Block Party Lego store opens in Levittown

Legos are taking over Levittown as a new children’s store, Block Party, opened Thursday on Wantagh Avenue in a shopping center nestled between a nail salon and a smoke shop.

"We are looking to create an experience for guests who want to build with Legos, buy new sets, retired sets or used sets," says co-owner Lucas Wachsberger, 24, of Baldwin.

The 900-square-foot store offers an open play policy where customers can pay $19.99 for unlimited play. More than 20 bins of loose Legos are available to use.

"If you like what you built, you can weigh it out by the pound and you can take it home," Wachsberger says. It costs $11.99 per pound. "We also have Minifigs for $4.95 each or three for $13.99 that you can add on."

The store has more than 250 Lego sets for sale that range from new (Polybags, $5, to "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," $219) to retired sets (new but no longer being manufactured: "Harry Potter" Hogwarts Castle: Potions Class, $45, to "Star Wars" Sandcrawler, $700) to used sets ($10-$90 complete with all the pieces).

LEGO-FOCUSED

The store concept came about when co-owner Joe Cino, 36, of Wantagh, saw how locked in his 8-year-old son, Joe, was when building Lego sets.

"My son has a Lego obsession," says Cino, a friend/business partner of Wachsberger's. "He would finish a set in less than a day. To this day, he has completed 200 sets. He got 15 sets for Christmas and built them all before his holiday break was up."

Cino, who owns Cino’s Hot Bagels in Oceanside and Massapequa, saw a business opportunity and has big plans for the store’s future.

"We are finishing our basement and it will serve two purposes," Cino says. "When we throw birthday parties upstairs, parents can sit in a lounge with a video screen where they can watch their kids during the party if they want to stay on-site. We are also building the Lego Lounge for members. Customers will get charged monthly [price currently undetermined] for a locker and tables will be set up to build their sets. They can then put the Legos in their locker when they are done for the day."

An opening celebration with a DJ, balloons and free giveaways is being planned for next month as well as Lego classes.

Cino says, "We are going to have a Lego master builder come in to teach customers how to build sets they can then take home with them."

By David J. Criblez

david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez

David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.