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How can Harlem residents afford the prices in Whole Foods? Or is it going to offer lower prices in that particular location?
There has been a Fairway in Harlem for years and it manages to do well.
Not all of Harlem is poor or even just working class. There are plenty of solid middle class and more and more upper middle to wealthy living up there.
Leaving aside students, faculty and employees of Columbia and Barnard universities there is also NYP hospitals/healthcare, a large and growing European community (French in particular), gays are also moving to Harlem, and so forth.
This particular store is going to be on 125th Street, not exactly deep into the "bad" parts of Harlem, well what is left of them anyway.
My guess you will have plenty of persons from both the UWS and UES/Carnegie Hill and even parts of Spanish Harlem (another gentrifying area) going to this Whole Foods store. WF is currently working on opening a store on Third Avenue and East 87th but if you live on say East 98th or above near CP probably 125th will be a better location. Especially if the store offers delivery and or you can have your driver wait/find parking.
How can Harlem residents afford the prices in Whole Foods? Or is it going to offer lower prices in that particular location?
Which Harlem residents ?
We can afford it, in fact we already shop at Whole Foods. And there are many, many other people here similarly situated. This store will do very well.
Nor is Whole Foods terribly expensive. Their organic milk, for example, is the cheapest I have seen anywhere. Ditto free-range eggs. And so on ... They do carry expensive items. People are free to refrain buying these items. They also accept all forms of food stamps and assistance.
Yet, the community meetings are filled with expectant (and entitled) demands that Whole Foods do just as you suggested - offer lower prices to "give back." So many people living here are tired of the endless "budget !!!" "dollar store !!!!" and "outlet" and "discount" so-called amenities. Zero retail diversification. It's all low income, and in most case, absolute bottom low income.
As it stands, service in the store will suffer because community groups will bully them into hiring entirely from the community. How successful is this ? Do check out the post office for an example any time.
Complain away. The rest of us cheer that there will not be yet another "C-Town" or whatever.
While we are wondering how Duane Reade could have come to be understood in context as "upscale."
There has been a Fairway in Harlem for years and it manages to do well.
Not all of Harlem is poor or even just working class. There are plenty of solid middle class and more and more upper middle to wealthy living up there.
Leaving aside students, faculty and employees of Columbia and Barnard universities there is also NYP hospitals/healthcare, a large and growing European community (French in particular), gays are also moving to Harlem, and so forth.
This particular store is going to be on 125th Street, not exactly deep into the "bad" parts of Harlem, well what is left of them anyway.
My guess you will have plenty of persons from both the UWS and UES/Carnegie Hill and even parts of Spanish Harlem (another gentrifying area) going to this Whole Foods store. WF is currently working on opening a store on Third Avenue and East 87th but if you live on say East 98th or above near CP probably 125th will be a better location. Especially if the store offers delivery and or you can have your driver wait/find parking.
Agree, but an important correction - this site is firmly in the "bad" part, as anyone who lives here knows.
It is important because the store will go some distance toward improving a really crappy area. The restaurants have not done so much, really.
Not sure if they offer the eat-in seats like some other locations, but if they do, expect people staying there for the air condition in hot summer days
True, but then again the Fairway on RSD and 133rd hasn't suffered because of location.
Fairway is not surrounded by drug rehab and worse, housing for the profoundly anti-social, and the New Black Panther Party and all of that fun. Whereas, this spot is.
Moreover, Fairway has been serving the Columbia community - many of whom have cars. They just drive up, park, and shop.
I personally dislike Fairway very much I must admit. Low quality far too often.
I do not have time to go shopping for fruit every other day because it has already gone bad.
Comment to the OP - Harlem Bespoke has the most frequent updates on this project if you are interested.
We can afford it, in fact we already shop at Whole Foods. And there are many, many other people here similarly situated. This store will do very well.
Nor is Whole Foods terribly expensive. Their organic milk, for example, is the cheapest I have seen anywhere. Ditto free-range eggs. And so on ... They do carry expensive items. People are free to refrain buying these items. They also accept all forms of food stamps and assistance.
Yet, the community meetings are filled with expectant (and entitled) demands that Whole Foods do just as you suggested - offer lower prices to "give back." So many people living here are tired of the endless "budget !!!" "dollar store !!!!" and "outlet" and "discount" so-called amenities. Zero retail diversification. It's all low income, and in most case, absolute bottom low income.
As it stands, service in the store will suffer because community groups will bully them into hiring entirely from the community. How successful is this ? Do check out the post office for an example any time.
Complain away. The rest of us cheer that there will not be yet another "C-Town" or whatever.
While we are wondering how Duane Reade could have come to be understood in context as "upscale."
Whole Foods no longer has the "organic" or whatever niche market sewn up in many parts of the USA. Hence their push to open more stores and or expand into what could be considered "sketchy" areas.
Besides Fairway, many regular supermarkets like Wegman's and others have expanded their "organic" and so forth offerings while also giving better prices. This has forced Whole Foods to watch their prices. Of course here in NYC Fresh Direct competes with all supermarkets from WF on down.
Whole Food's stock is not doing well and part of that is many on Wall Street don't see much room for expansion besides "new" markets. That won't help with prices because WF again still often does not have a lock on a particular area.
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