All Over Albany

I recently was coming back from a trip to NYC and had to stop at the Paramus IKEA...and its on the way. of course I never think that it's Sunday and everything in Paramus is closed Sundays (Chik-fil-a)!!! crazyness right?! needless to say I had an hour detour (roundtrip) to the other IKEA in Elizabeth.

... said Stephen on May 31, 2011 at 1:33 PM | link

As a recently converted New Jerseyan (it makes my tuition cheaper) I have a few local tidbits that may be of interest:

1) Yes, the Paramus Ikea is closed on Sundays. That's because Bergen County still has blue laws in effect mandating that retail outlets stay closed for business on Sunday. They thought about repealing the ordinance since the religious motivation has dwindled a bit in recent years, but the locals appreciate the one-day traffic respite it provides.

2) Paramus, being a fairly prosperous community, enjoys the standard 7% New Jersey sales tax rate. Elizabeth, home of the other North Jersey Ikea, is a designated Urban Enterprise Zone, allowing sales tax to be reduced to 3.5%. If you're furnishing an entire apartment, those savings definitely add up. The tradeoff is that you have to take the Turnpike to just about the Port of Newark, but with a little practice it's cake, and you'll get the bonus of watching planes take off from Newark Liberty from the cafe.

Taking that all into consideration, I'd say the clear winner is the location not on your list. (Especially for me, because it's the easiest to get to from Central Jersey by far.)

... said Pete on May 31, 2011 at 1:56 PM | link

There's a Chick-Fil-A at the Paramus mall near IKEA, a Sonic on the way back at Kingston, and great views of the Hudson & Catskills along the way. What's not to like?

... said James on May 31, 2011 at 2:12 PM | link

Maybe I'm a godless heathen or something, but dang it, I expect my IKEA to be open on sundays! Curse you New Jersey! Wait... NJ is already cursed... :) nevermind... =D

... said Andy on May 31, 2011 at 2:14 PM | link

The diners on Route 17 should be mentioned in the food attractions!

... said Bob B on May 31, 2011 at 2:41 PM | link

Yeah, but isn't Chik-fil-a closed on Sundays everywhere? Like Hobby Lobby.

... said LB on May 31, 2011 at 3:08 PM | link

Don't forget the IKEA in Stoughton, MA it takes about 3 hours from Albany and is also open on Sunday. The "good" part about this store, is that its only a short drive from Wrentham Village which has a Restoration Hardware Outlet. All in all, its a great money sink.

... said Brett on May 31, 2011 at 3:27 PM | link

I find the drive to Paramus to be much more of a hassle than the drive to New Haven. New Haven wins for me. And there is a Trader Joe's about 15 mins away, which if you are going to be in the area... worth the 15 minute drive. And then, if you plan it right, you can swing by the Mohegan Sun Wolf Den for a free concert on your way home.

Not that I haven't made a mecca to Ikea, Trader Joes and a free concert at the Wolf Den as a road trip day of fun in CT or anything...

Trader Joe's
560 Boston Post Road
Orange, CT

... said Diana on May 31, 2011 at 3:35 PM | link

I'll throw in another vote for the Paramus store - in my experience they have much more in stock.

Although everything in the showrooms is similar, the Paramus store has more colors of whatever shelving you want in stock - and more of it. So if you need 6 of those bookshelves to line your hall, go to Paramus.

Also, while in Paramus, you can stop by Campmor, and get any outdoor gear you need. (Waaaay better then Cabella's for a camper/hiker)

... said Melissa Mykal on May 31, 2011 at 5:46 PM | link

Get out of my head!! Just yesterday my wife and I were discussung this very thing...

... said Slacker on May 31, 2011 at 6:18 PM | link

Go to the one where you are gonna do something else also. Combo trips are great. Get more done. Taconic Parkway and Conn 8 would provide scenic drives and a little more time to travel there. There is also an IKEA in Montreal if you are headed up north.

... said some guy on May 31, 2011 at 6:52 PM | link

Aside from Garden State Plaza, down on Rt. 4 is Bergen Mall (or whatever they're going by nowadays) and the shops at Riverside. No matter where you go, the shopping is pretty darn good in this area. I could suggest back roads to bypass some of the more traffic prone areas of 17, but eh... you'd probably get lost.

... said Rochelle on May 31, 2011 at 8:52 PM | link

My vote is for New Haven. There's even a Marcel Breuer building adjacent to IKEA. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Breuer

... said Elisabeth on May 31, 2011 at 9:24 PM | link

Hey folks, let's get practical here. Who is going to pay me (including the gas mileage) to shop anywhere that's further than 20 miles from my home? I shop locally for anything I need. If it's not available locally, I do without.

If you are going to be big on eating local produce, you can't logically shop in NJ or CT for furniture, it just doesn't make sense.

... said chezjake on May 31, 2011 at 11:59 PM | link

Trader Joe's is a little passe. If you want a true supermarket/circus experience, you need to visit Stew Leonards. There's one near Hartford on the way to New Haven.

... said Duff on Jun 1, 2011 at 12:26 AM | link

@Elisabeth: I had wondered about that building! It's distinctive -- and the IKEA is sort of oddly placed in relation to it.

Here's a bit more about the building and the controversy over IKEA constructing a store near it.

... said Greg on Jun 1, 2011 at 7:36 AM | link

i'm from new haven! so my vote is for that one, and while you're there stop at Louie's Lunch for a historic/famous burger, and the Yale art gallery and Skull and Bones building. really cool town.
http://www.louislunch.com/

... said patrick on Jun 1, 2011 at 12:36 PM | link

Maybe it was the 2 year old maps in my Garmin GPS, but the trip to the New Haven IKEA was hellish, wondering through back country MA on two lane twisty highways.

I'll take 2 hours on the Thruway any day, even if the place with the sign held up by the crane just south of 20something is getting boring to look at.

... said Mark Walling on Jun 1, 2011 at 12:51 PM | link

@Mark Walling: Your GPS's settings might be the culprit. A visit to family in the New Haven area a summer or two ago likewise led me through all sorts of country roads in MA and CT. For the return trip, I tweaked my settings and it put me right on I-91 up to the Mass Pike and home. I think I changed it from "shortest distance" to "shortest drive time".

... said Tim in Waterford on Jun 1, 2011 at 2:29 PM | link

Do we have to go to IKEA?

If you have to go, the 'back way' to New Haven, down the Taconic to 84 then RT7 to I95 isn't bad (the back back roads are even better). And scenic as all get out.

But if you really want to do some furniture shopping, try doing it locally.

... said komradebob on Jun 1, 2011 at 3:05 PM | link

How did you calculate gas mileage?
What car did you base it on?
Did you just account for a full tank with no fill up in either city?

Either way, perhaps NJ would be better, they have lower gas prices than NY due to lower gas taxes. Plus, all gas stations are full serve by law there.

... said CapHwys on Jun 1, 2011 at 9:03 PM | link

The Red Hook, Brooklyn IKEA is well-worth the extra gas and time. I found it to be better stocked(and cleaner) than the Paramus store.

... said Aja on Jun 2, 2011 at 3:39 PM | link

I'm still looking for furniture store suggestions which have have furniture with a style similar to IKEAs... even in a different price range.

There aren't any. Shopping local is smart for food and locally made goods. Using it as a blanket statement means nothing.

... said Paul on Jun 3, 2011 at 12:51 PM | link

Duhhhh...Paramus all the way, unless you want to be stuck in boring old Connecticut.
While a nice state overall, New Haven is a crap city (to save myself from describing it more vulgarly) and I've encountered some of the worst weather ever in my many years of driving to CT.
I think you usually have to go through MA first then to CT.
Paramus is a straight shot down the Thruway and onto Rte 17S. How hard can that be?
And kudos to those who know Paramus as a mecca of shopping.
Many residents from other states come to Jersey b/c it literally has everything, including tax-free clothing purchases (including also luxury brands you usually see in NYC).
In fact, Paramus makes more income than some countries do (or so I have heard).
Anyway, Paramus is a clear winner for me, because this reader knows what benefits living in the center of the East Coast and the key metro area to shop in.
And oh yeah, forgot to mention that this IKEA is 10 min from my house ^_^.
Happy shopping!
And those Swedish meatballs are delish! And the berry sauce too!

... said Andy on Jul 10, 2012 at 9:48 PM | link

New Haven does have a lot of shopping nearby. Milford is 10 minutes down the road and has every imaginable retailer (though no Crate & Barrel - yet), including Whole Foods. New Haven itself has a great shopping district on Broadway with J Crew, Apple, Urban Outfitters, American Apparel, etc. All the trendy shops to co-exist with your Ikea finds. New Haven also is a foodie mecca, not just for pizza anymore (although BAR, Sally's, Pepe's and Modern - and even Kitchen Zinc, Grand, and Press kill anything in the Paramus area). Some standouts include Prime 16, Miya's Sushi, Meatball House, Miso, Skappo, Mezcal, Zinc, Heirloom, Thali, etc. etc.

... said RK on Sep 12, 2012 at 11:02 AM | link

Wish IKEA would locate HERE!
The first thing i would do is head towards the smorgassboard!
YUM!

... said mg on Sep 12, 2012 at 11:49 AM | link

Make a weekend trip out of it and drive to Montreal! Sure it's an extra two hours but they do have an IKEA plus so much more!

... said Jamie on Sep 12, 2012 at 12:00 PM | link

They really need to put an IKEA in that new upscale shopping center that's expected to be going in where Latham Circle Mall is/used to be ;)

... said Danika on Oct 18, 2012 at 3:09 PM | link