IKEA: trip report anyone?

Was coming back home last night, and saw a few people on the F-train with IKEA shopping bags. Apparently, IKEA runs free shuttle buses to the train station. The guys said the store was very nice - your usual immaculate IKEA. Home delivery is $80 to anywhere in Brooklyn or Manhattan.

Hubby and I are thinking of checking it out soon, but if anyone does so before - please write a trip report

Yes, the shuttle is great. We walked down and caught it at Smith and 9th and then realized on the way back that it goes all the way up to 4th ave and 9th street, so we walked home from there.

I appreciated the great views from the restaurant (mmm, meatballs) of both lower manhattan and the statue of liberty. I thought it was a nice touch. I even thought that those views might entice people to explore the neighborhood a little more, or return for more than just Ikea shopping.

I, along with many people, have all the mixed feelings about Ikea's opening. Fact is though, I love to shop there. I also know that I will never drive there and even if I purchase something large I will just call a car service to get home. I hope everyone else does the same.

lemur11215 wrote: Yes, the shuttle is great. We walked down and caught it at Smith and 9th and then realized on the way back that it goes all the way up to 4th ave and 9th street, so we walked home from there.

I appreciated the great views from the restaurant (mmm, meatballs) of both lower manhattan and the statue of liberty. I thought it was a nice touch. I even thought that those views might entice people to explore the neighborhood a little more, or return for more than just Ikea shopping.

I, along with many people, have all the mixed feelings about Ikea's opening. Fact is though, I love to shop there. I also know that I will never drive there and even if I purchase something large I will just call a car service to get home. I hope everyone else does the same.

how is the parking situation there? This might be an obvious question but I havnt been keeping up wth all this ikeaism...

I rode my bike over on the way home from work yesterday. The whole area they redid along the pier is very nice. As far as parking goes, they have a multi-level structure, and some regular lot space. It wasn't filled last night, but I imagine it will be on the weekend.

no calls for me to this ikea so far , as i predicted i think alot of locale van guys would be hanging about there just like all the other places in brooklyn.

Why wouldn't you drive there, I'm just curious? How is calling a car service better than driving your own car there? How is it different from driving to and shopping at Fairway in this regard?

Bergenites wrote: Why wouldn't you drive there, I'm just curious? How is calling a car service better than driving your own car there? How is it different from driving to and shopping at Fairway in this regard?

I totally get your point. If you have a car anyway why wouldn't you drive to Ikea?

(ok.. I admit I am making up silly, outrageous answers to that question in my mind)

Bergenites wrote: Why wouldn't you drive there, I'm just curious? How is calling a car service better than driving your own car there? How is it different from driving to and shopping at Fairway in this regard?

not sure what inspired this question, but if it's AW's post, i think the idea is someone who doesn't have a car (or has a small car) takes public transit to IKEA, buys a couch, calls him to haul it back home.

No, it was lemur who wrote: I also know that I will never drive there and even if I purchase something large I will just call a car service to get home. I hope everyone else does the same.

I don't get that...

oops -- reading comprehension in the am is not my thing, i guess.

How were the crowds inside?

40 min wait just to pay for a lamp.

vinze wrote: 40 min wait just to pay for a lamp.

whoa. I'll be waiting until the madness calms down a bit

Flexichick wrote: [quote=vinze]40 min wait just to pay for a lamp.

whoa. I'll be waiting until the madness calms down a bit

The one in New Jersey is always like that, I'm afraid.

I rode up there today. There is a bit of traffic, but nowhere near as much traffic as people had me afraid of. Their parking lot is gigantic (there is plenty of parking). There are buses running constantly.

I wonder how they feel about fairway shoppers on the bus?

vinze wrote: 40 min wait just to pay for a lamp.

Wow! You must have gone at the busy time. That's why I try to go really early or as late as possible. I didn't have to wait at all on Friday evening.

Did anyone go today?

I went yesterday. The shuttle was great, lots of room and air conditioned. The staff guided us to the showroom. It wasn't too crowded. The marketplace was great. Everything I needed was fully stocked.

The line was a short two minute wait. The snack bar line was a short wait, about five minutes.

No complaints! Took a car home for 8 bucks.

Went today. Very organized. Guy directed us to a parking spot which was thankfully near the entrance. Found one thing out of 3 we were looking for. Super crowded, almost claustrophobic. Found some good stuff, nothing that we really needed. Nice glass storage containers I liked. It's a good place for a first apt. I wouldn't furnish my whole apt at Ikea. 26 checkout lines. Reminded us of an airport. Took about 20-25 mins. Food market was small but efficient.

DON'T GO. I went yesterday and it's freakin' packed! maybe wait a month or two for the hype to die down if you really want to shop.

I went last night. It looked like what you'd expect for the opening weekend, but I give them credit for having the chaos fairly well organized and staffed. The lines looked like Elizabeth, although the restaurant was more crowded. I'll return there in a few weeks, but it wasnt as bad as some would have you believe.

I was there last night as well. It is a carbon copy of the others I've been to in Elizabeth and PA, e.g. pretty unremarkable although I'm not gonna lie and say I don't like the place. Standing in the parking lot, it is easy to forget you are in NYC. It feels like it could just as easily be Conshohocken.

The most interesting thing about the scene there last night was that the shopping crowd was nothing of what I expected (Park Slope/Carroll Gardens tightasses) but rather EXACTLY like the crowds that are always in the other IKEAs: Koreans, Chinese, Indians, Mexicans, Russians, Filipinos, etc., all with little kids running around like maniacs. Standing on line me and my girl felt like we were the only ones within earshot who were actually speaking English.

Obamanut wrote: I was there last night as well. It is a carbon copy of the others I've been to in Elizabeth and PA, e.g. pretty unremarkable although I'm not gonna lie and say I don't like the place. Standing in the parking lot, it is easy to forget you are in NYC. It feels like it could just as easily be Conshohocken.

The most interesting thing about the scene there last night was that the shopping crowd was nothing of what I expected (Park Slope/Carroll Gardens tightasses) but rather EXACTLY like the crowds that are always in the other IKEAs: Koreans, Chinese, Indians, Mexicans, Russians, Filipinos, etc., all with little kids running around like maniacs. Standing on line me and my girl felt like we were the only ones within earshot who were actually speaking English.

LOL, that's true!

well i always see majority of white people in most of the ikeas. *shrugs.

I went today with a friend and walked out with $100 worth of stuff that I'm not sure I need. totally typical ikea.

Nice, so Ikea is where I need to go to meet other Filipinos?

How close is this to fairway? Can the shuttle be a legit way to get to and from the grocery store as well?

carmen i think about 3 aves away.

Carmen wrote: How close is this to fairway? Can the shuttle be a legit way to get to and from the grocery store as well?

As long as you aren't buying too many groceries, you could walk.

Teckla wrote: Nice, so Ikea is where I need to go to meet other Filipinos?

LOL! let me know if that's true as well.