Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
1.) Where are the regular grocery stores in Manhattan - the ones with a wide selection and good prices. (NOT CVS, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Morton Williams, etc.) That's right - I'm looking for cheap groceries in NYC - don't laugh. I was just in a Morton Willilams and couldn't believe that all the groceries there, like grains and frozen goods were marked up 30-100% compared to another city...especially since NYers get fresh produce from NJ next door!
2) Big box stores/mass merchandisers? I know there's a Target in Harlem. Is it safe to go there via public transit? Where can you do just simple one-stop shopping for cheap groceries, housewares, electronics, etc.? I read an old thread here, and I know that NYers hate the idea of big box stores, but you have no idea how much easier life would be with them - less time and money spent on products and transportation = huge savings for stuff you actually you want to shill out a lot of $ for.
There's a PathMark in Harlem and another in Inwood, but if you buy store brands Whole Foods is very inexpensive (the Post or the NYP did a comparison and WF won).
It's completely safe to go to the Target in Harlem via public transit, but it is smaller than suburban Targets. There is also a Costco in the same complex, but I don't think you are going to find what you are looking for as Manhattan is a completely different animal than the burbs.
I'd rather get the best value for quality at multiple stores than settle for junk at one lowest common denominator big box store.
Welcome to NYC. I think you'll find that after taking one 2-3 hour trip to Target in Harlem- including subway there, shopping, and paying for a cab to get everything home- it's just easier and faster to pay a little more at the neighborhood Duane Reade or Food Emporium/ D'Agostino. My time is too precious to make that kind of Saturday trip on any regular basis.
Now- if you happen to be renting a car or ZipCar for a day trip of weekend trip outside the city, by all means, stop at Target or Costco on the way back into the city for a major stock-up trip.....which brings up another big box point- most New Yorkers don't have the storage space to load up on 40 rolls of toilet paper or several cases of bottled water. That's why we buy by bit.
Fresh Direct is a relatively affordable grocery option. Order online and they'll deliver right to your door at a time that's convenient for you.
If you are in midtown, it might be fairly simple for you to get to one of Targets in Queens. The one in Elmhurst is right by the R/M train - I think the stop is Grand St. but you can google it. Just take the E/F train to Roosevelt Ave/Jackson Heights and go across the platform to the local R/M. Even if you are on, say, 57th St and 6th Ave, the one-way trip shouldn't take more than 30 minutes.
I have no idea how the trip or the store compares to the one in Harlem; I am just suggesting it in case you might find it's a good option for you.
There is also a brand new Target a bit further out in Flushing, Queens, accessible on the 7 train, though I don't know how far it is from the subway (the ads say 2 blocks). It is in a big new mall with lots of other big box stores. I've heard that the Target there is quite huge but havent been there myself. Target - Flushing - Flushing, NY
Pathmark is much cheaper than Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart does not do the loss leader sales that Pathmark does. Don't get ripped off going to the suburbs to shop at big box clip joints.
2) Big box stores/mass merchandisers? I know there's a Target in Harlem. Is it safe to go there via public transit? Where can you do just simple one-stop shopping for cheap groceries, housewares, electronics, etc.? I read an old thread here, and I know that NYers hate the idea of big box stores, but you have no idea how much easier life would be with them - less time and money spent on products and transportation = huge savings for stuff you actually you want to shill out a lot of $ for.
There is also a Target in Queens and it is perfectly safe to go there by public transportation. (The closest subway stop in the Grand Ave/Newtown station on the M/R lines.)
There is also a new Costco in Rego Park, Queens which is also is very convenient to get to by subway. (The closest subway stop is the 63rd Dr station on the M/R lines.)
Yes! This is exactly what I was looking for. C-town, Pathmark, the Target in Queens (thanks for both store locations and subway directions, Henna), D'Agostino, and all of the above-named stores are more similar to the stores I'm used to. I've bookmarked them all and am happy to see that there are a lot of options not too far away. I'm still rooting for another Target or Walmart to be built in Manhattan though...
I've read some of the supermarkets' reviews online and have noticed that some stores or their certain locations have a reputation for not ringing up prices correctly, for not having a good selection, for bad customer service, or just always being so crowded. Any other opinions here? Thanks!
P.S. Thanks for the Whole Foods generic brand tip - I'll check them out also if they're not too far from me.
Last edited by monetlily; 01-22-2011 at 11:57 AM..
Fresh Direct is NOT cheap! They're expensive and you have to tip them every time they deliver.
They're about average... Not more expensive, not less so. And no, you do not have to tip them: "You are under no obligation to tip but have the option to tip if you received exceptional service. Further, FreshDirect delivery personnel are not permitted to ask for a tip."
I do agree about the Whole Foods 365 brand being the cheapest of them all.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
- I'll check them out also if they're not too far from me.
