Has anyone been to the store and seen how close they are to opening? I know the website says it will be opening Holiday 2004, not sure if that means around Thanksgiving or not until Christmas?

I haven't been by the store, but they have been running casting calls for staff for about a month now.

A minor quibble, and the only reason I'm posting is my New Yorker Jewish godmother routinely ranted about this - it's FAO Schwarz, not Schwartz. If I have this right, one is derived from Yiddish, the other from German. You see how this caused some agida...
Regardless, have a great time - I used to love going to any of their stores!

It may be Schwarz, not Schwartz; but it is acido (masq.) or acida (fem.) not agida.

"Agida" is Italian-American slang for tsuris.

It was closed as of several weeks ago.

GoTravel is correct. All their stores are closed - they went belly-up.

Shea, the chain did close, but was sold to a company that liquidated all but two of the stores. The Las Vegas store has re-opened. The web site and the NYC storefront promise that it will be open for "The Holidays," and drh (the OP) was asking if any New Yorkers had details.

I was there yesterday. They are definitely closed, and do not look like they will reopen anytime soon.

It is opening Thanksgiving day:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/23/business/23store.html

Yes, i saw the New York times article. It will be open by Christmas but more like Thanksgiving week-end. We were sorry to have them leave Boston. The huge sculpture of a bear with alphabet blocks( in front of the store ) was loved by the children here. Now has been lifted and donated to the children's hospital.

The NYC local news reported this a.m. that the Fifth Avenue store will reopen tomorrow.