store, but I do not need the bells and whistles, just a PaB wall and a BaM bar. Not sure about that new store, but curious by what you mean as PaB being a 'pittance' (as you did not grab a photo of the wall). As for picking parts, PaB walls are going to be subject to Covid rules until they are not. Typically they go by local ordinances, but I know that my local LEGO store allows you to go pick parts, but you have to use scoops and follow their hygiene rules, or they have to shut down the wall for 3 days.

LegoDad42

@madforLEGO The wall was two small areas. Compared to the original Rockefeller PaB wall we're talking about about 1/8 it's size, amount of bricks available.
They didn't let me use the scoop so I can get the most for my buck.
I kept telling the guy to fill it. They clearly weren't trying too. Another customer said the same, another parent said the same with their kid. We were like, c'mon you have tons of empty space there. That's cheating the customer.

LegoDad42

@madforLEGO Oh, also the Covid protocols didn't make sense. They wouldn't let us get our own bricks off the PaB Wall BUT, a packed house of parents(shoulder to shoulder) and kids were rummaging through the Minifig Bar, no scoop, bare hands, etc.
So why couldn't I or the other patrons get our own bricks but it was ok to go through the minifig pieces. Also masks were optional at the store too.

madforLEGO

Gotcha, yeah if BaM is hands on, Im not sure why PaB would not be. But that is also why they have the surveys on the receipt, just be honest and fill them out as I have heard that LEGO does take those surveys seriously.

Astrobricks

Wow, looks great, especially that tree! Major licensing action going on with all the Marvel stuff. I was in the previous store once. It was so cramped. Looks like a lot more room to move now, but I suppose returning throngs of tourists may fill it up.

LegoDad42

@Astrobricks Definitely easier to move around and the upstairs with more merchandise and the print your own fig, BaM bars, etc. was packed yesterday.

MugenPower

I was there last Saturday and it was paaaaaaaacked.  It'll probably be even worse once travel returns to some semblance of normalcy but I doubt it'll be nearly as bad as the old location.  Luckily, everyone was pretty good about wearing masks inside the store.

I was tempted to do the custom minifig but really wish they let you preview what pieces and designs are available before committing.

The_Stud

Looks like an epic store! I’m still salty about it though since I had no idea the Rockefeller Center Store was closed when I visited New York in early June and didn’t find out til I walked over to that address. Lo and behold, this new store opens up two weeks later when I’m already home from New York. My inability to Google ahead of time has curses me once again!

I love all the references to Lego’s different themes here including City, Marvel, DC, Friends (the TV series) and The Lego Movies.