You are reading

‘Great for the neighborhood’: Target hosts soft opening for new Long Island City location

New Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

The popular retail chain Target opened its first store in Long Island City on Tuesday, March 28 — three days before its official grand opening is set to take place (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

March 29, 2023 By Michael Dorgan

The popular retail chain Target held a soft opening for its new store in Long Island City on Tuesday, March 28, three days before its official grand opening.

Target is opening its new store at 1 Court Square West, a retail building connected to the former Citigroup Building known as One Court Square.

The company, which has nearly 2,000 stores across the U.S., is occupying the entire 23,400-square-foot second floor and a portion of the third floor of the building. Target is using the second floor as its retail area while the third floor is understood to be office space.

The store’s shelves were fully stocked when the Queens/LIC Post visited the premises earlier Wednesday. Target offers a wide variety of food and general merchandise — including clothing, household goods, electronics and toys.

There is also a CVS pharmacy located inside the store on the second floor, although it has yet to open.

The store is spacious with high ceilings and all new fittings.

The front entrance is on 44th Drive and customers can access the retail area via two escalators – one going up and one going down — and two elevators located in the lobby area.

Customers leaving the store on Wednesday said they were very happy the company decided to come to Long Island City.

“It’s awesome, it has everything,” said one man in his 30s who lives directly across the street at Skyline Tower.

A woman who was with her 3-year-old son said she was also happy with her purchases.

“I think it’s great for the neighborhood, it’s badly needed,” she said.

New Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

The fresh food and dairy section at the store (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

New Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

The kitchenware section at the store (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

New Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

The clothing section at the Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

The store will service the Court Square section of Long Island City, which has seen a population boom in recent years with several new high-rise apartment buildings going up in the neighborhood. The new developments include the Skyline Tower, which has 802 condos, and Linc LIC, which has 709 rental units at 43-10 Crescent St.

Another woman, named Leena, said she was mostly satisfied with her experience, although she believes there is room for improvement.

“I thought there would be a bigger pet area,” she said. “A lot of people in this neighborhood have dogs or cats so hopefully they will expand that section of the store.”

Ryan McNeill, the store director, said Target staff members are thrilled to be serving the community.

“We’re excited to bring the joy of Target to new guests and help them discover a unique shopping experience tailored to the needs of the community,” McNeill said.

Customers can use a self-check-out area on the second floor to make purchases or use a traditional checkout manned by a cashier.

McNeill said shoppers can also have ordered items delivered to their door via the company’s website.

Opening hours are from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays, and from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, according to a sign on the front door of the store.

The self-service checkout area at the store (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

New Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

New Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

New Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

New Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

New Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

Opening hours are listed on the front door (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

New Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

Shelves filled with toys at the new store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

New Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

Inside the new Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

New Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

Inside the new Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

New Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

Inside the new Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

New Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

Inside the new Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

No charges for 101st Precinct officers in 2024 Edgemere fatal shooting: AG

New York attorney general Letitia James will not be charging four police officers from the 101st Precinct in Far Rockaway in the fatal shooting of 26-year-old Geoffrey Parris at the Ocean Bay apartments on Feb. 12, 2024.

Following a thorough probe, her Office of Special Investigations (OSI), which included a review of footage from body-worn cameras, audio from a 911 call, interviews with involved officers, and a comprehensive legal analysis, concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officer’s actions were justified under New York law.

Brooklyn man indicted for fatal stabbing of Flushing sex worker in 2022: DA

A Queens grand jury indicted a Brooklyn man for the fatal stabbing of a Flushing woman after visiting her apartment for sex in August 2022.

Shao Tong Lian, 41, of Sixth Avenue in Park Slope, was arraigned in Queens Supreme Court on Thursday on an indictment charging him with murder in the second degree for the death of 55-year-old Fang Chen at her 41st Avenue home. If convicted, Lian faces up to 25 years to life in prison.