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May 11, 2005
Discovering Gymboree Play & Music
On a recent visit to Old Orchard, Amy and I discovered a storefront we had not noticed before. Tucked away in a hidden walkway off The Promenade is Gymboree Play & Music. It's not really a retail storefront; rather it's more of a daycare-type facility that is probably using previous office space that was unleased.
Apparently the chain was started in California in 1976 by a lady who was looking for a "safe, fun and nurturing place for new parents and children to play together." (I wonder if Gymboree owned this back then or if it was a buyout later).
In any case, she started up this concept which offered parent/child programs devoted to the "physical, emotional and social development of children." Now, I guess they are some sort of big name in this field, even though I've never heard of the spin-off (of course, we don't have kids either). There are now over 530 locations in 27 countries.
Let me just tell you that it isn't cheap to go here. According to their brochure, 6 weeks will cost you close to $100 on their "Ultimate Flexibility" plan. And with only 3 locations in the Chicago area (Arlington Heights and Northbook are the others), you don't have many competitive options. That said, they seem to offer quite a diverse mix of times, days, and classes for ages 6 months through 5 years.
Posted by Tannerman at May 11, 2005 07:06 PM | Categories: The Promenade