The Daily News broke the story today:
Express Target will replace Barnes & Noble in Forest Hills
Express Target will replace Barnes & Noble in Forest Hills
Barnes & Noble out. Target in.
A new Target store is slated to take over the space formerly occupied by Barnes & Noble at 7000 Austin St., in Forest Hills, the Daily News has learned. The store will be the first flexible-sized location in Queens for Target, which has recently been offering more compact shopping experiences for city-dwellers.
Target inked a deal for a 15-year, 20,795-square-foot lease and is slated to open at the propery in mid-2016.
Awful! So depressing that Barnes & Noble is leaving Austin St. Target is only going to bring more traffic and crowds. Terrible.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely, except for the "awful" and "depressing" part. I freakin' LOVE Target and it will be awesome to be able to walk to it right here in the nabe. A HUGE win for Forest Hills, better than I could have hoped for.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Daily News article, "The new Target store will have a pharmacy, fresh groceries, apparel, health, beauty and tech accessories". Because Forest Hills doesn't have enough Pharmacies, drug stores, places to buy a cell phone and cheap clothes. If this were to be a Gracious Homes location, I can get on board. But do we need a Target Express in Forest Hills when there's a full-blown target in Elmhurst? I'm on the side that this is simply an awful addition to our neighborhood. Offers little in regards to "unique" other than low-end home-goods and clothing.
ReplyDeleteThere's already a Target near the Queens Mall, only three subway stops away on the R line. Instead of literate, bookish crowds, the storefront will attract the economically depressed, as Target is filled with nicely designed but low-end merchandise.
ReplyDeleteI love Target and while frequently depressed (thought not today, thanks to this news), am not economically so by any means.
DeleteYup.
DeleteWhile I am sad to see Barnes and Noble go (the last of the few real "bookstores" standing in the city) - I am excited to hear that Target is coming to Forest Hills. Sure, we have Duane Reade, we have CVS right around the corner and yes, you can get to a larger Target in Rego Park, but it's still nice to have an addition here on Austin Street. I don't mind it.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised by all the Target hate on facebook and on here... Why is everyone complaining? I loved B&N, grew up here and moved here again when starting my own family... sad to see it go but this could have gone a LOT worse than a Target!
ReplyDeleteI agree; the neighborhood could have gone worse than Target. I really like B&N but this just means spending more time at the library instead. Considering all the Urgent Care facilities popping up during the past year, at least Target is different. I hardly step into the one in Rego Park. Maybe I will start shopping more at this new Austin Street location.
DeleteThis is a horrible idea, not sure why you're celebrating. Oh wait, you're the guy who wanted an Apple Store aka you're the guy who wants to see Forest Hills continue to devolve into a strip mall.
ReplyDeleteThere's a Target two miles down Queens blvd, keep it out of our neighborhood. It's terrible for all of the small businesses in the area.
Barnes & Nobles have been in virtually every mall I've ever been to, so I don't get you there.
DeleteThis is a new format for Target. See my new post for more info on that.
Oh, and you can label me all you want, and I will do the same: You're close-minded and apparently terrified of change.
Barnes and Noble is a different kind of store than Target, regardless of their new "urban format." It is still going to put a lot of the smaller shops out of business. I'm not sure what is positive about this-- especially because there is already a Target 4 stops away. There are countless pharmacies, clothing stores, grocery stores and party stores already that are going to be effected by this.
DeleteWho's terrified of change? Sure I'm sad that Barnes and Noble is going out, but the RIGHT kind of store should be put in there. Not a freaking Target.
So anyone who isn't happy about a giant chain store coming in and replacing the only bookstore in the area is "terrified of change" and "close minded" ? Just because you solely read on a Kindle doesn't mean the rest of the world does. Pretty sad that you're celebrating the closing of a bookstore.
DeleteWE NEED THIS! Sorry to the haters, but this will make life so much easier. Key Food needs the competition. This news seriously made my day.
ReplyDeleteWow, so much Target hate. I think this will bring in more shopping to the area, which in turn will create more business to the restaurants (and future restaurants) in the 'hood. I agree that it could've been a lot worse, like another urgent care center. I'm glad to finally have another food option other than the horrible Key Food. Also, it's a great addition for people who want to start families in the area.
ReplyDeleteWell, it looks like the greedy Austin St. landlords have won. Sad to see the only store devoted to something beyond the practical (food, urgent care, clothing) will be gone.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad to see B&N go but let's be honest here...with the advent of ebooks, the big bookstore is going the way of Blockbuster and Sam Goody. Didn't everyone used to complain that B&N was driving the little guy out of business? From the Daily News article, it looks like they're closing the Fresh Meadows (already known) and Bayside locales too.
ReplyDeleteMaybe a little independent bookshop can open somewhere
Just another chain to run out the Mom and Pop stores. But honestly, it's better than another crap woman's clothing store.
ReplyDeleteThe crap women's clothing stores *are* Mom and Pop stores. So are the 99-cent stores and dismal party stores.
DeleteSeriously, I'm so tired of the "mom and pop" whining. No one needs more dusty, dingy hole in the wall shops with inferior, outdated (yet overpriced) goods and mediocre selection. You want mom and pop, move to South Dakota. And I'm not some "millennial," either. I'm over 50. But I'm also progressive, and that means wanting to see PROGRESS.
DeleteB&N business model comes full circle. At the end of the day, blame Amazon for the demise of B&N not greedy landlords.
ReplyDeleteRetail book industry is on life support at least in terms of the super store.
I'm a bit conflicted. On the one hand, I'm sad to see B&N leave. On the other hand, I don't have a car and it can be a pain to go to the Target in Rego Park just to get a new shower curtain liner or some other small item for home or a seasonal item. The congestion will go through the roof, though and that will stink. Maybe they should turn Austin St. into a pedestrian plaza? I don't know...I'll leave it up to the powers that be. As for the pharmacy part of it...man, we're all in the wrong business. How many pharmacies do we need? It's not just Forest Hills, it's everywhere! One thing's for sure, at least the prices in Target will be reasonable. I think Metropolitan Ave will be where we'll find mom&pop and independent stores leaving Austin St. to the big names and crappy stores. It's too bad there isn't an overall vision for commercial space in FH.
ReplyDeleteGreat. More foot traffic on a busy crowded street with day incomers. No thanks.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure a lot of the local bars, restaurants and smaller stores will absolutely welcome that additional foot traffic! Have you ever heard of the concept of an "anchor store?" It's one that makes an area more of a draw for additional retailers who want to be near it to share some of that exact foot traffic you are referring to.
DeleteI for one welcome a place in the 'hood to once again buy a simple bathroom towel, paper for my printer (hopefully), and large sizes of everything (hopefully).
I for one am tired of roaming the streets and dealing with the subways trying to find something as simple as a plunger, a screwdriver, nice contact paper, or tension rods for my apartment. The new CVS sells no home goods, and Duane Reade/Rite Aid are pretty much the only other options but their selections are small, too. We won't even get into that nasty "Value Depot," which is just all half-empty shelves of dusty, inferior crap anyway. I welcome Target.
Deletethis is great, consolidate all the daily necessities at a more efficiently run store with lower prices. this provide more space and storefront for additional eatery to join the austin st area. we need better restaurants and small eateries (this small noodle shop etc.) instead of these crappy stores that sell overprice items that you can get online for lot cheaper.
ReplyDeleteTheir toiletries are cheaper than everyone of chain pharmacies. That will be a plus!
ReplyDeleteI could not agree more with Drake.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that the average person does not understand the concept of an Anchor Store. This is exactly that we needed here. Austin St has become boring, dated and predictable. Countless other areas are growing and doing well with retail. Austin St has seen a decrease since 2013. Numbers don't lie people!
For all of the Target haters, what exactly would you have liked in its place? Barnes and Noble does not count has an answer. They are restructuring their stores nationwide and adopting a smaller store model.
I think this is great news. Even though it's only 3 stops away, the big Target is a schlep. Too many stairs and turnstiles to drag stuff through, plus the fairly long walk (especially when you're carrying stuff) between the Grand Ave, station and the Target mall, then the elevators or escalators take forever both ways, the endless wait for the train back, then more stairs and turnstiles… UGH. Won't miss that AT ALL.
ReplyDeleteThough I will welcome the opportunity to get soap and shampoo at a dollar less than I would pay for it at CVS, Rite Aid, Duane Reed or a local pharmacy, I would much rather travel the 3 subway stops to the big Target and use the BN space for classy, interesting store. It would have been great as a craft beer garden, bigger Red Pipe type coffee joint or Urban outfitters type store. Granted, as a woman in her early thirties I have distinct preferences, but I am starting to get depressed living here because the charm of the neighborhood which drew me in is dissipating before my eyes in the form of banal drug stores and medical facilities, mediocre wild buffalo wings, and low end home products. If I didn't buy my apartment, I'd move..
ReplyDeleteIts funny that the prior article on this block highlighted that Queens is becoming a destination for tourists. Many of these articles fail to see Queens as more than LIC, Astoria, and ethnic restaurants in Jackson Heights. But, in a way, they are right. Why, as a tourist, would I want to go to Forest Hills? Drug stores, urgent cares and Targets are everywhere. Bring in a charming beer garden, a bigger Red Door type coffee shop, some cool clothing shops that don't only sell cheap, short dresses and a hip restaurant that isn't overpriced. I bought an apartment here 5 years ago and now I am starting to regret it. Its true that my neighbors are generally pleasant and the streets are clean, but Austin street is no longer a draw. Its going to become an eye sore.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean by "bring in?" As far as I know, no one is sending out invitations to businesses to open ANYWHERE. If you have a vision, fund it and open it. And what you call Red Door, is actually Red Pipe.
DeleteWe need cooler spots; Station House is great -- a beer garden would be awesome. We need some Brooklyn proprietors -- Queens people always do it wrong; it always feels like some Blue Collar dolt trying to make something 'fancy' -- it always comes out tacky. In addition, we have too many places where doofuses from Jamaica feel they can wild out...; ghetto fabulous....
DeleteI agree - I live here, it's safe and clean but Austin St. is boring, except for a few newer hotspots like Banter, Station House and Red Pipe. When I really want to have a good time and be out all night, I hit Astoria. Sad that I find other neighborhoods more lively than my own.
DeleteMust all be perspective. I have a number of LI friends who actually come to Forest Hills on the weekend just for the bars you mentioned.
DeleteAre any of you people complaining about this aware that the Barnes and Noble was doomed to fail when you simply brought your kids there to play and look at things without buying them (or waiting to get home and buy them online). If you wanted B and N to stay you should have supported the business with your wallets instead of your mouths.
ReplyDeleteI'll miss Barnes &Noble but I rarely buy stuff there anymore, I read ebooks and from the library,,if I want to buy a book I can go to amazon. What we really need in the neighborhood is a place to get housewares and hardware for those of us without cars and hopefully Target will fill the bill.
ReplyDeleteIf they have toys/games, I could be convinced to accept a Target Express. We don't need more toiletries. Most of my B&N dollar was shopping for birthday parties anyway.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have the exact opposite opinion. The toys/games situation is one of the reasons shopping at the other Target (and Costco, and just about everywhere else) is such a nightmare. Not all of us either have or like children running around screaming and throwing things when we're trying to shop. No matter where you shop now, even if you try to time it for 11pm to avoid it, kids are running wild and parents do nothing to control them. I would prefer toiletries galore to that zoo. Forest Hills is becoming one big Mommy and Me, and not all of us enjoy that.
DeleteI hope they sell crafting and art supplies as well. Now, if we can only get a Fairway or Whole Foods, Forest Hills will be close to perfect!
ReplyDeleteare they going to sell book at target express i hope they do
ReplyDelete