By Gus Saltonstall
The Upper West Side Trader Joe’s at West 72nd Street and Broadway is set to temporarily close in May, according to a new sign at the entrance to the store.
The popular grocery store at 2073 Broadway will shutter on May 17 due to “major renovation plans.”
“We will be temporarily shutting our doors,” the sign reads. “We promise not to be gone too long & will reopen as soon as we can. Our last day open will be May 17. This is not a goodbye but a see you later!”
A spokesperson for Trader Joe’s told West Side Rag in an email on Thursday morning that the West 72nd Street Trader Joe’s closure will last for “several months.”
“We will be updating a lot, including refrigerations and vertical transportation,” Nakia Rohde, a Trader Joe’s spokesperson, wrote to WSR. “All the changes are to improve the in-store experience for our customers and Crew.”
Rohde added that “some of your favorite Crew Members [Trader Joe’s employees]” will continue to work for the grocer at surrounding stores.
The West 72nd Street Trader Joe’s temporary closure is not a complete surprise.
Beginning in at least September of 2025, the Rag has received emails from locals mentioning that a clerk or manager at the store said the outpost would be closing for renovations in the near future due to needed renovations.
“A store manager told me the other day at the Trader Joe’s on 72nd Broadway that it will be closing in its entirety to replace all the escalators, elevator and remodel the store,” a reader wrote to WSR on September 18, 2025.
Over the past two years, the escalators at the West 72nd Street Trader Joe’s have been out of commission repeatedly, which we have reported on.
The Rag has reached out to Trader Joe’s multiple times in recent months to get more official information on the impending closure, but never got a confirmation on the closure or additional details until Thursday.
Trader Joe’s says its location on West 72nd Street and Broadway is the “busiest in the world.” The one other Trader Joe’s on the Upper West Side is at 670 Columbus Avenue, near the corner of West 93rd Street, which will undoubtedly see an uptick in customers during the next several months.
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This may or may not be accurate, but I was at one time told that this is the busiest Trader Joe’s of all Trader Joe’ses (sp?) anywhere. And, that the Columbus & 93rd was the second busiest of all. This will be “interesting”.
Sounds they have sufficient demand for a third location on the UWS! One can dream…
Maybe they could take the Wegman’s (which will probably never open) space across from Lincoln Center for the 3rd location…..
There’s one on 125th Street.
I love that one – it has a nice open layout. It also gets crowded but I find it a more pleasant shopping experience than 93rd where they often run out of things early in the day.
I prefer the 93rd Street space — street level……
They could put one in the supposed Wegman’s space…
“Situated in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a mere two city blocks from Central Park, our 72nd & Broadway store is hands down the busiest Trader Joe’s in the world. Covering two stories (three, if you count the entrance) and serviced by no less than two elevators and four escalators, 72nd & Broadway has about thrice as many checkstands and thrice as many Crew Members as a typical TJ’s.”
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/discover/stories/ten-most-intriguing-trader-joes-stores
“… serviced by no less than two elevators and four escalators…”
Of course, should be “no FEWER than two elevators (etc.)”.
It’s the worst store layout I’ve come across, especially given the age population of the UWS.
ditto. and the basement thing was bad and potentially dangerous in the event of a fire/smoke situation. Yikes! where is the exit! no renovation can fix that. Find another
space please.
I’ve learned to love the layout, as long as the escalators are working!
Agree. Especially with the way the checkout line snakes around the store near the shelves so that you have to constantly cut through the line to get the item you want.
On a side note, disappointed that they discontinued their precooked vacuum packed carnitas. A great fast and easy dinner.
It’s like shopping in a dungeon. And good luck to you if you have any sort of mobility issues.
Good news. New escalators are way overdue!
worst news ever omg
Ditto z melanie I now will have to take my shopping cart on the bus! Horrible!!
Fukushima was pretty bad, too.
Appreciate your level head.
It will be really interesting to see how they change the layout of this store, as it definitely makes the least sense of any TJ’s I’ve been to (I’ve been to all the TJ’s in Manhattan and some in BK) – at the same time, they can’t change the fact that it’s 2 levels, which is the trickiest part of the puzzle.
This is my main go-to market. It will be hard to find replacements for all the items and prices.
On the bright side, I’m going to lose a TON of weight without easy access to those peanut butter filled pretzels…
The popular Fairway supermarket…on Broadway & 74th St. (2 blocks from Trader Joe) will certainly see a huge spike in shopping traffic.
Hope that Fairway properly prepares its customers with full and adequate staffing for all their check-out counters in early morning …instead of just providing the self checkout lane during those early hours!
The produce and quality at that Fairway is pretty poor, compared to Trader Joes. Sucks thats the last option left besides Citarella
Recently discovered that Fairway carries pizza dough (can be found in two sections)!
Our family is making great pizza at home
Maybe the 93rd Street one can open earlier or stay open later for the refugees.
You were a heck of a third basemen, Sal! 😎
To avoid starvation, half the UWS will have to return to their parents’ homes in suburbia.
O the horror!
I wonder, actually hope, that the 93rd street store may start to offer delivery, while 72nd st is closed. New escalators and new elevators will be a much welcomed improvement.
I HOPE IT SHUTS DOWN FOREVER, I PREFER KEY FOOD
Don’t shop there if you don’t like it. No one’s making you go there. Why would you suggest that others shouldn’t have the same options you do.
Sheesh.
FAKAKTA! THE PRODUCE PRICES AT KEY FOOD ARE HORRIBLE!
I remember when Key food was cheap.
Don’t you mean “farkakte”?
No, Fakakta is absolutely THE correct spelling. Sorry, cute Shiksa!
Stop screaming.. Buy at Key Foods only if there is a sale. Didn’t your parents teach you to never pay the regular retail price?
Please stop yelling.
PLEASE STOP WHISPERING.
There’s space on 86st and Broadway if TJ wants to add an annex, which would be welcome.
There is a problem with the HVAC in that space. The city ordered Gristedes to vacate. It would cost millions to repair. A friend of mine at the DOB told be the back story years ago.
That space has been empty for years. Wish something would happen. The good places in the area are gone.
Those two spaces, across the street from each other on the north side, have been vacant for years! One of them I believe has been empty for over a decade.
Yes, it was a supermarket. Wish it would come to life.
I want us to get a branch of Tashkent! That would be a great space for it. and it would add real diversity to our shopping options. That space is only a ten-minute walk from the 93rd St TJ, much better place for a Tashkent.
Why don’t you get in touch with Tashkent and suggest this? I suspect they are not regular readers of WSR comments.
You “suspect”? Why? Let us know please.
I just doubt that the owners of an Uzbek supermarket in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, sometimes known as “Little Odessa”, regularly step away from their chebureki, shashlik, and plov to find out what’s going on on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
I could be wrong.
Why? Do you know the owners?
I was just thinking the same thing. The old Gristedes space on the NW corner would work great. That place has been empty for years now.
And 86th is a good midpoint between the other two locations.
Also, I’m a little biased cause that’s my neighborhood:)
OMG… My hair is on fire
I wish them well.
The worst TJ in the NYC area, IMHO — because of the crowding and non-intuitive layout. People lined up against the perimeter restrict access to the merchandise and you can’t even see what they have. I wish them well with the renovation and hope it will be an improvement.
Bronxite’s right. And even if you’re in the left line, people let you through to find your cheese or take a sample. People in the right line have to cross the left one for things too. The person behind you saves your place and pushes your basket forward, and you do the same for the person in front of you, all very civilized and neighbors-in-this-together. Like the blackout of 2003, without the worry. I’ve always thought shoppers’ adapting new processes and norms like this was a perfect example of New York spirit.
Pro tip: If you use the right line you can shop the food cases on your way to the checkout.
That’s my an awesome sign. Do you think it’s done by hand?
Good sign. Definitely not hand lettered. Look at the letter shapes – all the Es are wonky in exactly the same way. I can’t identify the font, but it’s definitely typeset.
Compare the letters they’re not the same. One R doesn’t match another R which doesn’t match a different R. It’s done by hand.
Looks like the graffiti you see on the buildings as you take the 7 train through Queens.
Absolutely done by hand
I would say no.
It is a cool sign,
This is a disaster for anybody who shops at the 93rd & Columbus location, an entirely too cozy space where there are already very long lines and many items sell out by noon.
93rd St should add some staff to stock the shelves midday while the 72nd St one is closed
A disaster?
Is this the level of snowflakery we must accept in NYC?
Jane, you’re fighting an honorable but losing battle. We all have our near-sighted views on our lives, and what looks like discomfort when it happens to others feels like Greek tragedy when it happens to us.
Trader Joe’s closing: A Greek yogurt tragedy.
A problem store, they need to pay for a suitable space, cough up the rent for the street level space. Finished. Other redesigns will only be stop gap solutions. What does it say about neighborhood thinking if people are willing to shop in a sub basement just because the prices are better?
The historical record is that subterranean shopping supermarkets close after a few years, Gristedes at 86th, Gourmet Garage at 96th, Food Emporium at 90th etc.
What’s wrong with a basement space for a supermarket? Do you look out the windows of other supermarkets? It’s an excellent use of space for a store that doesn’t need to attract random passers-by to stay in business.
And btw, a lot of us shop at TJ because they sell things other stores don’t. Okay, and also at like half the price.
I think it says that people are willing to shop in a sub basement because the prices are better.
Love the flowers and flaky cheese danish down there.
First, they value that location, right at subway station. I’ve been told by a staff member that management looked briefly at the one level empty store at 68th and Broadway that was once a Food Empiroum, and then Lowes for a short while. But the space is smaller overall than what they have now, and most important it was too far from the subway. I’m happy to put up with the awkward layout as they have far and away the best prices in the neighborhood for almost everything.
That old Food Emporium spot on 68th was enormous and it’s two blocks from the 66th Street station. It would’ve been amazing for Trader Joe’s to set up shop there.
Lots of Trader Joe’s are not near subway stations, though. 93rd and Columbus, for one.
Ever hear of busses?
Lots of Trader Joes aren’t the busiest Trader Joes in the Universe.
This one was open since 2010.
WF on 59th?
Summer. Farmers markets.
Don’t support Jeff Bezos.
But this one is the busiest of all the Trader Joe’s. No reason to think ot will close for good.
Should have been a parking garage, but the developer of the building had to get a variance.
Terrible retail space.
Don’t imagine that the Wakeferned Fairway will take this opportunity to fix the near disaster it’s become.
Wow I did not know that, very glad that space became the busiest TJs on the planet instead of parking
what does wakeferned mean?
I Googled that for you. Wakeferen is a retail cooperative. I have no idea what the adjective implies, though. Perhaps the sameness that we see when we go into bodegas and they all have the same stock of canned goods, staples and treats. And perhaps the writer is using it as short-hand for “Fairway carries the same stock as every other market in the area,” which may be too explanatory for the writer.
Wakefern is NOT a co-op. It is the largest private company in NJ.
Wakefern owns Fairway, and has nearly wrecked it.
Wakefern is a food retailer that owns a lot of ShopRite stores and now Fairway.
I disagree that Fairway is a disaster. It may not be the pre-2000s Fairway but it’s also not the private-equity-owned Fairway with rats scurrying around the second floor.
The PE Fairways at West 74th were much better run, rats or not.
Time to bring a TJs to Hudson Yards!
I feel bad for the staff there. I hope they’ll be able to get work at other TJs stores.
They will. I asked one of the cashiers.
The article says they will.
I spend a lot of time in Los Angeles (my hometown) where TJs has existed for decades and where I shop often. I do not shop at the TJs at 72nd even though I live close to it. The lines are horrendous, the various sublevels are inconvenient and their inventory is often depleted. I’d rather pay more at Fairway for a one-level shopping experience with ample inventory.
My local LA store is small but it’s all on one level and easily manageable.
The Fairway on Broadway is a two-level shopping experience.
I just live in my mom’s basement, and when I yell for it, she brings me a sandwich. /s (:
Does she deliver? Outside of your home, that is.
Haha, I am tempted to try to keep the joke going, but in lieu of a lame response, I’ll just say, thanks for the clever riposte! rock on
Nooooo!!! Can’t breathe!!! Seriously though, I’m sad that we will not have our TJ’s for a few months, but I cannot wait to see the results. Wishing all the best to the workers (they’re the best) and the local shoppers in the interim.
My layout wish list includes an express line for 10 or fewer items.
They’ll never do that, it creates too much conflict when someone inevitably gets on the line with 12 items. Just like they never have sales, they don’t sell online, they don’t deliver etc. It also encourages people to buy less.
You don’t honestly believe that any Upper West Sider is going to get on a ten-item line with 12 items? I can’t believe what little faith you have in the integrity of you neighbors!
[^Sarcasm^. You are **so** right!]
The Broadway & 72nd St store is fabulous. It’s right near the subway making it so convenient to carry heavy bags home. The staff is terrific & even when the lines are at their longest, the wait is never too long
I look forward to consistently working escalators but other than that, it’s the place to go!
Sari, I don’t know if you realize this is a positive comment. Not sure that’s allowed.
Need one near Columbia.
There’s always Pioneer. Upgraded and worth the trip.
this would be a good time for Wegmans Lincoln Square to open!
That’s not happening. They’ve backed out of the space.
Maybe they could consider a ‘parking spot’ for dogs upstairs and optional smaller shopping carts to help out with the space situation.
A pipe dream would be for them to abide by the health code and not allow dogs in after this…we can only hope!
Dogs make the world much better. We actually talk to strangers who adore them.
How many times have I entered this location, looked down and seen the line snaked as far as I can see, no matter what time of day, and left. I hope this remodel fixes the insane layout
Time to get an Aldi’s (owned by the same family as TJ’s). I know, I know. They never put an Aldi’s near a TJ’s, but a girl can dream, can’t she?
They are opening up a Aldi this summer on W43 St this summer. Can’t wait!!
I love that Trader Joe’s but the layout is cumbersome and the store was looking worn. I look forward to the reopening. However, I have always wondered why Trader Joe’s hasn’t moved into the empty PC Richards space at 86th and Broadway. It would be easier on everybody. Also, it would actually bring that sad, dead zone back to life.
Just a speculation here, but given a space near an express stop vs a local stop, I would keep my food store at the express station. Also, ‘my gut’ (having been in both spaces many times) is that the PC Richards space is smaller than current Trader Joe’s at 72nd st,, and very important, the PC Richards space does not have a side freight entrance.
Geography is destiny
I believe that the former PC Richard has freight loading space on Amsterdam Avenue, at the rear of the store.
To us sorry to say IT’S A TERRIBLE STORE. Yes, like a dungeon and constantly having recalls of their products. When they came to W72nd – the entire neighborhood changed for the worse. Dirty trash and homeless lying on the sidewalk etc. We hope they never re-open and give us back our street for a less depressing store.
I know! It’s so crowded that nobody goes there anymore.
My guess is that Fairway will raise its prices even higher to take advantage of customers losing an alternative,
Will they have glamorous new and accessible bathrooms when they reopen?
Now I wont be able to get my chocolate covered snails.
The Wegman’s which is planned for Broadway between 64th and 65th can’t open soon enough!
The Wegman’s is never opening. I talked with management about 6 months ago and was told that they decided it’s no longer a profitable location. Too many other grocery options nearby. They will simply absorb cost of their lease (5 years??) and move on. They will not put additional money into opening.
Bananas for 19 cents a pound! Oh, wait …
I’m glad they’re fixing the electric stairs and rearranging some heavy equipment for better customer circulation. The other TJ’s on Columbus Ave has had issues with items out of stock and/or slow restocking. Hopefully this will not be exacerbated by the temporary closure of the W,72nd location.
If you want big, comprehensive and easy to navigate, take the 57 bus to the TJs
on First and 60th Street. They got it right.
Fairway may never return, but a new discount supermarket/grocer/delicatessen could open.
Wouldn’t it make sense to have a temporary outpost for the months they will close. There are multiple empty spaces of all sizes to choose from. I can imagine that my neighbors will be quite inconvenienced by this closure.
I know the people who read this don’t travel north of 100th Street, but there is a nice one on W 125th Street.
Expect higher prices. When an entity does capital improvement it passes the cost to consumers/tenants.
I hope this doesn’t mean more traffic to the 93rd Street store. The exterior of that space is horribly designed IMO – their loading dock is adjacent to their front door, which means their delivery trucks regularly block two lanes of traffic, causing backups along Columbus Ave, and their pallets along the sidewalk block pedestrian pathways. They’re using public space as their loading dock. And that front door functions as both entrance AND exit, which creates a backup. It’s often a mess on that corner. I am not a fan.
I just hope the few months is really just a few months
They should move to the old Barnes & Nobles space on 66th st or the old Food Emporium space on 90th st.
The layout is just terrible! But Fairway is a complete nightmare. Expensive and horrible crowds and endless lines at checkout due to people shopping for Instacart and buying truckloads of items, which makes checkout take much much longer.
I will really miss having Trader Joe’s as a happy alternative because despite the lines and layout, their employees are unfailingly cheerful and happy to help. And they have items you can’t get anywhere else. At great prices.
This W 72nd Street layout is not as sane as the layout in Fairway two blocks away.
When I have entered these buildings on the rare occasion to get some groceries and observe human behavior, I realize that I come from a planet too far for many to fathom, and a civilization too advanced to comprehend.
I like the idea of opening an additional store where Wegmans was supposed to open on Broadway&64th or the former Barnes &Noble on Broadway &66th. Both locations have accessibility plusses. The 72nd st location has issues that can only be fixed with reno so, I hope it gets done right.
The store is pretty much empty already — and no trucks to re-stock outside.