The front of the Little Apple Toy Shoppe at 2484 Broadway
When I was walking my Broadway Walk, which is the 13 mile walk down Broadway from 242nd Street to the Bowling Green, I took my time and walked through many stores I found interesting. Some had colorful displays and some just had playful merchandise in the windows. Then I passed The Apple Toy Store at 2484 Broadway and saw the cheerful sign at the door and had to walk in. What a delightful, whimsical store.
The sign that greets you on Broadway
The displays inside and out of the store really showcase the merchandise and the store has that colorful, playful appeal that attracts both children and adults.
The inside of the store with interesting costumes and wooden products
What I loved about the store was there was not a plastic toy in sight but more smaller vendor wooden toys, more toys that spark imagination and creative play. In some toy stores in the City, they are just stacked with the same toys that you see in other stores. Piles of Legos, Playmobile and construction toys that while popular and interesting and fun to play with don’t offer that unique shopping experience of seeing some of the smaller toy vendors that are not available in every toy store. This is what makes Little Apple Toy Shoppe stand out.
The unique display of costumes
The store also has an array of costumes just in time for the holidays. Halloween and Christmas are just around the corner and it will soon be dress up time. Everything is so nicely displayed and not crammed in to fit every piece in the store. There is a nice selection of sizes and varieties to both boys and girls of different ages.
The dolls on display smile and wink at you almost asking you to take them home.
What was really nice was talking with the owner that afternoon as she just opened this shop. She had told me that West Side Kids, which was located on West 84th Street had closed their doors after Christmas of 2025 and there was no toy store in this part of the City. She wanted to fill that gap and create a store that would be part of the community. A place where families could gather and shop together. I think she is on the right path with the business with all the engaging toys and whimsical displays.
The selection of books, crafts, wooden toys and clothes
These are the type of toys I loved to receive when I was small. These are the type of playthings that enhance creativity and play and a child’s imagination.
The soft opening that day gave the owner a chance to meet people in the neighborhood and tell them about her business (she did not even have the sign over the door done yet. Just the sandwich board outside the front door). The store reminded me of the mythical store ‘Shop Around the Corner’ in the movie the movie, “You got Mail!”, creating an environment where families can meet and chat with both the owner and their neighbors.
I wish this establishment the best of luck because New York City needs more creative small businesses.
The scene in “Shop Around the Corner”
The spirit of small businesses all America and what happens when we don’t support them.
I took a ride to Upstate New York in July to visit museums and historical sites in Orange County, NY that had been on my bucket list but most were closed on the sunny Sunday. I made a U turn on the local highway and stopped to visit the Hill-Hold Museum in Campbell Hill, NY.
The Hill-Hold Museum at 128 NY 416 in Campbell Hill, NY
After the tour of the house was over, I decided to stop at the Orange County Fair for the evening and get something to eat.
Being a frequent visitor of the Dutchess County Fair, I expect all the fairs to be of the size and scope of that fair. This one was much smaller but still had a lot to offer.
The entrance to the Orange County Fairgrounds in Middletown, NY
When I arrived in the late afternoon, the fair was rather quiet as it was the late afternoon and most of the demonstrations and entertainment would be later that evening.
Walking through the entrance of the fairgrounds past the rides and the concessions
Still there was a sizable crowd already at the fair riding the rides, playing games of chance and eating at the somewhat over-priced concession stands.
There were a nice variety of rides and things to do while I walked around surveying the grounds to what there was to do and experience.
Looking over the rides which were filled with families
The first tent I visited was the Livestock Tent and the petting zoo. While the fair did not have the livestock displays that the other fairs did or the 4H presence, the tent had friendly selection of animals to see and feed. They looked so happy to see humans with food.
Walking through the petting zoo
Walking through the petting zoo
The sheep and llamas were waiting by the edge of the pens for treat from a human hand. I found them inquisitive of us especially as we fed them.
Watching the llamas decor an ice cream cone filled with treats
The next tent I visited was the 4H tent with all the craft and food items on display. The judging had taken place and all the ribbons were on display.
Walking through the crafts tents
The Scarecrow Contest in the Crafts Tent
We even got to vote on a scarecrow. I thought that was interesting.
Nightmare Manor, the haunted funhouse
The preview of the movie “The Funhouse”
I next walked along the Midway past a whole series of rides and attractions. The first ones were the funhouse and the glory, the Nightmare Manor haunted ride. The lines were short so most people were getting in quickly.
The next thing I did was visit the grandstands where they were having a demonstration on Monster Trucks. This I had to see.
The Monster Trick Rally competition
They were offering rides to patrons before the show (which was a separate fee), so I got to see people driving around the field having a great time.
I did not want to stay for the show as those lines were getting long and I wanted to head home before it got dark. I left the ever growing line to head to the concession to get something to eat.
Stopping for dessert at Tootsie’s Fried Dough Concession
Someone had just walked by me with a steaming funnel cake and then I had to have one. The one thing I have to say about Tootsie’s Fried Dough is that everything is made fresh to order and the quality of the funnel cake was better than any one that I had at the Dutchess County Fair, which are always premade and soggy by the time you get them.
The Funnel Cake was made to order and out of this world
Yum! These were the best!
The last thing that I attended was the circus, which had just started at 6:00pm as I was leaving the fairgrounds. I decided to stay for the most of the show. I enjoyed the high wire acts and the acrobatic displays.
The high wire acts
These brothers from South America were extremely talented and do the most amazing tricks on the high wire.
The bicycle ride over the high wire
Skipping rope on the high wire acts
I really had a nice time at the fair. While it was not as big as either the Dutchess or Ulster County fairs that I attended in the past, there was a lot to see and do at the Orange County Fair.
The Bridgewater, NJ 4H Fair:
Going to the 4H Fair in Bridgewater, NJ was like a step back in time. I used to come here with friends after swim team practice as kids and we all used to garbage up eating our way through the Food Tent. After that, we would enjoy the fair.
The entrance to the Somerset County 4H Fair in Bridgewater, NJ
Walking into the 4H Fairgrounds was like stepping back over forty years as I had not been here since 1981. I even searched all the tents to find someone I knew (I did not know anyone).
The various displays of crafts, hobby cars, crafts and gardening tips
I first visited the Craft and Hobby tents with the displays of model trains, planes, automobiles and artwork. It was mostly families talking amongst themselves. The I next visited the Cow pens.
The cow pens
The cow pens
The cows were getting their afternoon feeding
I next visited the Sheep tent and they were in the middle of having their lunch as well not paying too much attention to us humans.
The sheep were enjoying their lunch when I got there and stopped for a second to see what I was doing
They all went back to feeding
There was a llama tent as well and they seemed very welcoming to human interaction
While walking around the fair, I could see the dark clouds coming in the distance. I had thought the storms were not coming until that evening, so I hustled through the rest of the tents.
Walking down the Midway of the fair with dark clouds in the distance
Entering the Poultry Tent
There were all sorts of varieties of chickens, ducks and geese to visit at the fair.
The prize chickens in their pens
The chickens were eating their lunch and pecking away
The highlight of the 4H Fair to me as a child was the Food tent with all the hot dogs, hamburgers, fried dough and funnel cakes and the popcorn and cotton candy for dessert.
The Food Concession tent
The Food tent
Just as I was deciding what to eat for dinner, there was a panicked announcement over the loudspeaker that they were closing the fair due to incoming storm clouds and lightening.
Everyone made a mad dash for their cars and I actually felt for all the concessions, who had all this food to sell and now how to shut down quickly. Some of the patrons had a ‘screw it’ attitude and kept eating probably until they kicked them out of the tent.
It started to rain while I was in the parking lot and I just checked messages on my phone and worked on blogs until most of the traffic got out of the parking lot. Then I drove into Bridgewater and had dinner at Joe’s Pizzeria at 1938 Washington Valley Road in Martinsville.
Joe’s Pizzeria at 1938 Washington Valley Road in Bridgewater, NJ
I had been coming to Joe’s since I was five and the pizza has not changed on bit since then. The next and the current owner both use the original Joe’s recipe for tomato sauce for the pies and calzones. Dinner here is another step back in time to my teen years. The inside of the pizzeria has not changed much in 35 years.
I was in the mood for a sandwich but I did not see any on the menu. They no longer make them so I ordered the Sausage and Pepperoni Roll. When it came out, it looked like a small pizza folded over. They made it fresh for me.
The Sausage and Pepperoni Roll with a side of red sauce
The roll was stuffed with a half pound of sweet fried sausage and spicy pepperoni, tucked in a pizza dough shell and baked to perfection.
It was the perfect meal for me covering both lunch and dinner. This could have been shared by two people.
The food here has been excellent since I started to come here in the 1970’s and has not changed since.
The dining area has not changed much since I was a kid
There’s more fairs to see and many more experiences to be had at them.
I was at the NYC Fancy Food Show in 2025 and this is one of the vendors that stood out to me. Cinnamom produces some of the most delicious baked goods I have tasted. The giant Cinnamon buns are ooey and gooey and topped with thick icings and then more toppings. They are a Cinnamon bun on over-drive and produces the best rush of sweetness. I had to go back three times to try all the samples and indulge in these delectable treats. It is a small company that is just starting their global shipping but watch out when they do. Everyone will want to sample these delicious treats.
The products being offered at the Fsncy Food Show
The regular Cinnamon bun with white icing on it was my favorite but the one with Chocolate and White icing was another. All the products I tried were wonderful and the owner and her daughter could not have been nicer. They let me try all the samples with a big smile on their faces. They seemed happy that I was so happy!
The History of Cinnamom:
(from the company website)
The Journey started 50 years ago:
When Shirley Welch came up with the ultimate recipe for a household favorite, cinnamon rolls. For holidays and special occasions, she would roll out these one-of-kind treats for family and friends to enjoy. Early on she had a little helper in the kitchen by her side, assisting with the baking process. This little helper would grow up to be the founder and owner of CinnaMom, Rebecca Nagy.
For years people would come up to Rebecca telling her she needed to start a cinnamon roll business, as hers were the best in the world. After happily retiring from her nursing career, in 2013 she finally listened to everybody’s encouragement and officially opened the first CinnaMom location in Lapeer, Michigan. Since then, the business has grown in size and popularity, both locally and nationally.
Over the last few years CinnaMom has doubled the size of its main bakery in Grand Blanc, Michigan and is featured on QVC. CinnaMom ships to anywhere in the United States and wholesales these CinnAmazing (TM) rolls to over 40 locations in the U.S. CinnaMom has been featured on ABC’s Good Morning America and The View, along with several other TV networks. What’s next?
Soon, CinnaMom will be exporting to other countries so that more customers have the opportunity to taste these delicious, ooey-gooey cinnamon rolls. CinnaMom is still on a Roll!
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