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Ridgewood, a neighborhood long liked for its scrappy charm and an abundance of mom-and-pop businesses, is officially getting a Whole Foods—and the neighborhood reaction has been swift, loud and deeply conflicted.
The Amazon-owned grocery chain has signed a 15-year lease for the former Beaux-Arts bank building at 55–60 Myrtle Avenue, according to city records filed last week and first reported by Crain’s. The 28,000-square-foot store is set to take over the entire first floor of the three-story building, which was previously home to a Rite Aid that closed earlier this year. If it opens as planned, it will be Whole Foods’ first operating location in the borough, ahead of a separate Long Island City store slated for 2028.
News of the deal quickly sparked a wave of frustration on social media, where longtime residents and Ridgewood loyalists framed the arrival as a major sign of peak gentrification. “Oh man. The Brooklynization of Queens has begun,” Asad Dandia, a historian and walking tour guide, wrote on X. Others were less subtle, calling the store a “gentrification indicator” and lamenting that “a Ridgewood Whole Foods… it might be over.”
The concerns aren’t entirely abstract. Myrtle Avenue already has several independent grocers, including one just two doors down from the former bank building and another directly across the street. The nearest large chain, Food Bazaar, is a five-minute walk away. Critics worry that a Whole Foods, a national brand known for premium pricing, could squeeze out smaller businesses that have long been neighborhood staples.
At the same time, Ridgewood has been hurtling toward the mainstream for years. In January, StreetEasy named it the No. 1 “NYC neighborhood to watch,” citing the highest number of searches citywide. Trendy restaurants, rising rents and an influx of newcomers have steadily shifted the profile of the area, even as residents disagree over what, exactly, should be preserved.
Financial details of the Whole Foods lease haven’t been disclosed, but CoStar estimates retail rents in the building range from roughly $46 to $57 per square foot. The property is owned by Queens-based Norse Realty, with the deal brokered by Ripco.
There’s no confirmed opening date and Whole Foods itself has not commented publicly on the Ridgewood plans. But whether residents plan to protest it, boycott it or begrudgingly shop there, the neighborhood conversation has already changed. For Ridgewood, the Whole Foods effect isn’t theoretical anymore—it’s happening on Myrtle Avenue.