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UPDATE
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Just to clarify a few things:
1. Hechinger Mall is in Ward 5, not Ward 6.
2. Tommy Wells is the Ward 6 Councilmember.
3. Harry Thomas is the Ward 5 Councilmember.
4. For those who didn't follow the link, it leads to a Tweet from Tommy Wells' Twitter feed. I linked to it because that was the first time I heard anything concrete about an Aldi moving to Hechinger Mall.
I heard from someone I know in Tommy Wells' office today who, reading over some of the comments here, wanted to make a few points. A portion of that email appears below.
A few details that might be helpful:
Tommy ran into a regional VP for ALDI at a hearing yesterday. The VP mentioned to Tommy that they will be locating at the Hechinger Mall location. Tommy then Tweeted it to share the news. That’s about all that happened.
Just to note, it’s located in Ward 5, not Ward 6.
This isn’t removing or replacing the Safeway, it’s just adding another grocery store option/competition.
This has zero, zilch, nada impact on what grocer goes in at 3rd & H Street NE. In fact, the developer is deep into negotiation already on the lease details for the full service grocer that is going in at 3rd and H Street NE. We don’t know which grocer it’ll be; they won’t tell us because of the on-going lease negotiation.
And the Washington Business Journal picks up the story.
162 comments:
woo wee, this is blowing up twitter right now.
all can say is ghetto fabulous
Is this actually an improvement over Safeway? I hope so.
crap is safeway leaving hechinger to go to 3rd and H and we get a aldi? it is like big lots for groceries.
crap is safeway leaving hechinger to go to 3rd and H and we get a aldi? it is like big lots for groceries.
Shit. A ghetto grocery..just what the neighborhood needs.
Boooo. Boooo. Booooo. Booooo. Booooo
I'm so glad I bought my place which is closer to NY Ave metro. It's going to be sweet having a Harris Teeter 3 blocks away.
btw, Aldi is notorious for terrible cashiers.
I really don't know anything about Aldi. I've never seen one or heard about one, but according to their web page their stores are less than 18,000 SF. 1/3 to 1/2 of a full service grocery.
This just sounds weird... they're too small to really replace Safeway, but I can't imagine Safeway allowing another grocer in the center if they stay. Plus, the 3rd & H grocery store won't open until at least 2012, and there's no way Safeway would leave their current spot 2 years before a new one opens. Plus the 3rd and H site would be small for a Safeway.
Like I said, this is weird.
Here's the link to Aldi's real estate requirements:
http://aldi.us/us/html/company/company_real_estate_opportunities_ENU_HTML.htm
Adult-with-Learning-DIfficulties.
oh yuck.
oh c'mon! it's european! which makes it hipster cool, for euro trash wanna be's.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldi
oops. here's a link, they're european!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldi
Am I missing something? Is that Safeway closing or leaving? Has there been an announcement to that effect, or are people just speculating?
Time to move.
Personally, I was assuming that the Aldi would be replacing the Safeway, but it sounds like that might not be the case at all.
Aldi is low rent. Here comes the ghetto....again.
Good work Tommy. You just lost my vote.
Folks - did you prefer the liquidators store (or the vacant real estate)?
Aldi's certainly is a significant step up from the two immediate prior options. If they keep the parking lot clean/secure, that is another potential benefit.
"Really now"' you are willing to settle for subpare. You bite at scraps when this neighborhood deserves better.
Think of dollar store for groceries.
According to wikipedia, it's the same company as Trader Joe's. We want a Trader Joe's!
The name recognition would do wonders to get more middle class people to shop there!
I don't get it. A trolly line will be running right by the store. Benning Rd and H st will soon undergo a massive facelift. The starburst intersection is "almost" complete. Bars, shops and restaurants are popping up on H st like there's no tomorrow. So why throw in a food stamp magnet grocery right in the middle of it all? This makes no sense to me.
Good question. Lets ask Tommy Wells what the F he was thinking.
Not surprising. Until more educated, working class and tax paying citizens start buying or renting homes in the area we will continue to see that section of DC deteriorate.
The ratio for working class people to people on welfare is still out of whack. If I were an investor/developer I would rather put in an Aldi than a Trader Joe's. Seems like basic economics to me.
The area is rapidly changing however. I'd give it 3-5 more years for more bars/restaurants to open up on H st before any major retail opens up on H st/Benning Rd. I also thing things will really change once the street cars are up and running.
this is the EXACT opposite of what I was hoping for as far grocery options near/on H St...instead of a Whole Foods Tommy Wells trumpets a new Murray's-style *&!$ store.
I can't believe he is supporting this...I would prefer razing the entire Hechinger mall to this.
Streetscaping and the trolley is now a complete waste of money. WHAT THE HELL IS TOMMY WELLS THINKING!?!? THANKS FOR SENDING MY NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE SH*TTER!
not crazy about having an Aldi, but let's give it a chance. i grew up in the Midwest and Aldis were actually fairly nice and had great prices on bulk meat and other items. of course this was in the 70s and 80s so a lot has probably changed.
the real news though seems to be what's going on with the safeway. i assume safeway must be leaving. there is no sense in having those two stores back to back in that mall, considering the target clientele for both would overlap heavily. and i don't think i've ever seen two grocery stores set up shop shoulder to shoulder before like this. why would Aldi take that spot knowing safeway is right behind them selling the same stuff? the only answer i can come up with is that safeway must have other plans.
Safeway and Aldi are 2 completely different types of stores. It's like comparing the dollar store to Target. I'm sure Safeway will do fine with them right there.
And I wouldn't mind shopping at Aldi in the midwest. But on Benning Road? No thank you!
I just checked out aldifoods.com. I will only welcome the store if they renovate the old liquidator store so it looks like the aldi stores on the website. The food may suck but at least it'll look nice.
They better not just slap an Aldi sign on the front of that disgusting brown looking slaughterhouse. Have any of you ever been inside the liquidator store when it was open? I was in there once looking for batteries and I left right away. I've never felt more depressed in my life.
While I'm somewhat disappointed in an Aldi coming to that area, I'm still very pleased with all the progress that the H st/benning road area is making. We've come a LONG way and it's only the beginning. It takes time. I'm still proud to say I own a home in Trinidad.
yea i checked out the website. looks a bit different than what i remember. the Aldis near me when i was a kid were pretty much regular grocery stores with discounted prices, sort of like a shoppers or supervalue. these look a little more like National Wholesalers but with food. i may have to drive out to maryland this weekend to check out the Aldis out there to get a better sense of what to expect. i'm still going to reserve judgment though. it could work, not everything in the neighborhood has to be high-end. though let's hope they improve the facade of the space rather than just putting their sign up. and i still don't see how Aldi and Safeway are going to coexist without canibalizing each other
"I'm still proud to say I own a home in Trinidad"
Would you like this epigraph carved in Garamond or Times New Roman?
This blog is fun to read. What's the big deal? There were a couple of comments up there I agree with...I think it's less the store and more the people hired to work there. If you put an Aldi out in Fairfax, it would be a pleasant place to shop. Put it in that shopping center and it'll be.....less pleasant. The exact same phenomenon can be seen comparing the Home Depot here and the one out in Fairfax. It's like two different companies own the stores.
The other good comment was about the density of people with money. We got our houses for cheap because there aren't a lot of people with money who want to live here yet. And that's why there aren't a lot of stores that cater to people w/ money here yet, either. Complaining is ridiculous...there's a big Virginia waiting out there for anyone who wants the "nice" stuff. Meanwhile, this is also keeping us from having H St. be a sterile chain-only yuppy haven w/ a Starbucks every three blocks. It's the nature of the beast.
the anonymous commenter who said this:
Not surprising. Until more educated, working class and tax paying citizens start buying or renting homes in the area we will continue to see that section of DC deteriorate.
The ratio for working class people to people on welfare is still out of whack. If I were an investor/developer I would rather put in an Aldi than a Trader Joe's. Seems like basic economics to me.
needs to back up their claim with solid data.
the neighborhood is mostly working class. there are people on welfare, as there are everywhere, and sure, there are more of those people here given the fact that there are public housing projects nearby. but the neighborhood is not majority welfare. prove me wrong.
i'm still proud to say i own a home in trinidad as well. your prejudices and preconceived notions are signs of ignorance, period.
aldi is basically Murray's except you'll have to pay to use a cart.
imgoph: where did that anon poster say that the neighborhood is majority welfare recipients? I don't see that anywhere in his/her post.
annoyingmous: you're right, they (whichever they it is, since there are 293749293 anonymous posts here, so it might be the same person posting over and over again for all i know) never used the term majority, but that's what i inferred from their comment that the "ratio is out of whack." the ratio is likely either balanced towards working-class residents, or it's balanced towards welfare recipients, so i figured that's what they were saying.
either way, if they look at the actual numbers, they'll see the majority of the neighborhood (and it's impossible to tell what they consider "the neighborhood". given that one of these anonymous commenters was ragging on trinidad, you could argue that's what they're talking about, but maybe they meant carver-langston, maybe they meant both of those neighborhoods together, maybe they meant to include the two plus kingman park and rosedale—i honestly have no idea what to expect when the comments thrown out aren't backed up with any modicum of facts or reason) is definitely working-class.
I wish it was something else like a gym, but economic geography sez that both grocery stores will prosper. People will shop at both, and will be attracted to the mall because they have a choice. Malls are going belly up. It's a good sign to the neighborhood that they found someone to pay the rent.
There's an Aldi off Route 1 in Alexandria (8256 Richmond Highway). You should check it out to see what you're getting into. I've been once about three years ago. Never been back.
Who says Aldi is moving into the old Liquidator spot? It makes sense for them to just take over the Safeway location, especially since it is already March.
Hmmm, Wholesale Liquidators is too big for a grocery store. If not Safeway, maybe Blockbuster.
Aldi is indeed not Whole Foods.
But maybe that's the point.
We can't all shop at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.
And those of us that currently can, a couple months of unemployment and we may be wishing we had an Aldi nearby.
I've been to and Aldi. They aren't really nice. But it was certainly adequate.
Was I on welfare? No. Were there people there that clearly were? Yes. Did that make me whimper in a corner, fearful for my very safety? No.
Of course, that was in a small town, where the store staff actually seemed to care about presenting as nice an experience as they could.
I suspect this may not be the case with staffing at this Aldi. But who knows - maybe they will surprise me.
The shopping experience at this Aldi will be pretty much up to the staff.
But it would suck if this announcement makes it harder to get a nicer grocery at 3rd and H. I don't know enough about grocery store economics to say one way or the other on that.
imgoph -
Do you have any solid data that proves my post wrong?
I live right by Hechinger Mall and this is just based on every day observations. If you know of any way to find out for sure please let me know.
So Anon, you make a statement about ratio of working to welfare with no data to back it up, and then call on imgoph to do your research for you? Makes sense...
I lived by an Aldi in the early 2000s in upstate NY. The store didn't have everything I needed but it did have the bulk items I would buy at Costco but with out the membership fee. The store was well maintained and had a nice parking lot. If this Aldi is similar it will be a nice addition to the neighborhood. I'm actually looking forward to it because I can let my Costco membership expire.
I have no idea what percent of people in the neighborhood are on welfare, but go to Safeway anytime at the beginning of the month, and you can see the scores of people who *are* on foodstamps.
Aldi's kinda makes sense- and yes, we middle class people can save money on food too. Or if not, we can choose to shop at a store with a "lifestyle" mark-up. If people choose to spend more on a box of pasta because it is from a fancier store- thats cool, too. The owners of Whole Foods are laughing all the way to the bank.
With 10 to 1 negative comments regarding Adli's, has anyone asked Tommy Wells (or Charles) for comments on how/when this was approved? Seems this could backfire on him politically. I want to know what's happening to the Safeway?!!!
I love the drama about Safeway!
Aldi's is most likely going into the Liquidator's Site, since it's vacant and is looking for a tenant-and Aldi's would be a good fit.
I'm sure the Safeway is doing fine-it's often very packed.
Jeezus, you people turn my stomach. A low-end grocery store decides to move into what definitively is a lower- and lower-middle class neighborhood at best, and you're all complaining that you're not getting a Whole Foods. Open your eyes and look at where you live. YOU might have your stable government salary or trust fund helping you buy iced lattes and organic whole wheat everything, but 60-70% (no, I haven't done research, I LIVE here and have EYES) of the residents where this Aldi wants to locate are the exact customer base - those with limited income who need to watch their spending and will be very grateful to have a discount grocer closeby. It's not all about YOU and what YOU want.
What right do you have to insist on knowing HOW and WHEN this was approved, and what business is it of yours anyways? You act like it's going to be a blight on the neighborhood - it's a freaking grocery store! And it wants to fill a vacant space and has presumably done a good deal of market research on, and they've decided to invest their money and reputation right in the middle of YOUR neighborhood. You don't like 'em? Dont' shop there.
But don't think that you have any business or right calling into question their right to decide to be there. Just because you don't have a need for them doesn't mean you need to start demanding restitution, or even explanation. If you're as high-brown as you seem to think you are, you probably don't visit ANYTHING on H except for the hipster bars & restaurants. So, just like with all the wig shops and cheap liquor stores and chicken/burger/seafood joints, shut yourself up and just let them do their thing, and keep pretending you live in a neighborhood where a Whole Foods is just a matter of a petition away.
no one anywhere said safeway is going to be leaving. maybe it is, who the hell knows? why don't one of you anonymous people go and ask their management.
as far as research goes, random anonymous poster #482674, check out the census bureau's website and click on "american fact-finder," you can start your research there.
finally, for the few people who are railing against tommmy wells on this. you do all realize that hechinger mall is in ward 5, right? tommy is the councilmember for ward 6. if you have such a problem with this that you want to picket a councilmember's office, start a recall petition, or berate them personally (i wish to do none of the above), your councilmember is harry thomas, jr., in case you've forgotten.
I'm confused. I'm by no means a Tommy Wells fan; but how is this his fault? If the company buys or leases the space legally, follows all the regulations they're supposed to, doesn't violate any constraints from zoning or DCRA or anyone else, just how is Tommy Wells supposed to stop them? What *should* he be able to do? I don't remember seeing "L'Etat, c'est moi" on his webpage.
You don't have to be a genius to know there are more people on welfare than white collared working class people in that area. Asking for data to back that claim up just shows me you know that statement is pretty accurate knowing there's really no way to prove it other than living in the area for 5+ years.
imgoph: oof, the Hechinger mall is in Ward 5? Good to point that out.
Anon 9:47 -- I agree. I'm not interested in Aldi in the slightest; but unless someone has some legitimate argument as to how an Aldi is going to drive up the crime rate, the complaints here sound like "I'm not interested in this place; therefore it should go, because it's all about me."
i really, really, really, really, really, really, really wish you anonymous people would choose a nickname or sign your posts with some identifying note so you can be replied to. do you realize how tough it is to sort amongst you?
anyway, white-collar and working class are two different things. generally blue-collar jobs are working class jobs. white collar is generally referred to middle class. i'll be the first to acknowledge that there are not a ton of white-collar job holding individuals in the neighborhood (and anonymous poster #5927389472 still hasn't identified which neighborhood(s) he/she/it is talking about), but there are some!
I like Aldi. Getting good prices on bulk crap that doesn't really matter (spices, rice, etc) gives me more to spend on choice cuts of meat, good farmer market produce, or drinks at the pug.
I love too the people complaining about a store that might hire local workers as if that's a bad thing. Complain about "those people" and then deny them the right to jobs in their own neighborhood. Nice.
The rampant grocery-store snobbery in this town is worthy of our deepest disgust. What gets me is that in DC it is self-identified supposedly socially-minded folks (yes, take a look at the Whole Foods crowd) that would divide grocery shopping by class!
Anon 9:47 - amen.
cubanero
Anon 9:47 -
The neighborhood already has a low end grocery. And some could argue that Safeway is low end too. You could easily buy generic brands at Safeway and/or buy items on sale for the same price Aldi would charge. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to some of us that's all.
I think the anger/disappointment/frustration you see here has to do with the property owners in the Trinidad area. We have put up with a lot of shit over the past few years. While a lot of us are pleased with the progress we're seeing, it's kind of a slap to the face to hear news like this.
We're not asking for a whole foods but we would like to see some change or balance in the area. It seems like we already have enough businesses that target the lower middle class families, what about the middle class/upper middle class families who pay taxes here? Why do we need to drive miles out of our way to get what we want when we have more than enough land right here to build something that we want?
"...keep pretending you live in a neighborhood where a Whole Foods is just a matter of a petition away."
This comment just caught me at the right moment and LOL (and yes, I'm laughing at myself as a total yuppie). Thanks for the morning snark and chuckle!
I don't object to the Aldi in the sense that it is filling a vacant lot with something with at least a prospect to succeed.
However, I agree with Hillman and strongly object to an Aldi if it makes getting a high-end grocer at 3 and H that much more difficult. I think thats the real concern here that many of the anon. posters are not articulating.
I'll heartily admit that I consider myself a gentrifier (even though that term is used almost as a slur by many posters on this board) and want to see this area have more high end choices like a Whole Foods.
With the Harris Teeter up on NY Ave and now the Aldi I'm concerned that there will be such a concentration of middle- to low-end grocers that the 3rd and H project will fail for lack of a willing grocery to commit.
Ultimately, it would be a shame if that happened b/c I do see a huge demand for a high end grocer around here that is not being met.
Regarding the possibility that Safeway is moving from Hechinger to 3rd and H - does it make sense that the developer has been in such extensive negotiations with a grocer and the city had to hand out $5M to get the development going? Seems to me that if Safeway were just moving 12 blocks the deal would have happened faster and easier.
IMGoph-
The area I'm talking about would be east of West Virginia Ave, South of Mt. Olivet rd, west of 19th St, North of Florida Ave.
i'd like to see someone (hillman, maybe, since i think you were the first one to bring this up) explain to me how aldi locating at the hechinger mall might preclude a higher-end grocery at 3rd and H.
if it's a proximity concern, shouldn't the fact that there is a murry's right there at 6th and H (which is much closer) have a greater effect on what could be located at 3rd and H? i honestly don't think any of this matters, as there are instances around the city (and the region) of grocery stores located very near each other.
a proximity factor that i think is important is that there is a safeway already at 5th and L NW. there's no way one store would put two outlets of it's own that close to each other. the chance that they'd cannibalize sales would be far too great.
anonymous poster #5927389472: thanks, for clarifying. so basically, you're referring to trinidad, and about half of carver-langston.
I am profoundly depressed about the ugliness of so many of my neighbors this morning--and I am not talking about my the neighbors who might buy Cheerios for their kids at Aldi's.
skinny - what is so wrong with people expressing their opinion here? A lot of them are negative, yes, but what is so ugly about them?
Cheer up, skinnytree. There are mouthy elitists in every neighborhood, but you get to live in a diverse area with many other really good people of all creeds, stripes and inclinations.
cubanero
Re: food stamps. Right now, all kinds of people are getting food stamps. If you have a steady job, count your blessings.
Re: discount bulk items. Even some people who do have jobs are being more careful than usual about how they spend their money.
Re: Safeway and Hechinger Mall. Unless I'm mistaken, Safeway is across the street from Hechinger Mall.
Re: "settle for anything." Does anybody really believe an upscale store would be interested in that location? Have you ever driven around in the area behind Hechinger Mall between Bladensburg and Benning Road? Not exactly Rodeo Drive. A legitimate, well-capitalized business is a huge step in the right direction for that vacant space.
Re: don't like Aldi. Don't shop there.
IMGoph --
I see your point on the proximity issue. I can't speak for some of the other posters here but for me, I would really like to see a harris teeter or trader joe's type of grocery in the Trinidad/Sofla area. I think at this point the area has changed enough to support having a grocery of that kind.
I honestly don't see much difference between the safeway there now and an Aldi. I'm not sure why people are saying Aldi sells food in bulk. I grew up with an Aldi in my neighborhood and don't remember seeing any food in bulk. I remember it being a store where the food was a little cheaper, loaded with fat and/or dangerous preservatives and you had to pay a quarter to use the shopping carts.
I just don't see why it is so hard to get a better grocery here. And yet it is so easy to get a store like Aldi or Murrays overnight.
charles: safeway is in the hechinger mall. it's the largest anchor store there currently.
trinidad resident: agreed, i'd love to see a trader joe's in/near the neighborhood as well. i think it would do really well. there is a lot of frozen/packaged stuff there that is really good quality and pretty cheap. sure, it has lots of hoity-toity expensive items, but i think that people who are caliming it would never be used by people who are shopping on a budget aren't familiar enough with the store.
and please, don't use the term "Sofla." it just grates on my tender ears ;)
"what about the middle class/upper middle class families who pay taxes here? Why do we need to drive miles out of our way to get what we want?"
The reason is that you made a choice to buy a home that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars less than a comparable place in Clarendon or DuPont Circle, where you could walk to Whole Foods.
Ask any real estate agent about the relationship between location and price.
Personally I find our neighborhood more interesting. But I try not to be naive about the tradeoffs.
IMGoph: thanks, I guess I was thinking of the mall where the CVS is located.
sorry, North North Capitol Hill then. Or would you prefer SoTri?
I guess at this point all we can do is hope Aldi will at least update the appearance of the old liquidator store. The anon poster was dead on, that was one disgusting looking store
That's bullshit. I refuse to believe that I could have a decent grocery in my neighborhood only if I can afford a $750,000+ house or a half a mil condo.
You make it sound like Trinidad and the surrounding area is extremely affordable. Compared to the rest of DC that may be true but
even in Trinidad and the area north of Florida Ave you need to have a pretty substantial income to afford a house there that doesn't need "TLC" or isn't a foreclosure/short sale.
trinidad resident: i'm partial to near northeast myself, but whatever works for you! it's just the abbreviated things (that are clearly trying to rip off TriBeCa or SoHo) that drive me batty.
Anoymous 9:47 said: "...those with limited income who need to watch their spending and will be very grateful to have a discount grocer closeby. It's not all about YOU and what YOU want."
What about "It's not all about THEM and what THEY want?" Isn't that a fair question? As a proud gentrifier why am I vilified for bringing improvements to the neighborhood - even if at the expense and disgruntlement of the lazy poor? Let's see if you defend them over the hard working poor. That's who often gets left behind here, but don't blame the genrifier, blame the welfare leeches for making it more difficult for the poor who legitimate need food stamps to shop at the new Aldi.
Anon 11:39 writes in response to someone saying "It's not all about you and what you want" with:
What about "It's not all about THEM and what THEY want?" Isn't that a fair question?
I'm not aware of anyone here in this thread vilifying any specific higher-end places for opening; but there sure are plenty of people vilifying an Aldi. So your analogy fails.
As a proud gentrifier why am I vilified for bringing improvements to the neighborhood
What improvements have you brought to the neighborhood? Are you Joe Englert? Is there a park you worked the District to have built and maintained? Do you run the H Street Festival? And can you give a concrete example of someone vilifying you for these improvements that you've brought?
1st - My family falls into those villaneous tax brackets that all call rich, yet I loved National Wholesale Liquidators - why the hate? Wholesale spices, paint you didn't have to donate blood to afford, crazy assortments of craziness. It was an adventure store! I was sad to see it go.
2nd - Lay off of Wells, he announced a store coming into an empty blighted space. Aldi ain't Whole Foods, get over it.
3rd - People who run these stores at least the ones that last, take very close look at the demographics, buying patterns etc. before placing a store. Yes, they are smarter than you when it comes to this stuff. As an example when Gamespot moved into the location at Jenkins Row on the Hill, you would have thought the sky was falling when an overpriced coffee shop didn't take the place. That's what people wanted, but the recession had coffee shops shutting doors not slinging more java. Gamespot opened, the NIMBY's sighed and from what I see the store is making money hand over fist.
Anonymous Mar 11, 2010 9:47:00 AM
Thank you for that! All these negative people are allowed to express their opinions, but at the expense of sounding like a bunch of imperialist scum. This is what happens when you teach your kids they're "special," they grow up to be a bunch of whiny ass hat adults who bitch and moan when things don't go your way. Good for Aldi for realizing the potential of Hechinger Mall. Sorry the world doesn't present the same opportunities for everyone so evveryone can buy an $.89 banana from Whole Foods. Guess what? Words like organic, farmer's market, and free-range don't appeal to everyone. Aldi makes absolute sense in this area as our neighborhood is clearly "working-class." I will probably never set foot in Aldi, but that doesn't mean there aren't many people in the neighborhood who will give them business.
Even if Aldi fell in Ward 6, is it worth it throw him under the bus? What planet are you people from? H Street has seen exponential growth over the past few years, and it will inevitably continue to prosper. If you're not willing to see the bright side of things and stick it out through the "bad" times (which really aren't that bad at all), then take your ass to the enclaves of Upper Caucasia on Wisconsin and Connecticut Avenues with Whole Foods and lattes aplenty.
1100 Trinidad
I think this is a great Idea, whats wrong with cheaper groceries? Does anybody else see the potential for people saving money to work on their crappy houses.
If your worried about your grocery store fix up your house and do your part as a resident. No ones just going to give you anything. I think Wells can see a bigger picture than those of you pouting about a ghetto Aldis. This is the potential to help our low income neighbors. What the hell is a expensive grocery store do for you? You probably just want to brag about it to your Dupont friends to make your self feel better about buying in a transitional neighborhood. Look around you. A lot bigger issues are worth the effort.
Anon 10:14: RE: "The neighborhood already has a low-end grocery store"
--- for those without a vehicle and who don't want to carry their groceries on a bus, Murray's is NOT exactly the same neighborhood as where the Aldi would be. And is it such a crime if TWO low-end grocery stores both have looked at the neighborhood and decided that there's enough of a market there for both? I think the grocery store snobbery on this site would imply that there's very little overlap between the Aldi customer and the "high-end" customer...so a high-end store at 3rd & H should face very little impact from a low-end store 14 blocks away.
RE: "We have put up with a lot of shit over the past few years. While a lot of us are pleased with the progress we're seeing, it's kind of a slap to the face to hear news like this."
---huh? You knowingly bought in this neighborhood, presumably knew what you were walking into, and this is your attitude? Unless you are ready to put up your OWN money to start your hi-end shopping enclave, then you get what you paid for when you bought into this neighborhood.
It's not up to YOU to decide what kind of business sets up shop here - it's up to the businessmen risking their own cash and livelihood to decide that your neighborhood has what they are looking for. Bad news for you: it's still not there and may not be there for another 10 years to come. Hopefully sooner, but it's not in your hands and wishing won't make it so. What you are really asking for here is for gentrification to force out the food stamps crowd more quickly so that you'll have the kind of neighborhood demographics that encourage investors to bring your imaginged lifestyle to your doorstep. Until then, enjoy Cool Dannys while it's here!
RE: It seems like we already have enough businesses that target the lower middle class families, what about the middle class/upper middle class families who pay taxes here?
---what does paying taxes have to do with it? Taxes pay for SERVICES, police, fire dept, street upkeep. This has nothing to do with businesses opening and you are not owed a single coffee shop, yoga studio, or sushi restaurant. You don't like the quality of city services, you can use this argument. You don't like the choice of business establishments, well - guess you just bought into the wrong neighborhood.
RE: Why do we need to drive miles out of our way to get what we want when we have more than enough land right here to build something that we want?
---BECAUSE YOU BOUGHT A PLACE MILES AWAY FROM THE THINGS YOU WANT, AND CAN'T AFFORD TO OPEN UP A SHOP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO BRING THEM CLOSER. Suck it up. You made the choice to be so far from your favorite things! Did you not check out what the neighborhood offered before you signed the contract? Why is it now someone elses responsibility to make this your personal playground?
Delicious chocolate - yay Aldi!
Not only had I never set foot in an Aldi store, I had never heard of them. So I checked out their website. I can't understand all the gnashing of teeth - they seem to be trying to emulate Ikea.
Emulate Ikea? Oh you must have seen the KRAMFORS 2% milk or the BESTÅ/FRAMSTÅ/INREDA whole wheat bread.
When I decided to move into this neighborhood, I did so for its potential. I looked at the proximity to the metro, the addition of the street car, the NOMA development, the affordable housing stock, and the burgeoning night life on H street. All this made Near NE a good investment for me.
I had little doubt, and I still don't, that I could invest money into my home and make a profit on it when I go to sell it.
However, upon moving into my house and living here a while, I have learned to appreciate things about this neighborhood that I failed to look at when I first bought.
First off, our neighborhood is full of old, proud families. Families that have lived in this neighborhood for generations and still want to call it home. They want it to improve as much as I do. They are not happy about the drugs or the crime that were plauging the streets in the past and that is still here in lesser amounts. They keep their yards and fix up their homes. Sure, some neighbors aren't good ones, but what neighborhood is free of that?
This neighborhood is also very diverse. DC tends to break up into black and white neighborhoods. Near NE has not done that. We have black familes, white families, gays, straights, young professionals, blue-collar folks, retirees, hispanic families, artists. Basically, people of all walks of life. And that diversity brings a strength to the neighborhood. Aldi's has obviously seen that diversity and understands that it isn't going away and it needs to be served. All families aren't going to sell their homes just because they can get 400-600,000 for them. This is their neighborhood too. Enjoy it for what it is. Strengthen it and improve it. But don't deride stores that help serve its diversity. Some of you sound like children throwing a fit.
I have never been to the Popeye's on H street. I have been to the Sticky Rice. They, and we, can co-exist.
600 K
Pull your head out of your ass anon 12:47. You seriously sound bitter.
Anon 1:37 - that is the whole point. I do not go to popeyes because there are other restaurants on H st that I like better. I/we appreciate having a variety to choose from. Why can't we have the same thing for grocery shopping?
Basically what some people are saying here is: Tough shit, we do not have $800,000 row houses here so live with ghetto grocery stores. This is absurd. CLEARLY there are enough people in the H ST area who would be thrilled to have a Trader Joe's type of store open up.
It really blows my mind when people here get upset when home owners want to see some positive changes happen in their neighborhoods.
It's just like the "Shell No!" thing that was going on last year when a shell was supposed to open up on Maryland ave and 14th ST. People went apeshit because we ALREADY have at least 10 (probably more) gas stations in the area. It's not because we are "snobs" and require fancy gas stations, it is because there are 10 other gas stations in a one mile radius
Columbia Heights isn't really any better than Trinidad yet they had a Target open up a while back. Your argument is flawed for those of you who are bitching that we need to live in a more "upscale" neighborhood to have nicer retail
Trinidad resident, I think we already have some grocery stores nearby that are not "ghetto." And we hopefully will get another one at 3&H.
And after looking at Aldi's website, I am hopeful that this place will be a lot better than some people fear.
But I am not surprised that Whole Foods has not opened a store here just yet. I'm also confident that when their research shows that the numbers are right, they will do so, because they like to make money. That is their bottom line.
I agree it is absurd to say we can't have better retail here just because of the demographics and because we don't have ridiculously overpriced houses here. Look at chinatown, navy yard, columbia heights, eastern cap hill before the major retails started popping up. Those areas were pretty sketchy and some still are but that didn't stop from better retail and shops, stadiums, etc from opening up. Business is doing just fine in those areas. It is win-win for everybody when that happens. You reduce crime, attract a better class of people to the neighborhood and generate more tax revenue. Why is that such a bad thing?
The H st area can support the same type of retail but it just isn't happening. A lot of us are frustrated and it's understandable.
Target Corporation competes directly against other discount retailers, mainly Wal-Mart and Kmart. Since its founding in 1962, it has intended to differentiate its stores from its competitors by offering what it believes is more upscale, trend-forward merchandise at low cost, as opposed to the traditional concept of focusing on low-priced goods. Douglas J. Dayton, one of the Dayton brothers, explained John Geisse's concept:
"We will offer high-quality merchandise at low margins, because we are cutting expenses. We would much rather do this than trumpet dramatic price cuts on cheap merchandise."
As a result, Target stores tend to attract younger and more educated and affluent customers than its competitors. Currently, the median Target shopper is 41 years old, which is the youngest of all major discount retailers that Target competes directly against. The median household income of Target's customer base is roughly $63,000 USD. Roughly 76% of Target customers are female, and more than 45% have children at home. About 80% have attended college and 48% have completed college.
I guess I am hopeful too but only if they can completely change the look of that building. I wouldn't shop there but at least it would not be such an eye sore to the people driving/riding by on the trains.
We may not realize it but appearances can really have a positive effect despite what is inside. Remember what the safeway looked like a few years ago before they renovated? Little things like new windows, new sign, more lighting can go a long way.
It's funny, I used to think that area would be perfect for a Target. Oh well. I really hope Jim Abdo's Arbor Place project breaks ground soon. He did mention he wanted a Whole Foods anchored over there in one of his press releases a few years ago.
I agree keeping track of these anonymous posts is difficult. But I'm just glad there are a good number of people on here fighting back against the elitist garbage that some people are spewing. Guess what folks, you live in a neighborhood filled with poor people. Poor folks aren't interested in Whole Foods or Trader Joes. If it somehow makes you feel better to villify poor people for being poor, well, god help you.
It's not ALL poor people, Jay. Perhaps in Trinidad, there may be more poor than middle class but The area south of Florida Ave and north of H st isn't exactly what I would call all poor. combine those areas together and you have a healthy balance of poor and upper middle class people.
Bitter? Yeah, I'm bitter. Bitter about all the whiny crybaby self-involved jerks that have apparently moved into the neighborhood I've lived in for 15 years.
And why I am I bitter about them? Because THEY are bitter about EVERYTHING. I'm bitter about how ignorant of how things really are that those who have moved to my neighborhood can be. Sad.
Those that can, do (i.e. Joe Englert, and SO MUCH appreciation to him!).
Those who can't, or can't be bothered, just complain and wait for those that can (i.e. anyone but Aldi apparently).
Sticky Rice is too slow, Granville Moore's is to crowded, Argonaut has bad service, the new diner has long lines, the streetcar it taking forever, there's nowhere to park, we don't have a Whole Foods, blah blah blah, whine whine whine. You folks don't know how to appreciate what you've got, and the minute you get it, you're on to your next little criticism, ready to shoot it down at the first chance you get it.
Buncha whiners.
Commenting because everyone is. Looks like a popular topic.
ALDI (at least of late) provides high-quality items, just with their own branding, and has attracted an increasingly affluent customer base.
To give you an idea, the median income for Aldi's customers is $65k/year. Target customers' median income is (as quoted by a previous commenter) $63k/yr.
Just relax a bit. It's not the end of the world, and it's much better than vacant blight. You may end up liking it.
I think the backlash in this thread against people who "want more" in their neighborhood is bizarre. Another bizarre thing is the thought that it's only people north of H who we should consider when pinpointing the demographics of people who might shop at the shopping center.
I don't shop at Safeway because I like to cook from scratch and they often don't have the ingredients that I need to do so (and when they do have them, they are as or more expensive than at Whole Foods). Sometimes I drive down to Harris Teeter, but again, it doesn't really fit with how I cook. The only things I buy from there are produce. Most of the store is worthless to me. It's also kindof a shlep.
Someone please explain to me exactly what is wrong with wanting a Whole Foods on H? Why should I have to settle for what I have and how the neighborhood currently is?
I'm not anti-Aldi. I'm just not excited about it, either, because I'm pretty sure I won't find much there. I doubt that Aldi will keep Whole Foods away because as has been implicity pointed out many times on this comment thread, the two are not really comparable.
BRA-f'ing-VO, Anon 3:11!
1100 Trinidad
Anon 2:11 writes: Columbia Heights isn't really any better than Trinidad yet they had a Target open up a while back. Your argument is flawed for those of you who are bitching that we need to live in a more "upscale" neighborhood to have nicer retail
Well, if you think it'd clearly be a winner, then why don't you get off your ass and open something, then? Otherwise, you're going to have to find some what to wrap your mind around the fact that the business operators who have money to sink into new establishments don't agree with you.
For gods sakes, these business want to make money. They have a limited amount of money to put into opening stores, and they put it into places that make the most sense to them. If it made the most sense to them to open a place near you, they'd do that, because they want to make money. I mean, what the hell? You think the reason there isn't a Whole Foods nearby isn't because they don't think there's sufficient financial justification, but instead is just to be mean to you?
Someone please explain to me exactly what is wrong with wanting a Whole Foods on H?
Nothing's wrong with wanting a Whole Foods on H. OTOH, there is something wrong with having a hissy fit because someone is opening something other than a Whole Foods nearby on Benning Road.
Hope this helps.
Anon whatever, are you accusing me of having a "hissy-fit"? Just so I'm clear.
Not all of us have millions of dollars in our banks to open up businesses. The best we can do is clean up our properties and pick up the trash others leave behind for us.
"Bitter about all the whiny crybaby self-involved jerks that have apparently moved into the neighborhood I've lived in for 15 years."
Your neighborhood was a sh*t hole 15 years ago. It is us "whiny crybaby self-involved jerks" that have helped clean up the trash in a lot of the neighborhoods that YOU alone couldn't do but WE together could. If it's anybody who's ungrateful here it's you. You sound like you have issues. You douche.
You said you're grateful for what Joe Englert has done for the neighborhood. So am I. And it's great that you bring that up because what was on H ST before he opened up businesses along that corridor? Nothing. No sane person would be caught dead walking along that street at night that wasn't looking for trouble. Yet he still took a chance and opened up bars and restaurants. Now every one of those places is packed every Fri/Sat night and even on some week days.
What a lot of us here are wondering is why can't retail be the same way? Why not take a chance like Joe did? It would bring more variety to the neighborhood and many of us are waiting for it to happen. You, apparently aren't and I wonder why. I won't say it here but I think most of us can figure it out.
litigatrix: no, I'm not. But a lot of other people here, absolutely. When you wrote "Someone please explain to me exactly what is wrong with wanting a Whole Foods on H?" I figured you weren't just saying that in a vacuum, apropos of absolutely nothing -- it was a response to the debate here, reacting to the posts here saying "deal with it, this is the nbhd you moved into." *Those* people, in turn, were responding to the hissy-fits.
Hope this helps.
I love Godiva Chocolate! And I'm REALLY MAD that Godiva won't open up in that vacant shop over by the abandoned lot with the crack house next door! Someone call Tommy Wells and insist that he demand Godiva open up a shop here! It's inexcusable that there's a convenience store selling Hersheys for all those low-income slobs, but no one will allow me to get my Godiva fix! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!
Wow--is this a record for most comments generated?
As a white, six-figure earning, home owning, tax paying,love to eat at hip restaurants kind of person, I can say that I'm GLAD that Aldi's is coming. My husband will currently occasionally drive to Maryland to buy stuff there, because it's cheaper. And if we save money on milk and frozen juice and knock-off doritos, we have more money to fix up our house, donate to a community organization or buy a $10 beer at Granvilles. Aldi's and Trader Joes are owned by the same company and I suspect offer many of the exact same products, albeit in different packaging. Aldi's has been developing an organic/healthy line lately and offers far more staples than pre-processed ready to eat food. Is it disconcerting at times that products are simply placed in the box on the shelf, rather than attractively displayed? Sure. But it saves money. Same for bagging your own groceries at the checkout.
So, yes, I will shop there. And if a Whole Foods comes in, I'll probably pick up some select items there as well. Different needs, different stores.
Wow. We're all working SO HARD, today aren't we?!
(I'm assuming most of us are reading this at the office....)
:-)
Again, to be fair, there are people on the anti-Whole Foods anti-gentrification side having "hissy-fits" as well. I moved to this neighborhood hoping for things to get better. I think most of us realize that doesn't happen overnight.
To the chocolate satirist: grocery stores are pretty basic services that people want in their neighborhood. It's not at all ridiculous to want to have the particular grocery store that you prefer to shop at conveniently located nearby.
WOW!
We're up to 105 post. Keep em coming!!!!
I would love to hear their reasons for anti gentrification. Perhaps instead of calling us cry babies and whiners and the like, could you maybe explain to us why gentrification is bad?
Maybe Aldi isn't as bad as it used to be. The experience I had growing up in the mid west with that store wasn't that great. That was about 15 years ago though, maybe it has changed like some of you here are claiming. I sure hope so.
Amen Anon. 3:33!! Gentrifier Power! -- Keeps bringing the neighborhood back!
litigatrix and anonme: I haven't yet seen anyone here post "anti-gentrification." Could you be a little more specific as to what posts or arguments you're referring to?
What I *have* seen is people take exception to others' insisting that the world is coming to an end because a grocery store is going to open nearby that caters primarily to people other than them. They've responded that this isn't a high-rent wonderland, and therefore establishments that cater to people other than them are going to open, and *should*. How that's "anti-gentrification" is beyond me.
Oh Hell No...i will not be shopping there...if i need to shop across town or in Maryland it will be done not at Alipi's Store. Councilmember Thomas is a sell out for anything...
I encourage all of you to express your pleasure or displeasure over this issue with Councilmember Thomas (Ward 5) and Councilmember Wells (Ward 6). I think it is important that they know how vital the Hechinger Mall site is to the further revitalization of our neighborhood. Hechinger mall has long been forgotten but with the revitlization of H street and the coming of the street cars, there is a great opportunity to breathe life into the dormant plaza. AAnd provide needed retail and other services to both Ward 5 and Ward 6 residents.
HThomas@DCCOUNCIL.US-Harry Thomas
TWells@DCCOUNCIL.US-Tommy Wells
AGAIN it's not because the store caters to people other than "us" it's because we ALREADY have a store like that right around the corner!
http://i.imgur.com/W7Uj7.jpg
These comments all struck me as having an "anti-gentrification" bent:
What right do you have to insist on knowing HOW and WHEN this was approved, and what business is it of yours anyways?
But don't think that you have any business or right calling into question their right to decide to be there. Just because you don't have a need for them doesn't mean you need to start demanding restitution, or even explanation. If you're as high-brown as you seem to think you are, you probably don't visit ANYTHING on H except for the hipster bars & restaurants. So, just like with all the wig shops and cheap liquor stores and chicken/burger/seafood joints, shut yourself up and just let them do their thing, and keep pretending you live in a neighborhood where a Whole Foods is just a matter of a petition away.
But I'm just glad there are a good number of people on here fighting back against the elitist garbage that some people are spewing. Guess what folks, you live in a neighborhood filled with poor people. Poor folks aren't interested in Whole Foods or Trader Joes. If it somehow makes you feel better to villify poor people for being poor, well, god help you.
Bitter? Yeah, I'm bitter. Bitter about all the whiny crybaby self-involved jerks that have apparently moved into the neighborhood I've lived in for 15 years.
And why I am I bitter about them? Because THEY are bitter about EVERYTHING. I'm bitter about how ignorant of how things really are that those who have moved to my neighborhood can be. Sad.
Now I need to do some work.
Inked -
Did you request a New Years pledge about the post on this blog? Didn't you ask that people pick a name, any name?
Too many times I read this blog out of shear habit and realize that I am waiting my time. If you respond to my post with a negative comment, you just proved my point.
People keep equating Murrays to Aldi's. I keep reading over and over that we dont need a Aldi because we allready have a Murrays. If that were the case then Aldi wouldnt be spending the time and money to put in a new store. They provide different services.
Just like the other side of the hill can support both a Harris Teeter and a Safeway. They provide different services.
Hey IMGoph...
...catch me if you caaaaan!
Donna says-
How funny - I just had my brother (in Schaumburg, IL) ship me some face cream from the Aldi's in his neighborhood. It's rated as high as the super fancy creams and was only $5 a jar! I LOVE Adli - it's certainly downmarket but like others have said - you can get your bulk rice and Aldi brand cereal there and have enough money to head over to the P Street Whole Foods for your halibut. I've been to Aldi's on the east side of Detroit and (as noted above) in the Chicago suburbs.
It's a really good fit for Hechinger Mall today and is also the kind of store that cn make the transition as the nieghborhood becomes a higher income area (fingers crossed).
I'm excited.
PS - dial down the contempt for your neighbors (or near neighbors as the case may be)
Donna asks-
One other thing - isn't Hechinger Mall still privately owned and leased?
I don't know about you fools, but I can't wait to buy cheap turkeys from the Aldi!!!! Oh, and I live in the abutting hood, CaHiNo - that's Capitol Hill North for all you folks without your ears to the ground.
Rather than CaHiNo, I like CHiNo. Plus it makes me think of Ryan's hometown before moving to the OC.
rayful is a redditor! schaweet!
H Street Blog:
•New establishment opens.
•People are intrigued and outraged.
•People brag about their past experiences as truth about the future.
•People express extreme mental depression, outrage, exuberance, fury, and architectural critiques.
•Social economic debate ensues.
•Racial debate ensues.
•Poo poo comments
•People complain about Poo Poo.
•Joe Englert debate ensues
•Joe Englert responds with reason and professionalism.
•People show up for the soft opening, surprising the staff, and people are outraged at the disorganization and swear they’ll never visit again.
•Start again at point two.
^ ^ so hilarious...yet so true ^ ^
Since we're back to the NYC neighborhood knock-offs, I personally prefer "NoMaHst Land"
personally, i really miss that liquidator joint. it was sooooo cool!
they sold overstock from stores around the u.s.
i used to buy swiss bath gel there for one third of the price of bloomies.
oh, and once, i found a little jesus water fountain with colored lights, and some odd religious music that played in the background. bought it for $7 and sold it on ebay for $75.
good times.
aldi will not be the same....
so sad.
oh, and for you "whiners" check out the aldi review site:
http://aldireview.niesens.com/
would you rather a skateboard shop?
Is Dangerously Delicious Pies still set to open tmw (Friday March 12)???
Well, I probably make more money than a lot of you and I will say that I like Aldi. They are a very efficiently run European company that happens to pass the savings on to the consumer.
They specialize in food staples so they don't have all the fancy brands and varieties of everything. Some people can't afford anything fancy. Some people like myself want to save money so that they can have more money to spend on other more important things.
I know some of you bought in Trinidad thinking it would become the next Georgetown, but I hate to break it to you, despite some yuppies moving in and buying a few homes, the demographics of the majority of the neighborhood better support Aldi than Whole Foods.
< Someone please explain to me exactly what is wrong with wanting a Whole Foods on H? >
What is wrong with wanting an Aldi's at the Starburst?
They seem to offer staple foods at excellent prices.
Frankly, if you're a good cook, you can do pretty darn well out of Safeway and the RFK farmers' market.
Who needs overpriced validation from WF?
AnonME: Gentrification isn't BAD. It just has an ugly side and it tends to involve people without any history in their new neighborhood sticking their nose up at the likes of Aldi and anything else that those who have lived in the neighborhood for years might find to be worthwhile.
Something about the thought of Poo Poo relaxing in a steaming tub of Swiss Bath Gel has me oddly unable to focus on my work this morning...
to Anon 09:03,
You're right. Things were soooo much better in the late 80's and early 90's.
Displacement bad! Gentrification good!
Prime minister of Malaysia bad! Martial arts good!
I made this analogy here a long time ago. When I was living in brentwood, I was pissed to high heaven that the Maxx company put an AJ Wright in the strip mall over there instead of a Marshalls or TJ Maxx, but going into that shop on a Saturday will show you they made the right choice. Its far from a destination store, but its filled with customers, all the time. I'd say give Aldi the same chance, but a-holes will be a-holes. I mean, Whole Foods is soooooo far away. LOL
One more thing, as much as I despise that Safeway, I can't see why the two stores can't coexist, given Aldi is only 1/3 grocery. I would liken it to strip malls that have a market and a big box like the one on Jeff Davis. There's a Shoppers and a Target with a full grocery there, and both stores seem to be doing fine, even with the Harris Teeter two blocks away. Back into hibernation!
Poo Poo uses Swiss bath gel? Who would have though? I guess his shit doesn't really stink after all.
Oh it still stinks...it just stinks in a lavender-scented, Euro-product kinda way.
I love you anonymous Mar 11, 2010 5:56:00 PM. I miss Ryan and Marissa and Summer and Seth so bad, and if I can bring back even a twinkle of their wonderfulness by referring to my hood as CHiNo, then it shall be done.
i'll shop at Aldi's. i have friends that drive out to PG county to shop there and love it.
rather than seeing hissy fits, i'm seeing people who give a damn about grocery stores. i think thats kinda cool.
my take is that i'd rather see a variety of stores open in dc, than having multiple stores.
but i never just shop at one place.
no place has everything i like.
I love you too, Sunny Florida.
-Ray E.
140+ comments?! Holy cow! I haven't seen this much discussion about a post since Ali got the party started with a comment about her banging body!
to h street blogger,
you forgot to add "someone posts comment completely unrelated to subject at hand".
oh and regarding the "anonymous" posters, not sure if they have figured out how to add a name to their comment....
if you really want a trader joe's to move in, just go to their website - they have a place where you can suggest new locations.
if you really want a trader joe's to come, just go to their website and you can request one online. they have a thingy for that.
Wow. Whisky any one? I came late to the party, but ass hat was only used once? Poo, really, bath gel? I may have to reassess my long standing offer to buy you a shot of whisky. Maybey something more "flavorful". Any way we can bring gays into this? They seem like a popular target theses days. Just think st paddy's is soon and we can all take an irish break from all this angst created by giving up gentrification and poverty for lent.
The pug will be open st pat's and i will be selling whisky in bulk.
Tonyt
Whiskey in bulk? Awesome! PugAldi for St. Patty's Day it is!!
Dolemite, if you come in wednesday night, i'll play some old blaxploitation cuts in between the pogues and the dropkicks.
Tonyt
"Freddie's Dead", "Superfly", and "Pusherman" please.
I don't see a problem with Aldi. They are taking up a space that has been empty and they are filling a niche that is vacant.
To those of you who think that a whole foods would move in to Benning, would you mind sharing what you are smoking? Seriously? Do you honestly think that "if you build it, they will come" is good planning? Whole Foods tends to open in areas that are demographically well to do. Even the Logan Street one opened up in an area that was more established at that time. I could see a Whole foods on the 300 block of H because of the proximity to Capitol Hill and the Penn Quarter, but I'm not seeing it at Benning.
whisky in bulk?!?! have i died and gone to lavender scented heaven???
looks like i may have to teach tony how to drink like a real scotsman!
ya'd better buy a few more "bulk containers", if ya know what's good for ya... :O)
In skimming the comments, someone said Aldi and Trader Joes are owned by the same company. If Trader Joes is a similar small footprint store, perhaps this just gives the company the option of easily upgrading in the future if they want. Just redecorate and change your inventory
I'm just leaving this to watch the comment counter go up.
-NoMaHstan resident.
Trader Joe's and Aldi are not owned by the same company, although there is a connection.
The CEO of Aldi started a family trust that owns Trader Joe's.
I am so surprised by the reaction here (though I guess I shouldn't be). My first response when I saw an Aldi was coming was positive. They have good quality food at decent prices. And, they ARE owned by the same people as Trader Joes. Aldi (a German company) purchased Trader Joes...no matter what the legal acrobatics of the deal was, it's the same company more or less. Their strategy is the same: offering private label merchandise and a cost savings to the consumer. Their demographics are different, but the quality is comparable. My mom (in a small town, so yes, there is a difference) shops there often and gets killer deals.
My first response when I saw an Aldi was coming was positive. They have good quality food at decent prices. And, they ARE owned by the same people as Trader Joes. Aldi (a German company) purchased Trader Joes...no matter what the legal acrobatics of the deal was, it's the same company more or less.
The makers of Leffe Brun are the same company as Bud Light Lime.
Seriously, though. I think folks are a little touchy because whatever business go in will be there for a long, long time, and together set the tone for the whole neighborhood.
It's like if the strip mall or the AutoZone were being planned: I think there are a lot of folks who would welcome it's arrival. "Hey! What's wrong with having a place to buy car parts?? This isn't Georgetown!!"
Meanwhile, there would be a lot of folks who would fight it with every fiber of their being.
I tend to agree with the latter. What we're in danger from here is "death by a thousand cuts." There just aren't that many large vacancies. Every one that gets occupied by a mediocre tenant makes it more likely that our neighborhood will remain mired in mediocrity. Let's build another strip mall. After all, it's better than vacant storefronts. We don't have a Hardees, Arby's, or Wendy's on H Street yet, why not try to get them to open up shop. Folks got to eat, and they're affordable options.
If we heard that the new pie shop was not going to open, and instead the space was going to be a dry cleaners, or a Subway, we'd have to be idiots not to be disappointed.
Do folks need to get their shirts cleaned? Of course. Do people need to buy fancy pies? Of course not. But it's even more disappointing that one of probably 3-4 very large spaces on the H Steet corridor is taken up by what--putting aside the promise of bargain-priced staples--is essentially a bottom-feeder grocery store.
(At the risk of being inflammatory, I don't think this argument is so much between "high-falutin' gentrifiers" versus "authentic working-class folks" as much as between folks who see nothing wrong with their community becoming a slightly more walkable Manassas, versus those who want to protect and nurture the uniqueness of our neighborhood's character.)
Has anyone on the DC council tried to get a Target at hechinger? would seem a great fit for site
I will let you in on a not-so-big secret: it's not Trader Joe's. Guy Steuart isn't chopping his precious space into pieces, and Trader Joe's can't fill it.
Thoughts about Safeway...Giant...Bloom...can these places really compete with Harris Teeter, who has a similar target demographic and a two-year head start on building business?
Stumbled across this looking for news on it opening anytime soon (had heard November 2010) and, well, the comments are disappointing. I recently moved from a part of Chicago that boasts more couture shops than Georgetown (not just Intermix and BCBG, but Cynthia Rowley, Nanette Lepore, and scores of independent boutiques). Yet Aldi, a leftover from earlier days, was still the most convenient grocer. I snubbed it for years until I came across this thread on a local foodie board praising many of its products:
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=6661
After I started shopping there, I was amazed at how I could now do all of my grocery shopping within a few blocks of home: at the farmers' market, at a gourmet shop, and at Aldi, with very occasional trips to ethnic stores a bit further away. And when I eventually moved out, it was to a neighborhood where I'd invested in a new co-op grocery store that got me 90% of what I needed.
If you want a better grocery store, don't complain to your city councilman -- who is, after all, powerless to stop anyone from signing a lawful lease. If you're so darn convinced that the area can support something better, stop complaining and do something about it: open your own darn grocery store.
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