Comments on: Big News or Big Let Down

By: S.U.S.B

S.U.S.B — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 21:54:39 +0000

Hey Mark,

FYI…the closest Trader Joes is actually in DC (Penn Ave and N. L St.).

By: John M

John M — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:46:08 +0000

Ideally (and in the long-run), it would be best for that shopping center to be razed and new multi-story buildings built instead. I have a feeling that the mall management are only signing short-term leases until plans to redevelop that plot are devised. When DDOT completes the pedestrian bridge to the center, I’m sure it will serve as a catalyst for new development at that site and in Edgewood in general.

Big Lots will be a good addition to RI Ave in my opinion – they’re no Trader Joe’s, but they have a good selection of discounted brand-name merchandise that will provide jobs and more shopping options for local residents. Forman Mills has a gawd-awful selection of items and the lines at check-out are the absolute worst I’ve seen.

By: Ruby

Ruby — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 21:53:51 +0000

Uhhhh…yeah I’ve gotta agree with Bill on this one. Shut it or move? Because we want our neighborhood to be a more walkable, friendlier place? Adding a big lots does nothing but create more traffic on an already traffic-esque fourth street. I was born and raised on Capitol HIll and moved to ward 5 because it was all I could afford but refused to leave my beloved city. So I should shut up and move because I am urging nice retailers to move here?? That seems ridiculous and TOTALLY negates the purpose of this blog, which is to hear people’s opinions and talk about things happening in our neighborhood. Don’t bring that negativity over here please.
I’m sure the residents of U street and H street both had a lot to say about the changes in their neighborhoods. But it started somewhere, right??

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 20:32:26 +0000

Wow, seems a little harsh.

Having spent considerable time in Shaw (late 1980′s – early 2000′s) before moving to Ward 5, I can attest to the fact that neighborhoods change. And those changes almost always start with a rather small group of activist neighbors.

Whether you like the changes or not gets into a much larger discussion. But the choices are not limited to “shut it or move.” Just sayin’

By: W52W3

W52W3 — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:57:21 +0000

I’ll agree with Kathy that Trader Joe’s is for higher end people who don’t cook. I recall visiting the Georgetown store and being miffed that the nice clean store with pretty decent prices is always in a high end neighborhood. I don’t see Trader’s trying to give the same nice stuff to residents in Wards 7 & 8. So I don’t shop there. As for Big Lots, I’m on the fence. I’ve only shopped at one in California and it was pretty neat but nothing I’m super excited about. As for those who are moaning about getting a Big Lots, you’re more than welcome to move to a neighborhood that doesn’t have one. I happen to live in Ward 3 (born & raised in 5) and there are plenty of apartments and homes for sale. You knew what you were getting into when you moved to Ward 5, so either shut it or move. Simple as that.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 10:48:43 +0000

If you want quality merchandise and clean stores and good customer service in our area, befriend the store managers and tell them what you like and what you think needs improvement in their stores. Talk to them — they need to know what their customers want, rather than simply hearing complaints all the time. And keep in mind that not everybody wants what you want. Be positive! (I used to run a retail co-op.)

As for those yearning for a Trader Joe’s, I’m really not a fan of Trader Joe’s. I think they are geared too much toward wealthier folks who don’t really like to cook very much, and I think they are too expensive for a lot of basic things (though they don’t even sell enough basics). Trader Joe’s is the only nearby option (except for mainstream chain grocers) I have for shopping for vegetarian/natural foods when we visit my mother-in-law in the suburban Cleveland area, and I simply can’t do very much shopping there because they don’t sell a lot of the ingredients I need for cooking from scratch!

If you’re disappointed that a Trader Joe’s isn’t here, have you tried talking to the managers at Yes! on 12th Street about stocking some of the things that you might otherwise buy at a Trader Joe’s?

By: ElleNDC

ElleNDC — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:00:39 +0000

Yes, it’s a let down, but Trader Joe’s has already said they’re not interested, so we have to get over it and move on. And while one crowd will be pleased and another won’t, it’s called gentrification. And since we’re talking about ugly spaces and walkability, where was everyone when they created the Home Depot/Giant Plaza? And who thought the ingress/egress made sense? Vincent Orange? How much did he get out of the deal? That plaza has turned out to be nothing more than a cut-through for Maryland commuters to get from RI Ave to South Dakota. The Giant is rodent infested and nobody at Home Depot knows anything about home improvement; they only want to see your receipt after they’ve witnessed you checking out at the register.

TJ Maxx is a joke – TJ Maxx in the suburbs doesn’t dare put a theft sensor on a $29.99 bag; our TJM doesn’t even carry high end handbags and then charges for a shopping bag because they sell food products.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my city, but sometimes Ward 5 seems to just get screwed. Big Lots is way cool in the ‘burbs, but if the Brentwood Plaza is any indication, our Big Lots will sell things suburban Big Lots wouldn’t even entertain – - their seconds, at best. So I guess the question now is – - how do we demand quality products and better customer service? Otherwise, we’ll have RI Row, Brentwood Plaza and 4th & RI selling us substandard merchandise and shabby customer service for years to come.

By: kln

kln — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 21:02:57 +0000

Thing is, though, that that shopping center on the north side of RIA isn’t really walking distance to the metro- not a short walk, anyhow. You can do it, but it takes a convoluted walk down the entrance ramp from the shopping center to the street (where there is no sidewalk), down under the overpass, then up the walk ramp over RIA to the metro. The whole trip from the shopping center across to the metro probably takes 10 minutes on foot- not really what a big retailer like Trader Joes would be looking for when wanting to be “walking distance” from transportation…

The city is planning a pedestrian bridge from the MBT trail over the CSX tracks to the metro, which will make that walk much more walkable. But that’s probably still a year or two in coming, I’d guess.

By: vvav

vvav — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 19:49:40 +0000

BIG disappointment! I wished for a trader Joe’s!

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 19:47:34 +0000

Trader Joes would rock in our neighborhood. since the closest one is in Arlington it would bring all the DC consumers….especially with it being within walking distance of the red line.