By Gus Saltonstall
It is happening.
Wegmans will open a location on the Upper West Side, a spokesperson for the popular grocery store confirmed exclusively to West Side Rag on Tuesday.
The store will open at 1932 Broadway, between West 64th and 65th streets, where signage for the grocer first went up in June 2024, but had shown no obvious signs of life in the years since.
Following a tip from Rag reader Lucille Chester on Monday that multiple employees at a different Wegmans outpost had mentioned the Lincoln Square location would finally be opening, WSR reached out to the business for confirmation.
“We can confirm that we are currently designing a store and obtaining the necessary permits for our 1932 Broadway location,” Mandee Puleo, a spokesperson for Wegmans, told the Rag. “The opening timeline is yet to be determined.”
“This means the Upper West Side store is expected to open?” WSR responded to make crystal clear.
“Yes. Just no timeline yet,” Puleo answered.
While Wegmans signage has existed at 1932 Broadway for more than two years, the store has never previously confirmed it would actually open at the site.
This February, Wegmans told the Rag it was focused on its new Astor Place store when asked whether the Upper West Side location was expected to open.
“Prior to opening our Astor Place store, we were working with Glenwood [owner of the property] to lease the space at 1932 Broadway. When that didn’t pan out, we had the opportunity to sign the lease for Astor Place,” where Wegmans opened its first Manhattan store in 2023, a Wegmans spokesperson wrote in February. “Shortly after we committed to Astor Place, the 1932 Broadway space became available, however the timing wasn’t right, as we were focused on getting our Astor location designed, permitted, and open to the public.”
The focus has now shifted to the Upper West Side.
The incoming store will be just the second in Manhattan.
Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here.
Excellent! I can’t say I’ve ever set foot in a Wegmans but more grocery options are welcome
OMG WEGMANS IS THE GREATEST PLACE ON EARTH!!!!! THIS IS SO EXCITING!
Yay1! Cannot wait!!!! I love me some Wegmans!!!!
Glad to have Wegmans . Now open another store further up like around 100 th Street area. We need them too.
Losing Gristede’s would be addition by subtraction.
That will be nice. I used to shop at a Wegman’s in Jersey.
Sooooooo….no new news. We’re shamelessly begging you at this point, Danny! We’re addicted to Wegman’s and Astor Place is a serious commute! (But of course we go.)
Very smart of them to not articulate a timeline. It goes without saying that these are always estimates, yet people routinely turn them into complaints and badgering. Doing is always harder than opining…
“The opening timeline is yet to be determined.”
Hurry, please.
I did some shopping at the Wegmans at Astor Place just to buy a few things. I live uptown so I couldn’t do a full shopping, but from what I saw, it’s a great shopping experience with a lot of quality foods at decent prices. I’m so glad that they’re opening on the upper west side. I guess it’s too late for me to expect anything great like that to open on the Upper East Side, but whenever I’m on your side of town I’ll be sure to stop into Wegmans.
I’ve never been to a Wegmans so I don’t know what it compares to, but there’s a Happier Grocery store opening on the UES next year. It will be in the City Cinemas spot, 86th btwn 2&3.
Think Whole Foods, but with reasonable pricing.
Actually it’s bigger and better. I shop at the one in Astor Place occasionally and deal with the commute.
Thanks for the info, sounds good!
I don’t understand ho they can pay to lease this space and leave it empty for 2+ years. I’d imagine it’s a huge cost. Am I missing something?
Whenever I attend a show at the Public Theatre I stop at Wegmans for a few items that I drag back uptown. It will be nice to be able to do a full shopping trip at anytime at a local Wegmans. Very much looking forward to it finally happening. I remember the Astor Place store took a long time to open after Kmart closed at that location.
This old blog post comes to mind!
https://thedeathofnyc.wordpress.com/2019/12/24/nothe-ny-times-new-yorkers-are-not-losing-their-minds-over-wegmans/
With Wegman’s opening the UWS will have perhaps the greatest collection of Markets in the country with Zabars, Citerella, Fairway, Whole Foods, H Market, Trader Joes, Wegmans, Morton Williams all in a 25 block area.
Also within walking distance to some of us us is Brooklynfare (West End Ave and 62nd St) and a new Aldi’s (42nd St and 8th Ave)
This is huge! A bit of a walk for me but I’m willing to commit to it!
Opening when? Maybe 3026?!!!!
That’s the spirit, Juliette! I bet you’re a real hoot!
“The opening timeline is yet to be determined.” So what’s the news?
You can always count on a UWS’er to be a grumpy voice in a room full of happy people.
When we’d visit our son at college in Buffalo/Amherst what did I look forward to the most? Going to Wegmans on Alberta Drive.
Looking forward to the day King Kullen opens a UWS location!
King Kullen was just acquired by Giunta’s Meat Farms.
great, it will siphon off some trader joes people, make shopping there a little easier
I doubt it. Trader Joe’s is the least expensive grocery store on the UWS. Wegman’s, albeit filled with great stuff, will be among the most expensive. I have one near my friend in Norwalk, CT. Most of the stuff is very expensive, but they always have one loss-leader, usually produce, to pull you in. We try to discipline ourselves, go for the current discounted fruit, and some prepared sushi (which is among the best around) and then get out.
Exciting news but that is a really bad corner. Always congested with cars, bikes and buses going across town.
Trade Fair would be a wonderful addition!
My office is on the second floor and I can confirm the construction has started up again
this is me, not holding my breath
I am so thrilled that Wegmans is opening so close to me! I moved from NJ earlier in the year and go back periodically to visit people. I always make a Wegmans stop when I am there. I love that store. Finally both Trader Joes and Wegmans at my doorstep!! Yay!!
Maybe they could estimate in which decade the store will open
I am soooooo excited! More fresh food. More reasonable prices. What a fabulous addition to the UWS….
Some of us Upper Upper West Siders do the 2-hour subway/bus combo trick to the 72nd Street Trader Joe’s. Take the train down, load up, then bus back uptown. Looks like we’ll have to do that for Wegman’s, too. Until they open up here. Pretty please?
Now we need a branch of Tashkent!
We have zillions of ordinary grocery stores and gourmet grocery stores and east Asian grocery stores. Tashkent would definitely be different and welcome – and traveling down to 6th and 6th Ave is totally a schlep. Going to Brighton is an even worse schlep, though in Brighton there’s actually choice among the central Asian supermarkets.
For those of you who have never experienced Wegman’s you’re in for a treat. Many consider it the best operator in the industry. Having shopped at Wegmans for years prior to moving into Lincoln Square, I can tell you it will be a welcomed addition to the neighborhood. I’m relieved to get this news from the Westside Rag. Thank you.