September 8, 2006
Manhattan Gets a Target
Manahattanites, you'll have to put off getting 5 gallon containers of olive oil - but you will get your cute Isaac skirts! Target will be leasing a 130,000 square foot space at East River Plaza, a "long delayed" mall at the FDR and East 119th Street. Costco was originally thought to be the second floor tenant (there's a Home Depot on the first floor), but Target's apparently to shell out more cash. What's cute is that the East River Plaza's website still lists Costco as a retailer.
Last year around this time, the New Yorker had an issue where Target was the sole advertiser, and our readers debated the pros and cons of having a Target in Manhattan. One point brought up over and over again: Target isn't that much cheaper, but it has more interesting products than, say, your regular K-Mart (NYC doesn't like Wal-Mart in these parts!).
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A lower percentage of Target's workers get healthcare from the company than at Wal-mart. Of course, New Yorkers wouldn't think of demonizing the "hip" store.
not to get technical or anything, but the existing target on w. 225th street is technically in manhattan. though geographically located in the bronx, the neighborhood (marble hill) it is located in is considered part of manhattan politically. therefore, this target on e. 119th street will not be the first target IN manhattan...maybe ON manhattan island, though. more info on this little tidbit of info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marble_Hill,_Manhattan
do you think maybe, it's a little weird to use a target with a picture of manhattan on it 3 days before the 5th anniversary of 9/11?
am i the only one that thinks this?
#3. i thought it too. esp after reading all the 9/11 stories in the times, post, msnbc..
#3... beat me to it. I thought exactly the same thing.
And #1... that's dead wrong. Wal-Mart's wage and benefit package can't hold a candle to Target's. And folks who work at Target are actually paid for every hour they work, as opposed to W-M.
If the pix wasn't labeled Manhattan, I wouldn't have even recognized it as Manhattan. Stop being so freaking paranoid. It's tiresome.
If this new Target is in "Manhattan", then why is it located where one MUST drive to it?
Why can't Target get it together to open a store in a useful Manhattan location like Penn Sta, Union Square or somewhere else south of 96th St? And furthermore, anytime I've been in one of the Target's in the boroughs, they are always skanky and wiped out of merchandise. Why can't they get their act together and make some money here in NYC?
I am so EXCITED! I will definitly be riding the subway up there for the grand opening.
And, no, I didn't get freaked out by the Target image.
Sorry, but to the elite Manhattanites that read this post, East 119th St and FDR Drive is not "Manhattan" proper. No residents of Chelsea nor Murray Hill will go up there just for Target.
Do people really think that Manhattan needs a mall?
#7...Target is not supposed to be some sort of high-end retailer. Therefore, skankiness is expected. Also, there is more to Manhattan besides everything below 96th Street. You must not originally be from around here. People live above 96th Street.
To #2, I am familiar with the history, but the Bronx can keep "Marble Hill" as far as I am concern.
Comments 3-5: I understand your reactions, and I did wonder if people would feel that way, but in the end, much like Comment 6, it didn't seem specifically Manhattan (versus putting the Target logo on the Empire State Building).
Fonz -- I live in Morningside Heights, and have for over 30 years. 119th and FDR is so freakin inconvenient without a car it isn't funny. Would be easier to go to Brooklyn or Queens locations.
My question is why is Target afraid to take on a real Manhattan location. Real estate is more expensive, yes, but turnover would be amazing (if they could keep the skanky shelves filled with merchandise.) Also, Euro-tourists would go nuts. Maybe they should put a Target in the WTC site, across from Century 21!
#11 - I have been a NYer since 1981 and an exclusive Manhattanite since 1994, and I do know people live above 96th Street.
I was just pointing out that as unfair as it is, a store can't say they are in "Manhattan" if it's located above 96th street (maybe 100th St on the Westside). If Target wants the premium Manhattan business they need a store at a lower location, catering to the higher income customers, a la the Home Depots. Even though Target is not a "high end" store, I would still place it above Walmart and Kmart (which is in Manhattan), and you'll be surprise how many upper-income people enjoy bargain shopping for their everyday needs.
That just doens't fit, Target in the expensive Manhattan?
I third that motion on the skanky empty shelves. It's really frustrating whenever I'm there and know what I want but they never have it in stock. The one in the Bronx is a little better but not by much.
Target still follows the 50s suburban model for sedigning their stores. If you guys are lucky, this store will be built on top of the parking lot, instead of having a massive box next to a massive surface lot. I'm surprised New Yorkers would even allow a Target anywhere in their city, especially Manhattan. So now you can buy a new blender ... or that pressed wood piece-of-shit desk you've been eyeing ... or socks. Whoopie ...
It's all about space. Target needs a substantial amount of square footage, ideally on no more than 2 or 3 floors, and there's just not a location in Manhattan that presents that space and that's available. (I'd thought that the old Bradlees space on Union Square--now occupied by Whole Foods/DSW/Filene's--would make sense, but probably too many floors.)
One thought that might work, though it would require huge construction expense? Take over the vacant lot next to Tower Records at Broadway and 4th and the empty former Office Depot next door. Even that's probably too small, though.
As much as some people may complain about Target and other big box stores and chains, this store will probably do very well economically.
The Target on 225th store looks just like those in Hackensack or Edgewater, NJ. None looks like Bloomingdales or the Cellar at Macy's but they look good enough. I wouldn't say skanky.
the atlantic center target is a mess. all of their sale items sell out the day the ad comes out, the workers are rude, and i'd say the store is a little bit skanky.
Completely agree with the negative comments on the tasteless graphic. Does no one have any common sense anymore?
Tim N.,
You're the one that's dead wrong. Do you have any proof of your claim? Do a Google search and you'll find hundreds of sites that say the wages at Target are essentially the same, they don't offer much in terms of promotions or raises, and the benefits are insignificant. The only real difference is that Wal-mart is about 6 times bigger than Target. And Wal-mart started in Arkansas and we all know you urban elitist liberals hate rural America. It must have been a hard pill to swallow that Bill Clinton came from there.
I guess you just need to pick on Wal-mart to help you sleep at night when you buy the same Chinese-made at Target. You think you're actually making a difference.
I am very upset at all of the anti-Walmart sentiment in NYC. Wake up! People like myself travel to Long Island (and Pennsylvania when I am there) to shop in WalMart. Those municipalities where WalMart is located will be getting our tax dollars while NY gets nothing but high-priced stuff at Duane Reade. You're screwing yourselves!
#8(mary) - exactly what subway do you plan on using to get to 119th and FDR Drive???? Good luck with that.
we all know you urban elitist liberals hate rural America
[24] Posted by: buy a clue
i must quietly point out the irony of buy a clue whining about urban elitist liberals (TM fox news) posting on a blog about nyc.
maybe the "urban elitist liberals" don't hate rural america. maybe they just hate you, personally.
As far as the "new york chain store skankiness," Target actually does pretty well. It's pretty much a given that any chain store is going to be dirty and downtrodden within weeks (look at K-Mart, for instance). For all of you bitching about the lack of a Wal-Mart, I can only IMAGINE how skanky that place would get here...probably similar to Atlantic Center's Chuck E Cheese...ugh.
I'm curious to know what makes Wal-Mart worth a long trip. What can you get there that you can't get at KMart, Target, local drugstores, etc.? I've been to Wal-Mart and don't see anything there that couldn't be had somewhere else. Did I miss an aisle?
The reason the stores in NYC and the boroughs are skanky is because the customers are slobs who throw things around and the employees don't give a crap. I've witnessed many people digging thru merch and dropping stuff and stepping on it. The Targets over in NJ (and even SI) are way nicer than the Atlantic Center one and the Queens one.
It really bothers me that several commenters (#15, etc) have said that 119th Street and FDR is not part of Manhattan, in their narrow opinion. Please visit East Harlem and ask people what borough they live in. I am pretty sure they will not reply Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, or Staten Island.
To get there, take the 6 to 116th and walk east a few blocks. Surprise! Some Manhattanites don't look like you.
The Jersey City Target is by far the best. You can take the path to get there and it's much less skanky than Brooklyn and uptown.