When Whole Foods opened on the Lower East Side, Chelsea and the Upper West Side over the past few years, Trader Joe's soon followed. This has us thinking where could possibly be a good location for the very affordable organic grocer? We immediately think of the cast iron building 313-315 West 125th Street that was restored just around the corner from express trains on St. Nicholas Avenue. There is a dollar store currently at the lower levels that seems to be temporary and the top floors are quite empty. The aforementioned express subway station on the corner is a good connection to West Harlem and the location is easy to walk to from Central Harlem.
There is also the new building at west side of St. Nicholas Avenue on 125th Street which has the DSW shop and Blink Fitness. Then there is the new commercials space by the Apollo which also has a storefront available. Other developments are also being planned further east on 125th Street but that area needs to clean up a lot more before a Trader Joe's would ever arrive in our opinion. Trader Joe's is a lot more conservative than Whole Foods so we do not see anything working out if an express line is not nearby and the area will probably need to already have a few key retailers established already.
Sounds good. A Trader Joe's in the area would be good.
ReplyDeleteThe outside design of that building is just a perfect fit for Trader Joe. I'm more of a TJ fan anyway. Can't really afford Whole Foods as a regular grocery shopping destination. At TJ I can pay C-town prices and walk away with quality goods.
ReplyDeleteThey are also in areas that compete with Fairway (UWS and now Chelsea), so I wouldn't put it past them being farther west. I wonder if the new Columbia building in Manhattanville has enough retail square footage to fit them?
ReplyDeleteThat building will not have enough density around it until 2016 or 2018 so it could work but we are talking about a later scenario versus sooner. The area is entirely desolate of pedestrian traffic currently and will be for some time.
ReplyDeleteGreat choices for locations!
ReplyDeleteHamilton Heights wants Trader Joe's!!!
ReplyDeleteI would be surprised if we see some form of a TJ or TJ itself invite Manhattanville/Columbia development. The nead is there and there is also a need for ready-made food like the type WF is planning for its recently announced Bryant Park Store.
ReplyDeleteThere's lots of commercial spaces that Trader Jpe's or a better grocery store can go into in Hamilton Heights.
ReplyDeleteTrader Joe's had their chance to make a move into the Harlem market earlier, but took the conservative approach despite their laid back, "hippie" brand. Whole Foods will have a head up on them when and if TJs ever have the cojones to come to Harlem. And Whole Foods products are vastly superior to TJs anyway.
ReplyDeleteIf only someone could mash out that ugly bright pink Conway on 116th and Lenox, Trader Joes would work perfectly right there with all of the new condos and renovated brownstones right in the immediate area.
ReplyDelete116/lenox (conway) was my exact thought! accessible by the B/C and 2/3 train. please, joe, come to harlem!
DeleteAgreed! WF saw the trend and moved early. To find the space that Jeff Sutton found in terms of size and location so early explains why he is so good at what he does and why WFs will be so successful. Ahead of the pack that follows!
ReplyDeleteTJs should move into the Hamilton theater on 146 and broadway.
ReplyDeletethe Hamilton theater is a great building and warrants intelligent commerce! out with the low res c town; the neighborhood wants healthy, intelligent retail. no more low ball solutions. TJ's might just work there.
ReplyDeleteTJ's corporate strategy could use a wake up call. Any surprise of the traditional color and economic conditions in Harem fit the Aldi model according to top management. Well, Whole Foods made a go at the UPPPPPPER West side and it's clearly a success. Now they're opening at 125th and Lenox. TJ's still has that Aldi... Bad calculation. Putting in a TJ would have been a good risk. Now, since they always follow, where will they go? Pertinent in 15' years after this was written.
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