The 14th Street block between Fifth and Sixth Avenues has a strange newcomer. A white and red sign above what used to be a filthy Gristede's supermarket (known also as "Gross Stede's" or simply, "Dirty Gristede's") heralds the impending opening of Trader John's, like its predecessor, also a supermarket. This wouldn't be all that noteworthy except that Trader John's is just two blocks from Trader Joe's, the grocery store that I love to shop in except I never can because it's too crowded and the end of the line is visible from the outside of the establishment. I'm sure this Trader John's is trying to cash in on Joe's famous name and maybe even trick the unsuspecting or confused into thinking it's an offshoot of the "real" Trader, or perhaps the real thing itself for the directionally-challenged. Whoever owns this impostor has got quite a big set of cohones. They can open up Blue Mango, Urban Infitters, or Guitar Square, too, and it would make no difference. Judging from the looks of John's, they have a long way to go before it's even usable. The interior of John's is a mess much like when Gristede's was actually open, and needs months of work which makes it even more mindboggling that the store's moniker is already displayed. In the interim I wouldn't be surprised if they'll be forced to change their name after Trader Joe's serves them some legal documents. Traderish John's has a nice ring to it, or maybe Rader John's, or better yet, "Closed." It will be interesting to see what happens in the coming months.
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