Where have all you NYC residents been shopping for COMPUTER- & ELECTRONICS-related goods over the years in NYC & region? (New York: sales, 2014)

[UsAll]

Where have all you NYC residents (and greater NY-NJ-CT metro area residents are invited to answer this question as well)been shopping locally for COMPUTER- & ELECTRONICS-related goods over the years in NYC &/or the greater NYC metro area? Again, I am only interested in local retail establishments (not shopping online) for the sake of this discussion.

Just curious. For instance, there used to be CompUSA as a national chain of computer- and electronics superstores (perhaps up to ±150 or more stores at one time?) and now they are down to around ±28 spread around other parts of the USA (and all of their remaining retail stores now go under the name “TigerDirect.com”) and Micro Center (another great national chain over the years) never had a store in any of the 5 boroughs of New York City itself but has one in Westbury, LI, NY and then later opened stores in Paterson, NJ and then later in Yonkers, NY . . . and is said to be set to open their first-ever stores within New York City itself in March or April 2014 (one is Flushing, Queens and one in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn).

But, OTHER THAN the former CompUSA which used to be prevalent all around the NYC metro area (including at least one store in Manhattan) but is no longer anywhere in the NY metro area or the Northeast USA, there were, up to this point, no other computer department store-like superstores here in all these years particularly aimed at the computer- and related-electronics hardware, software, parts & accessories, & software enthusiast/hobbyist/techie/professional types. I’m particularly focused not just on run-of-the-mill items that one can get anyplace or virtually anyplace (e.g., Walmart, K-Mart, Target, Best Buy, Staples, Office Max, Office Depot, Radio Shack, and the like) but also the high-end and specialty items like the widest range of motherboards and cases, hard drives & SSD drives, flash drives, memory, advanced tools & diagnostics/testing equipment, computer & electronic parts of all types, every kind of possible software package, on-site repair & technical support services, et al (i.e., those things you are NOT always or usually, if ever, going to find at more general stores & lower-level stores such as the examples I gave).

Yes, you could have always made a special trip out to Micro Center (only after the point that they each opened for the first time) in Westbury, Nassau County, NY or in Paterson, NJ (about 15 miles from the George Washington Bridge) or in Yonkers, NY but these all entailed taking up a greater portion of your day and at the extra expense and time of using an automobile or commuter rail. If your hope or aim has been or is presently to stay within the 5 boroughs of the City of New York and shop for such HIGHER-END SPECIALTY ITEMS not typically found in more generic stores (unless you chose to simply shop online instead), to my knowledge, your only choices up-to-this to-date-of-writing to have a possibility of finding your desired higher-end (as well as mid-level and lower-end) items LOCALLY WITHIN NYC PROPER ITSELF have been:

1) Best Buy (multiple locations spread around the NYC metro area): you might or might not find particular higher-end specialty items at Best Buy (it is a hit-or-miss proposition) and the prices don’t always tend to be as low as Micro Center or the former CompUSA (with occasional exceptions)
2) Apple Store (multiple locations spread around the NYC metro area): if you are an Apple devotee
3) Microsoft Store (multiple locations spread around the NYC metro area): if you are a Microsoft devotee
4) J&R Computer World (only in downtown Manhattan): a very-large multi-floor store which has a rather decent or semi-decent computer- and electronics-goods department . . . though not as deep, large and comprehensive as Micro Center
5) B&H Photo, Video & Pro Audio (only location is at 34th St. & 9th Ave., Manhattan): a very-large multi-floor store which has a rather decent or semi-decent computer- and electronics-goods department . . . though not as deep, large and comprehensive as Micro Center

Now, per March or April 2014, there are going to be two new Micro Center stores opening within the borders of New York City itself (one at 71-43 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367 in the Kew Garden Hills/Pomonok sub-neighborhood of Flushing, Queens, and one in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn at 850 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232 virtually along the New York Bay waterfront) which will both be easily reachable by public transit and will have ample parking as well.

BUT MY QUESTION TO ALL OF YOU NEW YORK CITY RESIDENTS (AND GREATER NY-NJ-CT METRO AREA RESIDENTS ARE INVITED TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION AS WELL) IS:

So up to this point in history, where have YOU been shopping AT LOCAL RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS (not online), when you preferred to shop locally, for HIGHER-END computer- and electronics-related hardware, parts & accessories, supplies, and software (along with the typical mid-level and lower-level run-of-the-mill items found at most any type of store)?

Remember that the former CompUSA closed out all their NY metro area stores by 2007, so I know already that you could have or did, in fact, shop there locally (or at least checked out what they had to offer) for your needs. But since they all closed by the end of 2007, where have YOU gone and, up to this date, where do you go NOW for these greater-than-run-of-the-mill computing and electronics needs if you wish to have the item(s) TODAY and buy locally? Did you or do you presently take it upon yourself to make a trip to Micro Center in Westbury, Nassau County, NY or in Paterson, NJ? Or did you or do you presently use J&R or B&H or the Apple Store? Or did you or do you presently manage to find what you need at Best Buy? Or where else (other than just going the route of buying online)?

[yahay]

Only have about 5 years of history to talk about, but I could never find a decent store for computer/electronic parts store in NYC. Most are ripoffs. If I want to build a $2000 gaming rig, I couldn't tell you where I would be shopping. I would just go to Newegg.com and be done with it.

[UsAll]

Originally Posted by yahay

Only have about 5 years of history to talk about, but I could never find a decent store for computer/electronic parts store in NYC. Most are ripoffs. If I want to build a $2000 gaming rig, I couldn't tell you where I would be shopping. I would just go to Newegg.com and be done with it.

So you never took a trip to Micro Center (in Westbury, Long island; in Yonkers; or in Paterson, NJ)? Maybe you didn't know about it/them or don't have a car at your avail. Historically, Micro Center prices tend to be quite low or otherwise rather reasonable (amazingly so . . . often as low as or sometimes even lower than online prices, or, if higher than some particular online price at the time, it is often nominally so) and their selection and range is very, very large. Well, Micro Center is reported to be opening two new stores (their first ever) within New York City itself in a month or so (per this writing): one is Flushing, Queens and one in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

I had checked out J&R Computer World (downtown Manhattan) the last time in NYC and their breadth of selection seemed "modest to middling" but still much smaller than a CompUSA or Micro Center would offer. I had shopped many, many times at Micro Center in Westbury, LI and once at their Paterson, NJ store (their Yonkers, NY store hadn't opened yet).

It is astonishing that the megalopolis which is NYC hasn't had computer superstores in it or very near it in 7 years (since CompUSA closed). Many other major and even less-than-major cities around the USA do have computer superstores to serve their area populations (e.g., Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Wilmington - Newark area [Delaware], Baltimore, D.C., Atlanta, many Florida cities, Miami, El Paso, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Detroit, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Columbus [OH], Cleveland, Cincinatti, Indianapolis, Houston, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, etc. etc. etc.) yet the center-of-the-universe which is NEW YORK CITY has been vacant in this regard for 7 years. Unbelievable!!! Some cities/metro area (e.g., Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston) even have multiple competing computer superstore chains to serve them . . . but not NYC. Now NYC will at least have two new Micro Center locations which will be near-to-subway locations (in Queens and Brooklyn) in March or April 2014, to complement their 3 other locations in the nearby suburbs.

For some items, I want to see & inspect or even test them first before buying them or I just want them that very same day (rather than waiting for shipment to me) even if the price is a bit higher . . . so therefore I like to buy local if I can and the price is otherwise acceptable enough. Although occasionally I shop online as well.

[stillife]

We usually order online but we have bought laptops from J&R. Maybe it's a coincidence but a lot of their products seem to be wonky. I had bad luck with a laptop and a mini-tablet and my husband's laptop from J&R has a very weird/annoying keyboard setup. I probably wouldn't shop at J&R again, based on my experience. I went to Circuit City a few times looking at laptops. The staff (if you could even get their attention) were idiots and the items on display were frequently out of stock. The low quality of the sales staff is an issue with a lot of stores, with the exception of Apple stores. All they're interested in is selling you a service contract and they know little to nothing about the product. It's just easier to order online.

I've never even heard of Micro Center but I might just check it out. The one in Brooklyn is not too far from me at all.

[Kefir King]

TIGER DIRECT for all electronics...I cannot get more "local" than the desk in my living room. For air conditioners, fans, etc. I use VENTING DIRECT, an online store.
I have found, not unexpectedly, that online vendors can offer lower prices than brick and mortar (and salesmen) joints.

I used to like CompUSA next to Bryant Park LONG before 2007, like the late 1990's. I have no use for BestBuy because of their inflated prices. Radio Shack and J&R are both beyond abysmal. P.C. Richards for refrigerators, not computers.

Boutght TV's at Target and at BJ's Warehouse. CD, Blu-Ray players at BJ's, Costco, and TigerDirect.
Stereo equipment from, sit down for this, CRAZY EDDIE'S on Flatbush...probably their first store.

I have no use for Apple Stores because I own none of their products, and likely will not.

Probably the only hardware place I am wedded to is Home Depot.

[UsAll]

Originally Posted by stillife

We usually order online but we have bought laptops from J&R. Maybe it's a coincidence but a lot of their products seem to be wonky. I had bad luck with a laptop and a mini-tablet and my husband's laptop from J&R has a very weird/annoying keyboard setup. I probably wouldn't shop at J&R again, based on my experience. I went to Circuit City a few times looking at laptops. The staff (if you could even get their attention) were idiots and the items on display were frequently out of stock. The low quality of the sales staff is an issue with a lot of stores, with the exception of Apple stores. All they're interested in is selling you a service contract and they know little to nothing about the product. It's just easier to order online.

I've never even heard of Micro Center but I might just check it out. The one in Brooklyn is not too far from me at all.

Yes, the level of competence vs. incompetence among store staff is certainly notable over the years. CompUSA started out relatively or seemingly OK when they first started but, over time, their overall management (their way of running the company) went down & down. I often experienced their staff (by-and-large) as not knowing their rear end from a hole in the ground and their store arrangement, their store policies, and other issues left an impression with many (including myself) of it being a not-well-run organization. I remember I once asked them about working for them as a salesperson or, better yet, a technical support staffer and the manager quoted me a wage which was barely above minimum wage. It seems like they didn't make a genuine effort to attract & hire staff who had a high(er) level of competency. The same with the former Circuit City and, much of the time, the same can be said for the more generic stores (i.e., Best Buy, Staples, Office Max, Walmart, K-Mart, Radio Shack, and the like). I will say, though, that my experiences at any Apple Store or at any Microsoft Store have been quite good; that is, they apparently take the time to attract and hire staff who are experienced and competent. I am a high-level techie type and the Apple Store always impressed me as to their competence (I own many computers: PCs, Macs, and tablets running Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, and iOS) and, just a few days ago, I was having problems with getting Microsoft Office 365 installed on my MacBook Pro (under Mac OS X) and I went to a Microsoft Store; One of their techies troubleshooted my MacBook Pro very competently and knowledgably (getting it fixed and resolving the issue on-the-spot).


Since CompUSA was bought out and taken over in 2007 by Systemax (a national manufacturer of multiple product lines and the owners of TIgerDirect.com and other online businesses), they scaled back the ±150 CompUSA stores in the USA to nearly 28 or 30 (to-date), re-designed them, and, more recently, changed all the CompUSA stores to now be called TIgerDirect.com Stores. I’d be curious to check out how Systemax runs & manages their operations (i.e., do TigerDirect.com stores, unlike the former CompUSA, now take it upon themselves to only hire experienced and competent staff and to have good store policies and a well-run operation overall, et al?). I’d be curious and, if I’m passing through or visiting another part of the USA where they are, I’ll check them out to see for myself.

As to the other retail chains (other than the Apple Store or the Microsoft Store), there was a real difference altogether when I first encountered and starting checking out Micro Center stores around the USA (in Long Island, New Jersey, and Boston . . . though they are spread around the US) starting from 1995-on . . . as well as, at times, dealing with their national toll-free tech support on the phone). I virtually always have found & still find their staff to be quite highly knowledgeable, experienced and competent across-the-board (with very very rare exception) over the years since 1995. That is, I can speak in high-level techie language to them and they virtually always know what I'm talking about and, often times, even know more than I do (and I am a many-decades-long techie geek type). And their in-store service-and-repair staffs and the in-store Technical Support Departments have been usually found, thus far, with a rather rare exception, to be very knowledgeable and competent). What a contrast with the former CompUSA, Circuit City, and others of their ilk! And I always or nearly always find Micro Center to have a very very large and wide-ranging selection (their stores are quite large, like a virtual department store). Occasionally they don't have something I want, so therefore I have to shop online (or maybe find the item elsewhere locally but then most usually have to pay a higher price . . . as Micro Center seems to take it upon themselves to keep prices quite reasonable and often times even low). But, often times, if they don’t have something I want, the next time I visit the store, I find that they have often started to stock that very item that they didn’t have before. They even have a whole host of their own store brands (alongside national and international brands) under their own brand names like "Micro Center", "IPSG", "Inland", and others that sell for very low prices compared to manufacturers' brands.


But, at times, if I buy a hardware item from Micro Center (or any other competing chain store) such as a laptop or tablet or laser printer or whatever, instead of buying one of their store plans that offer only up to two years of extended repair or replacement of the product, I'll buy the product at Micro Center but I'll instead buy a 3-year or 4-year accidental repair or replacement plan from an independent national organization named SquareTrade (you can find them online and they are often listed as an option alongside all computer and electronics products found on Amazon). SquareTrade’s prices are quite low or reasonable and they offer up to 3-years or sometimes even 4-years of support (whereas even Micro Center, at present, offers only up to 2 years . . . although it might offer 3 years for Apple products). And SquareTrade will either have you go to a referred-to local service facility in your area or will send support personnel to you or they will pay to have you ship your product (e..g., a desktop computer or laptop or tablet or laser printer or whatever) to them and they will get a replacement shipped to you overnight.


If one, instead of living in the New York City metro area, lived in a city/metro area like Chicago, Illinois (for instance), over there you have a host of multiple competing national computer- and electronics-related superstore chains to check-out and cross-compare: in the Chicago metro area, they presently have 2 Micro Center stores, 4 TigerDirect stores, and 1 Fry’s Electronics store . . alongside all the other usual national chains (i.e., Apple Store, Microsoft Store, Best Buy, Staples, Office Max, Office Depot, Walmart, K-Mart, Target, and so on). It’s nice to live somewhere where one has many competing options for possible shopping. The Chicago metro area (along with Atlanta, Houston, and Dallas), has all the presently-existing national superstore chains there. Maybe someday the NYC metro area will have TigerDirect.com Stores and Fry’s Electronics Stores open up here as well. It's nice to have that option (beyond otherwise ordering from & dealing with an online-only operation).

[marilyn220]

The reason why the staff at many retail locations (not just computer stores) are horrible is because they are not being trained properly about the products in their assigned areas. Unfortunately, many of them have to "wing" it and you can tell they have no clue what they're talking about.

I never heard of Micro Center. I probably wouldn't visit the locations you listed anyway due to them being too far away. I like Best Buy and I don't have a problem ordering products online if I need them.

[mc33433]

Originally Posted by marilyn220

I never heard of Micro Center. I probably wouldn't visit the locations you listed anyway due to them being too far away. I like Best Buy and I don't have a problem ordering products online if I need them.

Same here... I've never heard of it. I don't think I would go out of my way to visit either. I've bought at B&H before for computers and cameras.... I also usually compare online to see alternate prices.

[marilyn220]

Originally Posted by mc33433

Same here... I've never heard of it. I don't think I would go out of my way to visit either. I've bought at B&H before for computers and cameras.... I also usually compare online to see alternate prices.

I compare online as well. What is B&H?

[mc33433]

Originally Posted by marilyn220

I compare online as well. What is B&H?

B&H is a huge electronics store on 34th and 9th. They also have a website. They're a fairly famous store. I find them to be very knowledgeable and helpful about equipment. I'd say they're known for video/photo equipment but really they sell everything. The owner and most of the employees are observing Hasidics so they follow Jewish holiday calendar and often close early before holidays.

B&H Photo Video Digital Cameras, Photography, Camcorders

Edit: Also wanted to mention they have an interesting conveyer belt system to get people's purchases to the cashiers/check-out. It's fun for kids to see as well.