According to several sources, Trader Joe’s Bridgemarket at 59th and First will open in October. One source pegs the date as the 15th, although the owners are officially mum, except for “Opening Soon.”
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Trader Joe’s Bridgemarket, Weeks Away
Whatever the exact date, Roosevelt Island Tram riders will soon add Trader Joe’s shopping bags in volume to the collection of Whole Foods, Fairway and Others. Many of us regularly head out for TJ’s in several locations, but Trader Joe’s Bridgemarket is much closer.
Just a Tram ride away from some favorite foods… Can you believe they actually carry horseradish hummus? Their store brands, with a few exceptions, are top quality at great prices.
Patch has followed the story for months and was first at reporting a “coming this fall” promise.
But shoppers may be in for a little shock as still secret plans suggest an “upscale” market, fitting for the Upper East Side.
A Store That Almost Wasn’t
Originally opened as a food market under the Queensboro Bridge, charmed by the vaulted tiles that marked Food Emporium’s store before the chain went out of business in 2015. Before that, Conran’s had a furniture showcase there, but even before that, the Department of Transportation used it after the Great Depression closed the original market.
In the meantime, Michael’s made a bid for it. The arts and crafts business failed, however, after clashing with the City Landmarks Commission over a proposed design. Then, Fairway and Whole Foods gave it some thought, but Trader Joe’s Bridgemarket got the spot. A hoped for late 2020 opening lost out to the coronavirus pandemic.
TJ’s newest store, first on the Upper East Side, will be airier by design, a feature benefit from those vaulted ceilings and, also, with more natural light.
For Roosevelt Islanders who love Trader Joe’s, shopping will be easier than ever, the Bridgemarket a few minutes away by Tram with a one block walk.
And no filthy, unpredictable subway ride required.
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You Can’t Be All Three
April 9, 2026, during the full board meeting of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, Fay Christian said something that should have landed harder than it did. She wished RIOC were not responsible for the tram. Then she asked what it would look like if it were given to the MTA. That was not a passing comment.
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