The first Wegmans in Manhattan opened up last week, and I’ve had the chance to go twice since, once on opening day, and once today! Although my thoughts may change in the upcoming months, I wanted to write a quick review on my first impressions of the store, especially since I’ve been a big fan of Wegmans ever since one opened up near my hometown in Massachusetts.
When I moved to East Village in 2021, the space that is now a Wegmans was once a K-Mart. A HUGE K-Mart. I was a little sad when it closed down, but I was more excited for Wegmans to fill its spot. After almost 3 years, the grocery store finally opened and I got to go with my friends on opening day. The store was packed with really good opening day energy and I was pretty amazed by how big the space felt and how well organized everything was. The top floor is for their baked goods, prepared foods and checkout. The basement is for all the fresh produce, cheese, meats and fish, and packaged goods. It’s so nice to have a grocery store this large in Manhattan that has all of the name brand foods that you may not be able to find at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. I also really love the diversity of prepared food options that exist in this Wegmans. It’s really perfect for working New Yorkers who need a quick lunch and don’t have time to cook. The sushi is so good :)
In terms of price, I don’t think Wegmans is cheaper than Trader Joe’s, however it might be comparable to Whole Foods. The Astor Place location is really central and perfect for commuters getting off the 6 and needing groceries before heading home. I’m really grateful for the location and will probably end up going there when it is convienent.
Wegmans staff has always impressed me (even at the one in my hometown). It feels like a family run place and the service at the Astor Place location was no different. A lot of the grocery stores in New York feel empty and lacking staff, but this Wegmans felt like a well oiled machine which was really surprising and exciting especially during opening day when so many things could go wrong.
I’m going to try going to Wegmans in the upcoming weeks to really test out if it is the grocery store for me. I realized today that one of my favorite things about Trader Joe’s is that they bag your groceries for you. This Wegmans is a mostly self-serve experience which can be nice sometimes, but I find it to be a bit slow since I’m not the best bagger. In conclusion, I am always grateful for more options in terms of grocery stores and am excited to have a Wegmans in such close proximity ❤
