By Yvonne Vávra
Routine is one of life’s great luxuries. It gives you the gift of time and energy, and I know this because one of mine was just ripped away from me. A routine centered around one thing that, in this city, can become an oddly all-consuming undertaking: grocery shopping.
I had a perfect route through Trader Joe’s on 72nd Street, and without it, I’m not entirely sure I’ll remember half the things I need each week. The store itself had become my shopping list. I knew exactly when to go to avoid empty shelves and lines so long they required crowd control. Most importantly, I felt safe there, financially speaking, in a neighborhood where 32 ounces of Greek yogurt can cost $5.49 at Trader Joe’s, $7.49 at Fairway, $9.99 at Pioneer, or $10.99 at Key Food.
Now the store is closed, with no reopening date in sight, and I find myself surprisingly destabilized. I’ll need a new system, new routes through unfamiliar aisles, and a new mental map of what I can afford where.
Sounds a bit dramatic, I know. The problem hardly seems catastrophic — after all, we’re among the luckiest New Yorkers when it comes to supermarket options. There’s even another Trader Joe’s just 20 blocks north of the closed one.
But I’m not the only one in distress. On neighborhood forums like Reddit and Nextdoor, I found passionate fellow Trader Joe’s mourners discussing new shopping strategies. As it turns out, many Upper West Siders depend on an affordable supermarket where a 12-ounce box of cornflakes costs $2.99 and not $9.49, as it does at Pioneer. People exchanged tips on how to stay within budget, debated the best alternatives, and worried about the displaced 72nd Street shoppers now marching north toward the Trader Joe’s on 93rd Street.
I’ll be among them, schlepping up and down Columbus. All I need is a bigger back.
In times like these, the German in me fully reemerges. Even after all this time living in New York, I still find myself bewildered by how exhausting grocery shopping here can be.
Years ago, when I wrote my book about New York, I told my German readers that Trader Joe’s was the only “normal” supermarket in the city. I simply couldn’t wrap my head around the prices at the others and considered them an impossible option for everyday groceries.
But normal? Nothing is normal about supermarket lines so long they require ushers to manage them, politely informing you that yes, this spot here at the entrance, two miles from the registers, is where the line begins. With a smile.
In Germany, having five people ahead of you means you’re unlucky. And if you realize, just before the register, that you forgot something, you simply go back and get it. You do not fall into a panic, calculating whether you can sprint to the frozen foods section and make it back in time before your trusty cart loses its place in line.
No chance. Impossible. No spinach this week.
In German cities, grocery shopping is something you do in passing — spontaneously, casually, even before every meal if you feel like it. There’s no squeezing through crowds, no cart jams, no strategic maneuvering, no waiting for someone to move aside so you can reach the carrots. That’s because there are so many supermarkets. I honestly can’t think of a neighborhood in Berlin that doesn’t have at least one option in each affordability category right around the corner. There are the cheap ones, where you might have to rummage through still-unpacked boxes; the regular ones; and the more expensive, prettier ones, for people willing to spend an extra euro on neatly arranged cans and produce aisles with a mood-lifting color story.
Of course, the biggest cultural grocery shock I experienced came at the Trader Joe’s register. The cashiers spoke to me! About favorite products, recipes, dinner plans, my day —I thought I was on the moon. There’s no time for niceties, or even eye contact, at a German register. As soon as it’s your turn, the checkout race between you and the cashier officially begins.
They scan your groceries at alarming speed, launching them onto an almost aggressively narrow strip of counter space where you’re expected to bag everything immediately before it falls off the edge or your sanity gives out. There is no hesitation, no mercy. The game is on.
If you enter the challenge with weak nerves, succumb to the pressure, and get stuck, you’ll receive an evil look. And be expelled from the country, I think. I can’t remember.
Here’s a pro tip, if you’re ever there: Put loose fruit in between your other items on the conveyor belt. The cashier has to enter the code manually, which buys you precious seconds to catch up.
Oh well. That particular sport is no longer my problem. But I will have to catch up with a new Upper West Side grocery routine. It’s not a big deal that one supermarket is temporarily closed. Or at least, it shouldn’t be. It certainly says something that the loss of a single affordable supermarket feels like such a major disruption to so many people. A city where the grocery system is so affordable and well distributed that no one would even notice if one store closed for a summer of renovations — that would be a very big deal.
Yvonne Vávra is a magazine writer and author of the German book 111 Gründe New York zu lieben (111 Reasons to Love New York). Born a Berliner but an aspiring Upper West Sider since the 1990s (thanks, Nora Ephron), she came to New York in 2010 and seven years later made her Upper West Side dreams come true. She’s been obsessively walking the neighborhood ever since.
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I feel this so much.
Nice contrast, Yvonne! I lived in Munich in the late 60’s and remember tu Saturday morning grocery shopping. It was a festive moment, with everyone out because all shops and grocery stores would close at 1 pm until Monday morning. Working women had to do it all then because shops also closed promptly on weekday evenings….The idea of Ladenschlusszeit was that everyone has a right to family life on weekends and evenings. No one should have to work and forego time with his or her spouse and children when they were home. Lines sometimes were long on Saturday mornings. It certainly was crowded! But reminds me of Jerusalem on a Friday evening before sunset. A festive scramble .
That fresh fruit strategy on the conveyer belt is my kind of life-changing hack.
Trader Joe’s does not have conveyor belts. This article is inaccurate.
She mentions it in reference to German supermarkets not Trader Joe’s
That strategy can be employed in any grocery check out – brilliant!
Get a good rolling cart (recommend Whole Foods’) and go to the other Trader Joe’s,
or wherever you prefer. YHour back will thank you.
Yvonne, your back will thank you if you use a shopping trolley cart! I got mine, when I landed in NYC for residency a few years back, at Whole Foods. So on the bus, we with our WF carts wink at each other for our posture and back saving device. They are easy to navigate on the bus, and in the market, with carts, you simply chose a cart where the lower basket is longer than the top, slip the wheels in and lash the handle to the front of the upper basket. The string from a sweatshirt works great in a pinch, but a little tiny bungee even better.
They don’t block the bus aisle? I have been penned in by grocery carts a few times but I admit I don’t know if they were Whole Foods carts.
I discovered TJs when it was only a regional California grocery store. Not just great prices but an eclectic clientele that actually talked to each other about the products. The politeness factor exceeds every other chain. Their return policy is no questions asked. Occasionally they have a lousy frozen item —even the cashier agreed it was a dog. And they will allow you to taste anything (at least before the pandemic). Finally, they are incredibly good at load balancing when you have 2 bags or more. I have an original TJ tote (not the collectible) that the old timers note with envy.
Laughed out loud over this piece. Thank you.
based on the state of the shelves (many empty) at TJ’s at 93rd a couple of days ago, management hasn’t figured out yet that their UWS customer base has ballooned, and they need to step up
It will take a little time to adjust. There is so little storage space at 93rd street that over-ordering causes a whole other set of problems. It’s like when you take a shower and the water is too cold so you crank the knob in the other direction only for it to get too hot. Then you crank it back only for it to get too cold again, etc. The better solution is incremental shifts, then wait and see what the result is before making another change. That’s how 93rd is handling it.
I spend my whole shower shifting water temperatures as I progress between warm, lukewarm, and cool. I like cool water on my head, but then my body gets the cool water, so I switch to warmer. Then I feel suffocated so I have to go back to cooler. When it’s all over, I need a deep breath.
have you been showering in my bathroom again?
Glad you wrote this funny piece. Thank you. Please write another one when it opens again in a few months! See you there!
Great story about Trader Joe’s shutting down (temporarily?).. A good mix of facts, details and personal memories…
I shop at the TJ’s on 93rd. The security guard told me the 72nd street store is being renovated and will reopen in four months. I sure hope so. Haven’t yet figured out how to time my shopping with how quickly the shelves empty these days.
This is why we have a car – to go grocery shopping in Westchester and New Jersey. Prices are reasonable, and there are always sales at deep discounts. Btw there is no deposit on cans and bottles in NJ, so if you wanted to be super stingy (we’re not), you could purchase your soda and beer in NJ, then cash in your empties in NY.
That’s what Kramer and Newman were plotting.
But aren’t you paying a fortune for gas, especially now? Seems like six of one, half a dozen of the other.
Have you been to Stew Leonard’s? One of my favorite markets. If we got one in the outer boroughs I could go more often.
There’s a Stew’s right off the Thruway in Westchester, so if you have a car it’s doable
Yea but then shopping becomes an all day thing
There is A Bus, WestChester Bee line#20. Goes right to Stew Leonard.
Not quite an all day extrav aganza.
Until you get there and start cruising the Samples. Or take a break snag a hotdog or custard cone while watching others’ small fry amuse the
petting zoo critters outside.
Fun really. Cheap thrills happen from the Spirits shop adjacent.
Bus is at last stop of #2 train. Or Bedford Blvd @ D/B train.
It also goes to the Empire Casino/racetrack.
A Hoot to be had. Prices are friendly.
Too…
Since when is grocery shopping “an all day thing”?
Gee. Too bad you don’t support local stores. To help prevent the glut of empty storefronts up and down the avenues on the west side. But of course, you have a car…
Gee, too bad you don’t know us, or our habits. We’ve been living in the neighborhood all our adult lives, and our kids attended PS 87. We shop locally, except for groceries (we mourn all the supermarkets that have disappeared over the years), so don’t blame us for empty storefronts. Have a nice day.
Spending thousands on a car to save hundreds on groceries – smart!
Purchasing a car to buy groceries is not smart. Needing a car to visit elderly parents who live in towns inaccessible by mass transit is a necessity for us, so don’t judge before you have all the facts, Dad.
UWS Dad,
Actually it is always surprising to see so many TJ shoppers getting into Ubers.
Question to fellow TJ shoppers; where to buy flowers if I don’t want to go all the way to the other TJ? Yesterday I tried the bodega on the corner of 72nd and WEA. Alstromeria, that I was buying for $4.99 was over $13!
While I don’t think that anywhere else comes close in price or selection to TJ’s for flowers, I did buy a bunch of 16 roses at Whole Foods for $9.99. They have now opened beautifully, have lasted almost a week and are still looking good.
Great piece! I feel the same way…and that’s with living across the street from Fairway and Citarella! But I feel lost without Trader Joe’s!
Bring back the frugal Frannie column so we can find a suitable replacement!
Great story! I really hope WSR will do an investigation into why this Trader Joe’s stays in this too small location when there are many much larger spaces very nearby. Do they have an insanely good lease here that offsets the increased profits they’d make in a bigger location that could accommodate more shoppers? So often people see the register lines going across the store- at times the down escalators are even turned off to minimize overcrowding!- and leave, taking their business (and $) elsewhere. Imagine a bigger, less crowded TJ’s- what a delight that would be!
After living near several TJs in different cities, I can’t tolerate the one on 72nd! It’s the worse design I’ve seen and way too crowded. I moved on years ago from this location. Hopefully, the renovation will make better use of the space.
I can not shop there!
That spot is great for people who come by subway or bus.
Hear, hear! That huge former Food Emporium space on 68th and Broadway would be so perfect for a Trader Joe’s. Not to mention it’s not underground!
I heard rumors that TJ’s management looked at that location, but overall it is smaller, does not have as big a side street loading dock, and is not as close to a subway station. Looked at that way, it’s a total no-go.
we can only dream
You’ll survive.
It is a huge loss. But it would have been useful if the Rag writer had gotten a clearer picture from the giant TJ network as to how long this renew would take. We all knew it was closing. We all know it’s closed. We could all us a date, even a tentative one, to hope will see the reopen. I realize this is more opinon than anything, but the Rag might take this on as a hard news story, with some dates, even if at this point, they might be tentative. I don’t know if anyone lives near the future home of Aperture. It should have opened, I think, long ago, the signage changes, but I no longer believe that signage. I can only hope an outfit like TJ will do a better job of informing the public, because if it’s gone, it is, sadly, gone
I live in the Carnegie Hill neighborhood, so every TJ’s requires public transportation. I usually go across town to the 93rd Street/Columbus Avenue branch. I can do it on one fare if I take the 86th Street crosstown (which unfortunately has become awful) there and the 96th Street crosstown back. I use a backpack. Please, TJ’s: open another branch closer to our neighborhood. The now closed H&M on 86th Street between Lexington and Third is available.
I disliked that trader joe’s because of its being on two levels
When I returned to NYC after 25 years in Seattle I was gobsmacked at the lines at all Trader Joe’s. Didn’t exist in Seattle. Doesn’t exist in other cities I have been in. I finally learned to accept and would be lost without my bi-weekly stop at TJs. During Covid was the most excruciating. Getting in line in the wee hours of the morning when they opened. Lines around the block. I never understood why they didn’t open one between 72nd and 92nd. Like in the spot on 79th Street. So, alas, another hurdle we New Yorkers must overcome.
Thank you, Yvonne for this article. It has been several years but I am still grieving the loss of Westside Market in what is now Hotel Belleclaire. Likewise the neighborhood Korean grocery stores. As you said “grocery shopping is something you do in passing”. Not anymore. It is all a hike. No wonder shopping apps has become prevalent. But I still crave the need to see and touch the produce I am buying. To all those grocery and supermarket companies, there are still a need here in the UWS.
There is a new Midtown Manhattan ALDI located at 311 West 42nd Street (on the ground floor of The Ellery, near Times Square) It opens on the 19th June.
It is the flagship store and will span 25,000 square feet. Can’t wait!
What? This is amazing news!
I just got back from TJ’s at 92nd St. and the feeling of relief I felt at finding what I needed for $35 instead of $75 was huge. When the weekly cost of my groceries doubled last week–between not only expensive but old or downright rotten produce from Fairway and good but expensive Whole Foods stuff, I wrote a Substack and did a video about it I was so upset: https://betsyrobinson.substack.com/p/my-grocery-bill
It’s much worse on the high 90s, West Side Market is $12 for yogurt.
I walked to TJs at 93rd street from 72nd st last Saturday and again today. I used a backpack with straps around the waist and shoulders which allows me to carry heavy items. Yes, I am still getting used to navigating this store (like you, I knew where everything was at 72nd street after shopping there for so many years.) I do like the layout at 93rd st better for one reason. At 72nd street, the lines cut through most of the top floor products, and it drove me crazy when customers would stand in line, then leave to pick up items (constantly) and not move the line forward. This doesn’t happen at any other store.
Exactly right. UWS does not have any other affordable options. So I have to shop around for better prices on items I usually buy at TJ. It’s an interesting but not welcome challenge.
But my plan is to get up to the 93 st store very early with my shopping cart.
I think the closing is particularly hard on seniors.
Count me among those who never shop at TJs. Never liked them, even if their prices are a bit lower than most supermarkets. Never really liked their branded products either.
Shopping within a budget can be done anywhere. It depends on exactly what you eat/drink, and how many are in your household. I am fortunate because I only shop for myself. In that regard, I can even shop within my budget – and have 7 healthy breakfasts, lunches and dinners per week – at Zabar’s (though I know most people will raise their eyebrows at that), with a few things from Key Food thrown in. (Obviously, a family of four could not do this.)
No, I am not wealthy. In fact, I live entirely on Social Security. Yet because I know exactly what I eat and how to shop, I stay within my budget, and have wonderful meals every day. And except on the weekends, the “crowds” at Zabar’s are actually much smaller than those at TJs, so I avoid THAT as well.
So TJs people can be glad that I am one less person crowding their store.
The Associated on 96th St. is run by two of the nicest guys in retail. They will bend over backwards getting anything you want. They know my name, and the cashiers, usually from Spanish-speaking countries, are extremely friendly and personal. I am a 76-year-old white male, and they call me “papi”, and “mi amor, so very lovely. And of course, they are buying co-op, which means they are independently owned, as opposed to a chain. Who is “Joe?“
I agree! Routine! I have been walking up to 72nd for years (from 55th). My location places me 27 minutes with the M11 from the UWS TJ’s and 26 minutes from the UES TJ’s @59th with the M57. I have gone to the UES twice, it is a beautiful store. I will try the UWS next time and compare notes. Decisions decisions , but I can’t wait to start walking again to the TJ’s @72nd.
The line at that place is usually insane. They can’t be closing for lack of business.
I very much admire and enjoy all of your writing, Yvonne. NYC is fortunate to have you here. (Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!)
You say there’s “no reopening date in sight,” but they have announced that they will reopen in three months.
I suspect it will take longer as present policies are making parts more difficult to import. Imagine just the replacement of the escalators. Also materials for construction have longer lead times than a few years ago.
I haven’t timed it…..but if you go to the East Side Store on 59th and 1st is it bout the same as getting to 93rd street? That is a much bigger store than 93rd street and may be easier to navigate.
I am in Riverdale now and I don’t know how Fresh Direct works in Manhattan, but service is excellent in Riverdale and quality as well. I confess I do drive to a Trader Joe’s every few weeks for a TJ fix. Good luck.
Westside Neighbor- My guess is that TJ fix is probably remedied by a wee drive to Hartsdale
TJ capacious there . Lovely helpful staff.
Everything always in Stock.
Tried it?
Same bus (Bee Line)#20 passes Stew Leonard also stops in Hartsdale at TJ.
Take Bx #10 ( Norwood ) across! Connect w,/#20 Bedford Pk & Jerome. Zoom !!!
Enjoy the scenery…
Wow! I had no idea what the grocery prices were now in NYC. I moved to So. Cal 7 years ago. Used to shop at Trader Joes and Fairway all the time. I buy much of my basics now on Amazon Fresh. I pay $2.64 for 32oz. plain yoghurt. It’s the Amazon brand but having grown up in a middle eastern family I know my yogurt. My grandmother always made her own. I only like plain–and the Amazon is fine with a nice tang., just like Sitto’s. You can get the pricier Greek stuff for under $6 but I see no reason to. I like to add sliced cucumber.
Personally we’re glad it’s gone and hope it does not come back. The example of deterioration of our neighborhood. Dirtier streets more panhandlers lying around and a guy selling clothes on the corner of 72nd. The UES TJoe is clean and airy though you never can tell about numerous recalls. With all the large vacant stores here, why must this be in a dingy cramped underground spot?
What have you got against Mike? (“guy selling clothes on the corner of 72nd”). It’s really not fair to equate a friendly, hardworking clothing reseller with panhandlers and dirt. Some of us are grateful for the deals we’ve gotten there (have you seen the clothing prices at Housing Works and Goodwill lately?!)
I can’t wait for the return of Trader Joe’s. We’re paying 2 – 3 times as much now for pasta, sauce, cold cuts, cheese, apples, citrus, cucumbers, juices, broccoli, chocolate, coffee, etc. The other TJs stores are a big trek (especially returning home on crowded public transportation with 4+ heavy bags).
It’s absolutely the best location, at the express subway stop and the intersection of at least 6 bus lines. Why would they choose to be anywhere else? We all need to get used to underground shopping. It is a very efficient use of space.
Happily for the rest of us, is it just being renovated and will reopen
In Germany, aren’t most stores – including food markets – closed on Sundays?
I’m verklempt without the Trader Joe’s on 72nd. Given how insanely busy it is all the time, maybe it will occur to the company to open another branch on the UWS. One can hope.
Corn flakes are $9.50 at Pioneer?!?! Yikes.
Cereal prices are ridiculous everywhere now. I can’t imagine buying it again, except for the $2 “Cheerios” at TJ’s.
Well, here are some remaining choices now. We have:
-the Wegmans that’s never coming
-the deli-less, butcher-less, fish counter-less Pioneer with the worst prepackaged meats in the neighborhood
-the Fairway where every aisle is jammed up by rude, entitled senior citizens
-the Citarella whose imports and specialty foods are hardly affordable
-the Whole Foods that’s just barely considered the Upper West Side and polluted with clueless tourists and faux organic products
-the terrible selection at Morton Williams
-the sketchy customers at D’Agostino
How’s H-Mart?
Good selections, but pricey. I use it for convenience only. And their pre-made squid salad is yummy
By process of elimination, you must shop at Zabar’s
Hi Dino,
My older relatives and friends are terrific people.
Not getting the whole scale insult “rude entitled senior citizens “
Personally I can think of quite a few categories of “rude entitled” people who are not senior citizens
And of course, not all D’Agostino customers are ‘sketchy’, not all tourists are ‘clueless’, and Morton Williams selections are pretty good. Don’t even know how this made it by the moderator.
if fairway was smart, they would make their prices equal to trader joe’s and have weekly specials. I Would also vote for a salad bar that is fresh and made by an actual chef daily! Homemade croutons and home made dressing using Fairway olive oil !
It’s not Fairway-it’s Foodtown & they destroyed what was left after failed VC investors expanded & homogenized their business. That’s why they have no street smart strategy.
Don’t despair too much, I’m sure that we will soon have a city run grocery story on the UWS that will put TJ to shame !
I just posted about that idea!
I feel very lucky to live in “The Golden Triangle of UWS Grocery Shopping” formed by Trader Joe’s at 93rd St, Whole Foods at 97th St and Key Food at 96th. The TJ’s is less than 90 seconds away and it has been life changing. I’ve definitely saved thousands of dollars over the years there.
And on 94th and Columbus is the wonderful Mani Marketplace. It is owned by brothers Taki and Taso. They have delicious prepared food and they make their own olive oil in Greece. People who don’t know think it is a bodega. I nfact, it is a family-run grocer with great products and is a West Side treasure we should help thrive.
Trader Joe’s is owned by the Albrecht family of Germany, which also owns Aldi.
really a missed opportunity for that Wegmans Lincoln Square
I called Wegman’s customer service in Rochester and he told me he had absolutely no idea or news about when the Broadway and 65th Street. Wegman’s will open. In 2024 I was told it would be summer of 2026
A checker at the uptown Trader Joe’s said they were told the 72 st. Store would open after Labor Day
Yes I’m with you, Yvonne! It’s not just that I will have to pay higher grocery prices for however many months — it’s like I can’t even remember what I need to buy anymore. I realize now that that perfect route through the 72nd Street store acted as my externalized shopping list as well as my meal planning process for the week. I’m fascinated by how disoriented I am without it 🙂
Fairway is no longer its iconic version but still has a fun eccentricity – Fairway is our family’s favorite.
I always enjoy reading your articles. Thank you!