Monday, November 26, 2012

A new Target...the city

This weekend, Dexter and I ventured out to the new Target in downtown Los Angeles called "the city." I knew it was crazy to go to any store like that on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, but we needed some things and I figured that one wouldn't be too crowded since no one really knows about it yet.

It is The Future. In a sorta shiny, happy Blade Runner kind of a way.

It was hard to find. The address is 7th and Figueroa, which seems like it would be easy, except Fig is a one way street, which changes directions right around where I would normally dump onto it at the north end of downtown. I had to loop around down Hill to 7th, and then it was still difficult to find the parking lot entrance. The plaza is definitely built with the idea that people will WALK to this Target, not drive. Once in the parking structure though, there was plenty of parking, $1 with validation.

The store itself is the one floor style, my favorite, and gives the vibe of chic and cool. For a Target. It is a bit smaller than a regular store but it makes you feel like you've stepped into some Euro/Japanese universe. The workers are an attractive Benetton ad array of friendly young people, eager to help. you shop with a mini cart- you don't want to buy too much since you will be schlepping it back to your downtown loft or out to your car, and the carts are not allowed into the parking garage. If you do buy so much that you can't carry it (duh, why am I at Target in the first place?) a worker will escort your cart down to a loading zone, wait for you to get your car and drive it to said loading zone, and then load your car for you.

Stuff was a little more expensive than a regular Target, but it was NOT CROWDED. This was worth the extra 40 cents/bottle of soda, at least on a holiday weekend. No lines at the registers, but enough people in the store to make it fun and festive, not at all like a normal Target Saturday in Burbank, which is always packed, trashed and filled with screaming and weeping children.

All in all, it made for a fun little outing. I will stop by when I'm downtown buying fabric, but it's not worth the hassle and added pricing to make it my regular weekly Target.