A Look Inside Forest Hills' New Trader Joe's

 Much to my pleasant surprise, the store seems enormous, bigger than I expected. My brain was actually having trouble wrapping around the idea that my carless self can now buy anything in this store and not mastermind some complicated method of getting it home. I can finally just walk! I'm a pretty jaded New Yorker, but I have to say this was a lot more thrilling than I expected. The below photos barely capture all the new store has to offer...

Forest Hills Trader Joe's Opens Next Tuesday

 The wait is finally almost over... The Forest Hills store will be the third in Queens, after Rego Park on Metropolitan, and Long Island City. The store will be 17,000 square feet in size.

On Tuesday, November 7^th, Trader Joe’s will open a new Forest Hills, New York store. The new store is located at 69-65 Yellowstone Blvd. Moments before doors open at 8 am, there will be a brief ceremonial ribbon cutting. Store Captain Carlos Salazar and Trader Joe’s Crew Members will be on hand to welcome customers to their new neighborhood store. 

 

This 17,000 sq. ft. store is located between Queens Blvd. and Yellowstone Blvd. a block away from Austin St. Its interior artwork will highlight the rich comic book history of the neighborhood. 

 

As a neighborhood grocery store, Trader Joe’s prides itself on hiring where its stores are located. Hiring efforts are still underway. Anyone interested in applying can visit traderjoes.com/careers for more information.

 

In addition, through the company’s longstanding Neighborhood Shares Program, the new Forest Hills Trader Joe’s will donate 100% of products that go unsold but remain fit to enjoy to a range of non-profit, community-based organizations, seven days a week.

A register at the Long Island City Trader Joe's this past weekend.

New Trader Joe's Coming to Forest Hills

 .... and you won't need a car to get there, finally. 

As I always said, the one on Metropolitan Ave. might as well be in Nebraska if you are like most of us carless FoHi residents. So this new store, opening where the former Key Food used to be, on Yellowstone Blvd. in the new building going up between MacDonald Park and Gerard Towers, will be just awesome. 

Finally, central Forest Hills is getting a terrific big chain supermarket option. 

Hmmm, maybe I can retire from this blog now? I've gotten just about everything I was hoping for when I first started the blog over a decade ago. 

Although come to think of it, there are still a few more things I'd like to see open here. A bookshop, for one. A place to get a decent sandwich on the fly like a Pret.  And maybe a salad place (though Natural does make some good salads these days, and TJ's has plenty in that department, too.)

 Anyway, this is really good news for our 'hood. Read more about it here: Trader Joe's Confirms New Forest Hills Store

(By the way, didn't I tell you back when the rumors started about this new Trader Joe's that the company never actually denied the rumor, despite what was reported? They said something like "we have no current plans." Which obviously did not mean they have no future plans :) 

A Carless Culinary Trifecta

For those of you in Forest Hills or nearby who are looking for a convenient way to do your holiday food shopping, I have figured out a great way. And guess what? You don't need a car! If you are like me, one of the many residents of Queens and Forest Hills who does not have a car, you no longer have to pine with jealousy at all those suburban-sized stores you hear about from your car-possessing neighbors. Here is my holiday shopping trail, just for you carless (and just think about it, no traffic, no feeding meters, no parking tickets, etc...!) :

First, hop on one of those shiny new F trains at 71st/Continental. Sit back, read, relax, enjoy your subway ride and in about 25 minutes pop out at the 23rd St./6th Avenue stop in Manhattan and you will find yourself in gourmet food wonderland, with three of the best stores just a block or so away!

Your first visit: Eataly, the gigantic new Italian food superstore at the corner of 5th Ave and 23rd. I love their incredibly fresh rustic bread (about $5) which I run in and out to grab whenever I am in the area, but this place is brimming with tons of Italian specialties from pasta to fish, hundreds of sauces, desserts, cheeses, meats, the list goes on and on. And you can sit down and eat there too if you like, they have like 5 different restaurants.

Next, walk one block over to 6th Avenue and a block or so south, where you will find between 21st and 22nd the newest Trader Joe's. Unlike the Forest Hills Trader Joe's down near Metropolitan Avenue, this one is actually easily accessible to those of us without cars! (Go figure, we can't shop at the one right here in Forest Hills, in our own neighborhood, but the one in Manhattan we can easily get to via subway. Just one of the quirks of city life I guess!) Anyway, this new Trader Joe's is much bigger than the one on the outskirts of Forest Hills anyway.

And finally, walk a couple of blocks north to 25th St. and a block west to 7th Avenue and there you have the final stop on my Carless Culinary Trifecta Trail: Whole Foods!

So, there you have it. Who said you need to have a car to live in Queens?? One quick and cheap 25 minute subway ride away and you are in the middle of the best holiday food shopping there is! And you didn't have to get stuck in traffic to get there!! Enjoy, and happy holidays!