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Sorry, No Downtown Trader Joe's For You, Loft Dwellers
Photo by sfxeric via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
Brace yourselves, loft dwellers: there's not going to be a downtown Trader Joe's in the near future. If you want shrink-wrapped veggies and Charles Shaw wine, you're going to have to continue hiking up to Silver Lake or Pasadena for your fix.
Brigham Yen is the bearer of bad tidings. He said a downtown Trader Joe's is nowhere in the company's 3-year plan, which is a bummer since that's the grocery store downtown residents are yearning for:
This is especially frustrating to Downtown LA residents who have collectively “yelled out” loud and clear that a neighborhood Trader Joe’s is the highest on a “Downtown LA wish list” survey conducted by the Downtown Center BID. Approximately 92% of Downtown LA survey respondents rated Trader Joe’s as the main preferred grocery store they wanted to see open downtown. You would think Trader Joe’s would be clamoring to open in Downtown LA since the median income of residents is at $86,300, which is nothing to sneeze at.
However, if you're looking for a nearby alternative that is either cheaper or more smug sustainable than Ralph's, you're in luck. Yen reports that both Fresh & Easy's and Whole Foods are checking out spaces downtown.
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Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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