Trader Joe's

DAY 12
of the 30-Day Blog Challenge

The original(?) Trader Joe's in Union Square.

So, I finally was able to do some decent grocery-shopping. By 'decent' I mean buying good olive oil, salad greens, eggs, and so forth. The newly opened Trader Joe's branch in Chelsea proved to be a fulfilling stop.

The original Trader Joe's in Union Square (steps away from Whole Foods) is known to be quite tight with long lines leading to the registers. But, most people and TJ fans claim that the queues move quite fast—and I agree. However, the new bigger branch was a breath of fresh air: One could linger and ponder purchases without having to go elbow-to-elbow with other shoppers, or feel the pressure to move along quickly because somebody has to pass through the narrow aisle you're in.

Ironically, I'd never gone to Trader Joe's the first time I'd lived in New York. Perhaps I was a Whole Foods purist, up until recently when a friend told me how much cheaper everything was at the former. AND SHE COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE SPOT-ON! This evening I had a limited budget, yet, I'd managed to squeeze in said good bottle of olive oil, some cooked lemon pepper chicken fillets, milk, body wash, etcetera. Amazing.

The only sad part I see so far about the new Trader Joe's in Chelsea is that a
Barnes & Noble bookstore used to occupy this block.

Photos courtesy of dnainfo.com and besenretail.wordpress.com.