Target Opens on UES
Atmosphere in the new superstore on Third Avenue was electric
| 22 Oct 2019 | 10:00
"We knew we were going to be really busy here," said Store Director Anthony Rodriguez. (
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Checkout line in the new Target. (
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As winds howled and rain poured down on the city last Wednesday, Oct. 16, Target was welcomed by the Upper East Side community. Located at 1201 Third Ave., at 70th Street, the superstore is 23,000 square feet, two floors and in the mid-1900s was formerly an FBI headquarters.
The Upper East Side store offers an assortment of apparel and essentials, health, personal care and beauty products, home décor, grab-and-go groceries and fresh produce. Services will include Order Pickup – which allows customers to order items online and pick up in the store within an hour.
The atmosphere in the UES store was electric. Target was filled with customers, whether purchasing groceries, clothes or other items.
Store Director Anthony Rodriguez, who has been with Target for 14 years, said the store has been jam-packed in a little more than a week of being open.
“We knew were going to be really busy here - we expected that,” Rodriguez said.
Target was originally only found in the suburbs. Now, with stores in Hell’s Kitchen, Harlem, Herald Square and Kips Bay, Rodriguez said the Upper East Side was a perfect spot for a new location. He added that the neighborhood has embraced the box store and it will be a valuable addition for years to come.
“We knew there was still a market here that we wanted to get to,” he said. “The community has been great.”
Adapting to Changing Markets
Among the customers there were friends Jenny Ahmed and Jazzy Bustos. Ahmed, who goes to Marymount Manhattan College on East 71st, likes how close it is to school.
“I came here because it’s right down the street from my school and it’s super convenient,” Ahmed said. “And I live in the East Village and I don’t have a Target by me.”
Bustos was doing her grocery shopping. “They offer a lot of products that Trader Joe’s doesn’t,” she said.
Targets were originally all 130,000 square feet, but the company has adapted to changing markets.
“Nationwide, Target is reaching new guests by opening small-format stores in urban areas and dense suburban neighborhoods and near college campuses,” said Target spokesperson Liz Hancock. “These stores offer an easy and convenient shopping experience in communities where a traditional-sized Target might not fit.”
By the end of the year Target will be coming to Columbus Circle on the UWS.