I wonder who will move into that location.

Amazon pushing brick and mortar stores into financial limbo.

"Amazon pushing brick and mortar stores into financial limbo."

What is pushing many brick and mortar stores into limbo is not Amazon but rather those companies being unwilling to change to meet the needs of their customers - just look at Apple's brick and mortar stores.

Apple's strategy is price-fixing to keep internet retailers from undercutting the factory stores. Best Buy can't do that.

Are you kidding? I never pay retail for new Apple merchandise on Ebay.

A big new Apple store would be great!

Trader Joe would be a good addition to the neighborhood.

I don't understand Cora's comment. We do have a Trader Joe's in Palo Alto at T & C on Embarcadero Rd.

Fry's is reportedly looking for a new site ... This could be it! That way, we could make our weekend Fry's and Home Depot stops in one trip. :)

A Trader Joes in East Palo Alto is a great idea for people living nearby. No one wants to bicycle over Hwy 101 to get to the grocery store.

TJ won't go there. Store is far too big for their normal sqft. And no offense to the local population, but the location does not fit their typical demographic target.

Fry's would be a great fit. Aren't they going to have to leave their current PA location?

No way is Fry's going to take that spot . . way smaller of a footprint than their current site plus the local demographics are probably not a good match.

The city of Palo Alto will be in deep yogurt if they let Fry's move to East Palo Alto.

"The city of Palo Alto will be in deep yogurt if they let Fry's move to East Palo Alto."

Fortunately any decision to move would be Fry's and it would not be subject to the approval of the City of Palo Alto's.

"The city of Palo Alto will be in deep yogurt if they let Fry's move to East Palo Alto."

Fortunately any decision to move would be Fry's and it would not be subject to the approval of the City of Palo Alto's.

Trader Joe's is too upscale for EPA.

They really need a regular market such as Lucky's, which would offset EPA residents crowding our Midtown Safeway. How can the city be so stupid in making their residents go to another city for a basic need such as food? The Mexican market is just not the same.

Target.grocery, electr,and clothing etc...All in one or Walmart.

The level of ignorance and racism expressed by allegedly open-minded and highly educated Palo Altans is astounding. Have any of you ever visited the 101 center or are you too afraid of being mugged?

101 does not need a grocery because Mi Pueblo is there. Surprise! It's a spacious, clean, well-stocked supermarket with a great deli. The produce is better than you'll find at Safeway and it's competitively priced. Nice people too.

I've also visited the Starbucks, Jamba Juice, Office Depot, and of course the Rack and Home Depot many times. I have an account at the credit union. Never felt threatened or worried about lowlifes or gang members, and I'm a small white mom whose command of Spanish is sadly lacking. If you terrified Palo Altans could muster enough bravery to venture to that side of the freeway, you'd find that the clientele are a perfectly benign mix of EPA residents and employees of EPA companies (including, surprise, the University Circle law firms).

What does the mall need to fill the Best Buy vacancy? I'd vote for a CVS or Walgreens. There aren't any good-sized, full-service drugstores serving the EPA/Belle Haven community.

Palo Alto only wishes it had the sales taxes from 101! But that's no excuse for Palo Altans to look down your noses at what's proven to be a lively mall with a decent selection of big box retail.

Yes, a Wal-Mart or Tar-jay store would be good, too. Too bad it isn't big enough for a Super Wal-Mart such as in Gilroy. I am not a big fan of Wal-Mart but the company fills a need for those who are not of the privileged granola crunching class that can afford to shop in "socially responsible" or "politically correct" retail establishments.

Mi Pueblo is a GREAT market even for us non-Hispanics. Love the food, ambience, meat market, bakery, veggies. Like a "mercado." Try it, you'll like it. The Mi Pueblo on Rengstorff is a pale version of this one.

Before Mi Pueblo opened, the city had no real supermarket where milk, bread, fruits and vegetables and other groceries could be purchased within the city, in one place, so it has been a very welcomed addition to Ravenswood 101. As "101 shopper" states, Mi Pueblo is clean, well-stocked and offers good produce at competitive prices.

I still make treks to Palo Alto, Menlo Park, or Redwood City (whichever is most convenient during my weekly errands) to shop at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's for products not sold at any Mexican market, but I would not call Trader Joe's too upscale for EPA. Actually many East Palo Altans do shop at Trader Joe's, it's not only me. In addition, it could serve Palo Altans who live closer to 101 than Town & Country. It is unlikely that a Trader Joe's would replace Best Buy, but more likely due to the square footage than to the "typical demographic target."

My hope is the city would NEVER approve a Walmart or Target, but a CVS or Walgreens would actually be very convenient to East Palo Alto residents such as myself.

All comments about EPA's "demographics" is not suited for a TJ's comments made me laugh. Those people obviously have not shopped at the Ravenswood 101 shopping center. The center serve the area much larger that just EPA. People who shop there come from areas up and down the 101 corridor.

As for EPA residents themselves, why the heck TJ's would be too "upscale"? Most items are reasonably priced and affordable. You don't have to be high-income to enjoy a Two Buck Chuck and actually quite the contrary. I'm an middle-class Asian professional who lives in EPA by choice. I love the Mi Pueblo market. It's clean, well-stocked, well-priced, has friendly staff. Not to mention the yummy foods in the food court area. Not to mention, weekend special food offering (such as yummy oysters or grilled chicken). It's much more interesting than a Safeway or Lucky's and I'd much prefer it to the others.

Actually I'm glad Best Buy is closing. It gives opportunity for other more "useful" store. I'd prefer a discount store like Marshall's or Ross. A Target, Walmart would be great too.

Huh? says -- They really need a regular market such as Lucky's, which would offset EPA residents crowding our Midtown Safeway.


I don't know Midtown or Safeway, but I am tired of residents crowding our anything.

Remember - a lot of the idiots posting here who're non-residents aren't really aware of current EPA demographics, nor are they aware of who comprises the shoppers at 101. It's a really vibrant shopping center. I just wished the grocery store carried a line of organic food.

It would be great to have either a Target or a large drugstore there. A TJ's would be wonderful, but it's too large of a site. I was never a fan of that Best Buy, for a number of reasons, so I'm not sad to see it go.

There is a Trader Joe's in Palo Alto, in Town and Country Shopping Center, but hard to see it! It's sort of hidden by other buildings further down. Drive about in the lots and you WILL find it.
Bounded by El Camino Real/ Embarcadero Rd. There is a school across the way, and a underpass for the train.

I'm not surprised one bit. You could go to Best Buy, mark down an item number then go to the internet and find it practically EVERYWHERE for far less money; brick and mortar or Amazon and the like, it didn't matter.
Best Buy was the place to go look at something before actually buying it for fair value somewhere else.

We need a CVS or Walgreens. The traffic is terrible trying to get through downtown Palo Alto when you need sundries or medication. We have plenty of parking and Gateway 101 is the Best!

I second all those suggesting a Target for sundries, household needs and clothes. Another clothing outlet like The Rack would be handy too since there aren't many (affordable) clothing stores in the area. Maybe even Old Navy or a Marshalls. If TJs opened a shop there then I'd switch from T&C right away. What a parking lot nightmare that place is! But I thought there was talk of opening a new grocer at the Edgewood Plaza.

If I lived near either side of 101, I would shop more often in a Trader Joe store rather than a traditional supermarket like Mi Pueblo. The T.J. is not necessarily an expensive high end store. You can buy healthy top quality local and international grocery products at reasonable prices there.

I love Ravenswood 101 and I'm very thankful to have all of the great stores/services so close to home! I go to Mi Pueblo quite often for groceries and dinner, and I grab a Starbuck's coffee if the traffic heading north is packed in the morning. I also love Nordstrom Rack, Home Depot, and Sports Authority.

If a Trader Joe's opened up there, that would be my "local" TJ's. Anything to avoid the dreadful traffic jams and nutty/aggressive Palo Alto drivers around Town and Country.

Foster City has done an excellent job converting the old Fashion Island Center. It's a pleasure to visit (especially in comparison to trying to run errands in Mountain View or Redwood City). They have a fanastic Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Babies R Us, etc. -- everything people with young kids need. EPA already done a great job recruiting stores where people want to shop. Here's hoping they follow the model of Foster City and create a vibrant commerce center starting off with a big new Target.

Those of you who think Trader Joe's is not a good fit for the neighborhood are _______s.

Target <yes, Walgreens, <yea..., CVS<yes, FOOOODCO Definatley!!!!,....Mi Pueblo is a very noisy carnival store,besides I am an American and I cook at home and I do not eat mexican food every day, I eat worldly food need more variety not spicy, hot or sweet. And TRADER JOES,..Or Whole Foods are far more healthier,...but only if you read the labels on your food. try it you will live longer.

The BEST outcome would be for Facebook to lease out the space and make it into a hacker space / co-working space for new start-ups. At 45,000 sq ft it would probably be the largest free standing co-working space in the world. Call it "Hacker world" and fill it with 50 - 100 startup companies / hacker teams that want to incubate companies. Good for Facebook. Good for local commerce. Great for local property values. Change the dynamics and branding of EPA.

Please - don't call EPA's rep "branding." Sorry to be picky, but that's an obnoxious term. It would only change the dynamics so much. Oh, and whatever goes there - we need sales tax. That'll make a big difference in our rep.

A "hacker space" doesn't belong in a retail mall. At least not at ground floor level. But hackers hang out at the Starbucks all the time.

As for "dynamics and branding," a lot of us like the EPA vibe the way it is. If local property values rise, many current residents will have to move, and we really don't need a me-too Palo Altoesque community on the other side of the freeway. As it is, EPA is the last remaining frontier town on the peninsula, and a lot more interesting than staid Palo Alto and Menlo Park. E

To 101 shopper - Word!!