There is an old Frank Sinatra song that goes like this:
Autumn in New York
Why does it seem so inviting?
Autumn in New York
It spells the thrill of first-nighting
Glittering crowds
And shimmering clouds
In canyons of steel
They're making me feel
I'm home.
Which, for some reason, came to mind yesterday - a beautiful fall day - as I traveled to Greenwich Village for the opening of Wegmans' first Manhattan store. The two-story store on Astor Place - most recently the site of a Kmart and before that a John Wanamaker department store - is 87,000 square feet in size, but manages to feel like it is both cozy and a Wegmans on steroids at the same time. It is highly food-forward, theatrical, and yet accessible in a way that I don't think that a nearby Whole Foods (.3 mile to the north, on 14th Street) and Eataly (.9 mile to the north, on the corner of 5th Avenue and 23rd Street) are.
I went to the Astor Place Wegmans armed only with my iPhone and my curiosity, and I wandered the store shooting lots of video and offering what I hope you will find to be relevant commentary. While some of the crowds can be attributed to the fact that this was opening day, one could sense enormous enthusiasm for the Wegmans brand - the location is prime, the locals are primed, and this has all the markings of a store that is likely to be a big success for Wegmans.
