Photos: Trader Joe's Opens New Upper West Side Store

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Upper West Siders lined up around the block Friday morning on Columbus Avenue and West 93rd Street to welcome the neighborhood's new Trader Joe's grocery store.

The store opened its doors at 8 a.m. Friday as a mariachi band serenaded customers who were given Hawaiian leis while entering the store. The store's opening was pushed back twice before Friday's successful debut.

One neighborhood resident named Jack said that the store's layout was his favorite among all of the New York City Trader Joe's he's visited. Jack told Patch that he's been eagerly awaiting the store for two years and even applied for a job when the store started hiring. His first shift started Friday at 4 p.m., he said.

Unlike the other Trader Joe's in the neighborhood — located on Broadway and West 72nd Street — the Columbus Avenue store is entirely located on one floor. Despite the eager crowds, the 20,000-square-foot store did not feel cramped Friday.

The Columbus Avenue store stocks widely-loved Trader Joe's products such as dark chocolate peanut butter cups, cold brew coffee concentrate and a huge selection of frozen meals. Grocery staples such as produce, dairy products and meat products also line the store's shelves and fridges. The new location does not include a wine store.

The new store is the furthest uptown Trader Joe's has ventured since opening its first New York City location in 2006.

Check out some photos of the new store below:

Photos by Brendan Krisel/Patch