Special Report: Wegmans - Astor Place, Manhattan, NY

Wegmans
Opening: October 18, 2023

Previous Tenants: John Wannamaker's > Kmart (1996-2021)

Location: 770 Broadway, East Village, Manhattan, NY

Photographed: October 4, 2023

The Wegmans opening at Astor Place is probably the biggest supermarket news to hit Manhattan in a decade or more -- and of course I had to get there to check it out myself before the store opened! By the way, the store opens tomorrow at 9 AM. Now, I will say that I have reported relatively little on this opening because other publications have done an excellent job, most notably local website EV Grieve, which got an incredible pre-opening look inside yesterday.

But to read more about the much-anticipated store opening, check out The Village Sun, TimeOut, Pix11, The New York Times, Eater, Winsight Grocery Business, NBC New York, The Syracuse Post-Standard, The New York Post... okay, you get the idea. But the nearly 90,000 square foot store is significant in that it's the largest supermarket in Manhattan by far, it's most likely the most upscale Wegmans yet with even fish flown in from Japan twice a week, on two levels. Wegmans has a store at the Brooklyn Navy Yard about two and a quarter miles south (which, in New York City measurements, is practically a cross-country trek), and recently closed an experimental two-story store in Natick, Massachusetts, near Framingham. It's tempting to say that the similar two-floor setup and large food hall of the Astor Place location suggests it's rather similar to Natick, but I think they couldn't be more different. While Natick was poorly-located at the back of a strange suburban mall, Astor Place is right smack in the middle of a bustling Manhattan neighborhood where the competition is, in some cases, literally 1/10th of its size, not to mention it's just blocks from NYU and countless other traffic sources. I have no doubt this store will be a resounding success.

The finishing touches were being put on the outside, with signage and promotional materials being put up in advance of the store's opening.

I am excited to go check out the new store, but my guess is I won't be there on opening day! Regardless, I'm sure at least one or two of those other local publications will cover opening day when I can't. But there's another change at a Manhattan supermarket a mile and a half downtown, near the Brooklyn Bridge. Check it out here!