The latest New York City location of fan-favorite grocery store chain Trader Joe’s is facing some harsh online criticism because of its decor. On July 25, Trader Joe’s opened on 125th Street in Manhattan’s historically Black neighborhood of Harlem — it’s located in the same building that’s . Tracy-Ann Reeves is store manager for the new spot, and says she wanted the store’s interior to reflect the neighborhood it’s joining.
“The signs and murals in the store are something that we really do pride ourselves on, to make sure that it is connecting with the community,” Reeves tells TODAY.com. “We spent a lot of time in Harlem just touring, looking at pieces at parks and wherever in the neighborhood.
” For nearly a month, gobs of customers have filed in and out of the building seeing decor created specifically for the new location, but it’s one pair of signs placed near the entrance that have attracted significant — and negative — online attention. “You can open a store in Harlem but no need to do all that,” Harley Geffner (@gnarlyheffner) on X shortly after the opening. The post shows the two signs: one overhead welcoming visitors to Trader Joe’s and one printed diagonally along the escalator that reads “Uptown Love.
” The signs utilize a graffiti-style typeface — a nod to the art form that has both and connotations within the Black community. More than 3.2 million views later, hundreds of people shared their thoughts.
“I think this is dop.
