If there's one dividing line separating New York City neighborhoods in early 2006, it's Whole Foods envy. Yesterday's Rumblings & Bumblings revelation that the Upper East Side might be joining the Whole Foods party sparked a flurry of reader emails and comments. Among them:
1) Upper East Side: "Can't say for sure that there will be a Whole Foods there [at Third Ave and 86th Street], but there's a half block of walk-ups that haven't had tenants for a year and all the storefronts on the ground floor have been bumped out in the past few months. 86th St Photo moved to where the Athlete's foot used to be, Haagen Daaz shuttered up (*sniff*) and the new rip-you-off Russian cell phone stores who spent a fortune on neon just a year ago have also closed. Clearly the entire row is going to be razed and a uber-condo will rise in its place. Perhaps a Whole Foods will occupy the new first floor. They better sell Haagen Daaz." More location speculation in the comments.
2) Lower East Side: "Does ANYONE have ANY idea when that Whole Foods in Avalon Chrystie is EVER going to open??? Or are they just taunting us and then shipping it all down to Tribeca?" Adds another correspondent, "Have you any word about when the Whole Foods will be opening on the LES? I can only take so much more of Key Foods vegetable selection."
Our attempts to find out an opening date for the Avalon Chrystie Whole Foods—originally pegged as this spring—have yielded paltry results. No question that progress has slowed; the photo above, taken last February, could have been taken this morning. Anyone know more?
· Rumbings and Bumblings Responses: Whole Foods for UES? [Curbed]
· Branding the Bowery: Whole Foods Edition [Curbed]
· Whole Foods New Stores: New York [WholeFoods.com]