Bullseye!
Speaking of dreams, one of mine came true this week and it’s going to change my life. Dear diary, it’s really happened, they opened a Target near me. If you are savvy, and you know New York or Target or both, you will say, “Becca, there’s no new Target near you – the last one opened like last year. Or the year before.” True. But I thought it was in The Bronx. It turns out, it’s in Riverdale. If you are inclined to think that Riverdale is actually in The Bronx, hey, just ask someone from Riverdale. Or plug the address of the Target into Hopstop and use The Bronx as the borough. Nothing, right? Well, try Manhattan. Yes, Hopstop considers 225th Street in Riverdale to be Manhattan. Nice.
I just consider it somewhere safe to shop. And shop I did. It’s 25 minutes away by subway! And no changes! One line, up, down, etc. Do you know how nice that is with bags filled to the brim with inexpensive merchandise? I may never shop at Duane Reade again, I don’t care if it’s on every corner of my intersection. Which it is. On the way back, I ended up talking to some lady from the Village (she didn’t understand the weekend service changes on the IRT, which have been going on for most of my adult life, it seems, so I am a fount of information) who had only come so far because she had a gift card. For ten dollars. And she said it took her an hour to find anything she could possibly want. Are you kidding me? I made comments to the effect of “$5 toothpaste at Duane Reade, $2.39 at Target” and such, and her answer was, “I shop at the 99 cents store, I never go to Duane Reade.” Well, if you want to die of poisoning from Crist brand Chinese toothpaste, have at it, sister! It later emerged that her handbag cost four hundred dollars. I cannot make this stuff up. By the way, I spent $165 at Tar-jhay. And I may go back this Sunday.
I want you to know, I have nothing against The Bronx. It’s actually my third favorite borough! Right in the middle. Here’s how it shakes out:
1. Manhattan – This may surprise you if this is your first day on this website.
2. Brooklyn – Sentimental favorite – I’m half Brooklynese and have swell memories.
3. The Bronx – Yankee Stadium, The Bronx Zoo, Botanical Gardens – what’s not to like? Please don’t answer that.
4. Queens – I suppose I just don’t really like Queens, maybe it’s the fact that I only find myself there in a huge hurry to make a plane. But it has the National Tennis Center and until they move it to somewhere better, I’ll continue to just enjoy it one week of the year.
5. Staten Island – I’ve seen it more often in Working Girl than real life. I believe I have spent one day there ever. I think I was ten.
So there you have it. And actually, I’m not sure I want a Target in Manhattan. Have you seen Union Square lately? And by lately, I mean in the last ten years. No, really, it’s beginning to make even I, who love chain stores, kind of queasy. So let’s keep it just over the border in The Bronx Riverdale, shall we?
I’m glad you have your Target and that you’re happy about it.
With one latte emergency exception, I have successfully avoided Target since my last bad experience there.
I’m tempted to give them another chance but they really irritated me last time.
When I was in Manhattan, I noticed that there were more Duane Reades than you could shake a stick at. I mean, I don’t really know why you would want to shake a stick at a Duane Reade, I’m just saying, if you wanted to, you couldn’t, because there are too many of them.
Congratulations on your Target shopping experience. Here in BigBoxStore SuburbiaLand, there is no thrill anymore in a trip to Target.
Ah, ha, The reason HopStop considers 225th part of Manhattan is because, technically, it is, even though it’s attached to the Bronx. That area is Marble Hill, formerly land attached to Manhattan. But when NYC needed to build a canal, Marble Hill became an island surrounded by the Harlem River on one side and a shipping canal to the other. They filled in the Harlem River and so Marble Hill became attached to the Bronx, but still part of Manhattan. That’s why the subway strips in the 1 train show 225th St. in Manhattan even though any normal person would assume it’s in the Bronx. This used to bother me every single day as I rode the 1 train from Manhattan to 242nd St. on my way to school during high school.
Be careful. That place has a $100 minimum. You might think you got away with something if you get out of there with, say, $40 worth of cosmetics and inexpensive t-shirts, but they’ll get you the next time.
Ima, I’m truly sorry to hear that. This is because, in my soul, I represent the Target Corporation.
Maureen, if you lived here, you would be able to come up with ten or twelve reasons to shake a stick at DR just off the top of your head. Even more to beat them with it.
Ben, but see, Target lists it as the Bronx. I wonder why? Could they be trying to reach that demo? Do they want their first Manhattan store to be in a better area and make a bigger splash? Intriguing.
Celia, believe me, I never walk out of there with less than $100 worth of stuff and I have no car.
Lowly SI placed last…
Take it from a 5th generation Staten Islander (no, I’m not Italian) the island has more to offer than meets the eye. Unfortunately commercial development and inflated property values are wiping out any charm it once held.
Just this past week the NYTimes ran 2 articles touting some of its remaining virtues.
http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/travel/11weekend.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/13/nyregion/13vineyard.html
BTW – they have a Target too
Is that where you found a long sleeved running shirt?
If you did…..YaY!
We’ve only had one here for about 2 years now. It hasn’t changed my life, but it’s a nice option.
Plus they occasionally put good chocolate on clearance. Woohoo!
Did you get the running shirt with the built in mittens?
Target is my favorite store ever. They literally have everything. And its so much classier than Walmart.
I love Target. I will finally have a Target about twenty minutes from my house very soon. I am excited about it! Like Soxy said, it’s so much classier than Hell, I mean Wal, Mart.
Oh, and a running shirt with built in mittens? I must find this!
Enjoy Target, Becca, and please think of me the next time you shop there!
Oooh, I love Target! I go about every other weekend just to pick up cleaning supplies and sundries. And I always find some cool, cheap thing I can’t live without. Last trip I got the first season of Weeds for $9.00!
Yeah, I agree with everyone’s displeasure with Walmart. I don’t know what it is, but seems like there’s always some kid behind me sneezing – yuck!
Abby, I’m sure it’s a great place to live (seriously, no sarcasm – I loved Working Girl!) but what would draw me, the out of borough person? You need a sports stadium, that’s my suggestion. Why, the Jets could play there!
KP, indeed, that’s where I got it. I would be there every day if it were in my neighborhood.
Soxy, no, but I saw it! And sortled at it. Although less this week when I was running in 40-degree weather. This is the shirt I got:
http://tinyurl.com/2b6aws
Dog & Merrick, I don’t shop at Wal-Mart. Mostly because there isn’t one near me, but I’m sure I could dig up another reason if it arrived. I once ordered something from walmart dot com and when I told the lady at customer service (there was some issue I had to call about) that there was no Wal-Mart near me, she said, “where do you live?”
Wow, I thought they’d have a Walmart in Opossum Holler, Arkansas Becca. Sorry about your luck. Maybe you should submit an e-comment requesting one. 😀
I guess you never heard of the Staten Island Yankees, not alot of people have. I know nothing about baseball, but I believe they’re a triple A team whatever that means. Just off the ferry with a view of the Manhattan skyline, some say it’s worth the trip.
http://www.siyanks.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staten_Island_Yankees
Shhh, don’t tell people where I really live, Merrick!
Abby, of course I have. But since I gave up my season ticket plan for the Baltimore Skipjacks of the AHL I haven’t been to any minor league games. We’re lucky enough here in Opossum Holler to have so many professional ones to break my heart year after year.
I just love all of the NYC knowledge I’m picking up on this thread. Maybe the next time I go back, I’ll do something other than aimlessly wander the streets of Manhattan all day.
Staten Island is everyone’s least favorite borough since the landfill closed.
Damn, I was going to take Maureen to the landfill on her next trip here.
I didn’t know that Manhattan is a Squallmart-Free Zone. No wonder I liked it so much.
They’re turning the landfill into a public park, fun for the whole family!
“Get your cancer here…get your FREE cancer here!”
Ahhh. Target. I literally just got back from a Target run where I bought $3.96 of stuff I need and $61.48 of stuff that caught my eye.
Should I mention the Target Visa I have that’s currently maxed out?
Haven’t they pretty much been able to keep Wal-Mart out of New York state, period? Or is it just the New York City area?
I would LOVE to never have to see another Wal-Mart as long as I live.
becca!!! hey, btw my best friend lived in brooklyn heights, she moved to bedford. now, they have a freaking mansion in bedford, but me, i preferred their brownstone in brooklyn heights. more character. more night life. more, well, more actual lights instead of hick ass country streets with no fucking streetlamps to speak of, but i digress. I guess I just want to use your forum to complain that my friend moved from one of the best cities in ny to suburban hell.
*sniff* i’m visiting you next time i come to ny. not her.
Oh my, who knew a post about Target and boroughs would be so popular?
There are indeed Wal-Marts in the NY area; there’s now one in what used to be the Sears in my hometown, White Plains. Just none in the city.
And Pips, duh, I could have told you that when you visited her. Oh wait! I did tell you that. 😛
We’re still light on chain restaurants at least
Yeah, my feeling is, if they don’t have it at Target, you don’t need it. And Wal-Mart is only fun if it’s one that’s open 24-hours, it’s 2am, and you’re drunk. And 22.
Sorry I’m so late to the game; I read my blogs on Google Reader and always forget to come make comments.
The Bronx should be second after Manhattan, but I forgive you. After all, it has all you mentioned PLUS City Island.
I used to like Target when I lived in the North Woods, but the one in White Plains is a-w-f-u-l. Also I think when you live in Westchester you get inoculated with an anti-Target virus.
Anytime, Mel!
Tag, you have the same sentimental bias as I have, only yours is towards the Bronx. It has nothing to do with amenities. 😛
Speaking of sentimental, I have such a huge extraneous reason for loving the Target in White Plains that I almost deleted your comment. But then I realized I could never delete your comments because, you know, I have a sentimental love for you too. So there we are. But even before then, I never had a problem with the Target in WP, I actually quite liked it.