It's Final! TARGET Furniture is the Worst!!!

I have said it before, but I gave them another chance this weekend only to see their online furniture is even worse than what they sell at their stores. As the President of New York City's largest Professional Assembly Service it is hard to turn a customer away which will in turn leave a bad taste in their mouth thinking we only assemble high end pieces. That is not how I want my company to be viewed, but their has to be a time when you say enough is enough. When I first launched this company several years ago I thought IKEA was the bottom of the barrel compared to some of the other retailers. However, in time I found that for the most part IKEA was a good quality product, well made, and fairly priced. Target however, sells furniture that is poorly made, poorly handled, and sold at very unreasonable prices considering most of the furniture is coming out of China. I cannot say what they paid for the cherry "Finish" executive desk I agreed to have a technician assemble in which the customer paid $379.99 for, but I do know that a small company like myself can purchase an entire kitchen that was made in China from a dealer in the states for under $400.00! Now considering the company that resells these kitchen cabinets is not a big operation they have to be making at least 100% mark up on the kitchens, so I am guessing Target might mark up their furniture somewhere around 700%! In any event I was called to the customers home by my technician who came 2 hours to assemble the desk only to open the box and see that it was completely broken with chunks of the MDF ( Medium Density Fiberboard) that was the top amongst the other pieces scattered like saw dust. I immediately explained to the customer that we need to take pictures and call Target and report this matter, and assured her we would provide an affidavit to the company if need be. She contacted Target and put me on the phone with their customer service representative who I give credit to for being very nice and understanding. I explained who I was, our company, and the serious damage that had occurred to the customers article either in route from China, their warehouse, or the delivery service in which delivered it. I explained that we had pictures and by this time she must have pulled up our bio online and began to ask questions about our services that she could have only known by viewing our website. In any event when it was all said in done the customer is being shipped a new desk minus $40.00 for her troubles and we agreed to return a second time in the hopes that we can assemble the desk for her. Our minimum service fee is $60.00 which should be applied since it was not our fault the product was damaged nor inspected prior to our arrival, but I just couldn't find it in my heart to charge her. I guess that is what separates us from the big national companies who would have already had her credit card # and charged the fee. Now on our website we have a notice that clearly states we will no longer be assembling Target furniture and the reasons why. In a way I feel as if we are hurting our reputation and possibly bottom line by doing this, but Target furniture is just that bad that I had to take such a drastic measure because not one of my technicians will take a Target job.


Do you own target furniture? Was it damaged or not what you expected? Did the assembly process go easy? Either way please let us know so we can decide if we should begin contacting other Professional Companies and pull together to ensure Target starts selling better quality furniture.

Hells Kitchen Flea Market Rocks!!!!!

I know myself and many other city dwellers enjoy a good flea market and the search for that unfound treasure. I know my fair share about antiques and will find a steal every now and again. However, some of these flea markets are like dollar stores selling all new stuff, mostly junk! I want the old stuff, the letters from a war veteran writing his wife to be during the first world war, or a few original black and white photos. The BEST "REAL" flea market I found so far is the one in Hells Kitchen. Have you been there? If so, share your experience. Anyway here is a little info to help you find it. There is always tons of great decor for your palace.

nnex / Hell's Kitchen

Antiques Garage

West 25th St.

Featuring up to 170 vendors each weekend, Hell's Kitchen Flea Market is located on W. 39th St. between 9th & 10th Ave. Designers, artists, celebs, tourists and locals shop the market by the thousands as they did its Chelsea predecessor, The Annex. Antiques, collectibles, vintage clothing, furniture, decorative arts, jewelry, and more are here from all eras and styles - modern/mid-century, 19th-century, contemporary, and more. Located in Hell’s Kitchen, the flea market offers great views of midtown Manhattan.

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Located at 112 West 25th Street, The Antiques Garage has been attracting thousands of shoppers each weekend since 1994. More than 100 vendors on two floors offer eclectic antiques and decorative arts, including paintings and prints from all eras, vintage jewelry, handbags, fabrics, rugs, and furniture, as well as every imaginable kind of fine silver items, and much more. The Hell's Kitchen Flea Market shuttle ($1 per ride) stops right at The Garage, which is only footsteps away from the West 25th Street Market.

The West 25th Street Market is located in Chelsea on the uptown side of West 25th Street between 6th and 5th Avenues. (If coming from 5th Ave., you'll cross Broadway on your way.) This weekend outdoor flea market features up to 125 vendors selling antiques, collectibles, and other types of vintage and retro decorative arts. It's just steps away from The Garage.

It's really a great place and I suprise so many of my clients when I tell them where I got a particular statue or picture. Where??? Hells Kitchen Baby!!!!

New York City's "HOTTEST" Night Spots!

Weather Up (Photo: Melissa Hom)

Weather Up
589 Vanderbilt Ave., nr. Dean St., Prospect Heights, Brooklyn; no phone
As long as Sasha Petraske's Milk & Honey stays a nightlife staple, any new venture he's associated with will garner buzz. Weather Up—which features Petraske-trained bartenders, but is owned by Kathryn Weatherup—deserves it. A concise menu of eleven classic drinks (including a Brooklyn, a Presbyterian, a Honeysuckle, and a Bee's Knees) go down easy in a dark, well-manicured cocktail-lounge setting.

Beer Table
427 Seventh Ave., nr. 14th St., Park Slope, Brooklyn; 718-965-1196
Owner Justin Philips, a former beer importer, goes for quality over quantity on his drink list, meaning any of the three specialty drafts (rotated almost daily) will be a wise choice. The hushed lighting from the canning-jar lanterns will convince you to stick around and try the other two.

(Photo: Melissa Hom)

Le Cirque Bar
151 E. 58th St., nr. Lexington Ave.; 212-644-0202
As our friends at Grub Street report, the fine-dining bastion Le Cirque is, believe it or not, on the wine-bar bandwagon. Owner Sirio Maccioni says the lounge is "a more casual side of Le Cirque, where no jackets are required." Check out the wine tower, 20,000 strong, at left.

Terroir
413 E. 12th St., nr. First Ave.; 646-602-1300
Terroir, from the folks behind Hearth and Insieme, is one of the more buzzed-about new wine bars surfing the trend. Partially because Grub Street's doing the buzzing: We've shown you first-look photos, revealing video, and, yes, the wine list. Now we suggest you just go.

Cafe Notte
1626 Second Ave., nr. 84th St.; 212-288-5203
Another wine bar, yes, but this one has a cutesy side: From 10 a.m. until the sun goes down, Cafe Notte is a charming neighborhood coffee shop. When the music goes up, the brick walls and hanging chandeliers make any thought of blocked writers and stroller surfing but a distant memory.

(Photo: Courtesy of Mansion)

Mansion
530 W. 28th St., nr. Tenth Ave.; 212-629-9000
This bi-level venue opened in the former Crobar, an outpost of a Miami megaclub of the same name. With an occupancy of 2,120, the space has gotten plenty of attention already, as places with female-only pleasure rooms dubbed the Cougar tend to.

Suzie Wong
547 W. 27th St., nr. Tenth Ave.; 212-268-5105
Another well-publicized opening, appropriately just down the street from Mansion. It's the city's first bottle-service club specializing in sake, and it features not only a Madame Butterfly cocktail, but a Geisha one as well. The X-rated fortune cookies are free.

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IKEA Finally Opens Store in Cincinatti, Ohio!!!

It's about time! Not that we shouldn't have an Ikea right here in Manhattan, I'm happy to see that Ohio finally got one. And let me tell you those people fought tooth and nail to get a store there. They even had a well trafficked blog solely devoted to getting an Ikea there. And to them I say " Job well done!". Here is a brief article I found about the Grand Opening and the store. But as I stated before I am going to start concentrating more on NYC and what's going on here from now on, but I felt it was only right to give the Ohio team a two thumbs up for their hard work.

Courtesy of Ikea

Ikea's 34th U.S. store opened outside of Cincinnati March 12.

IKEA opened its 34th store in the U.S. in West Chester, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati, on March 12. The 344,000 square-foot store, known for its low prices and small-space solutions, has 48 different model rooms to inspire customers.

IKEA representatives hope the store's central location to several colleges and universities will make it an ideal place for students to shop for dorm room and apartment furnishings.

"We are so excited about being around so many colleges," said Kitalean Mason, public relations specialist for IKEA. "We cannot wait to start officially welcoming students to our store."

IKEA hopes that its low prices will motivate students to shop at their store.

"We see all college students as potential customers and we pride ourselves on having quality products at low prices," said Mason. "We hope that once students buy something from our store that they will become life-long customers."

Alysse Bortolotto, a senior in communications, plans to become a loyal IKEA customer.

"I really love the store," she said. "I usually like contemporary and simple furniture, and the stuff at IKEA is always simple and youthful."

Bortolotto said that the two-hour drive to West Chester from Columbus will be worth it.

"Now that I'll be moving after graduating I'm going to be looking for new furniture," she said. "I'll be looking for stuff that looks less out of my grandma's closet and more of a grown-up style."

Mason said that IKEA's instant gratification factor will be very attractive to students.

"If you see something you want, you can take it home that day," Mason said. "The store is full of items that the customer can just grab and go."

IKEA also offers several services to make shopping at their store as convenient as possible. As soon as customers walk in they are given a store map, yellow IKEA shopping bag and a pencil to jot down all the products they like. Customers will also have free use of measuring tapes, a personal furniture consultant and three types of shopping carts.

The Sweden-based store also boasts a 350-seat restaurant that will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant offers customers a chance to try traditional Swedish dishes, including Swedish meatballs. IKEA is situated on Interstate 75 and will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.

Need Help Assembling Furniture in NYC? Visit us at www.ezfurnitureassembly.com. If you live outside the state visit the National association of Professional Assemblers at www.assemble4you.com which has licensed and insured professional assemblers in almost every state.

New York City's Hottest Clubs!!!!!!

If you live here in the "Rotten Apple" you already know what's HOT & what's NOT! But for these tourists that end up getting sucked into comedy shows from ticket monsters in Times Square I felt it was my Duty as a daily Partier to share the best of the best with the tourists. What the hell, they paid at least a grand to come here and another 10 for nasal spray for the smog, the least we can do is point them in the right direction. These clubs are where you will see everyone from movie stars, Rock Stars, Rock Stars without Guitars, and normally a rapper or two. BE SURE TO CHECK THE DRESS CODE BEFORE YO GO CLUBBING!!!!. Hey Alice... your not in Kansas anymore. Most of the clubs here require you to wear a suit and tie or club clothes. Don't know what club clothes are? Do a quick Google search under "nyc club clothes" so you will get an idea of what to buy, because those Levi's and GAP sweaters don't cut it here. However, the money you spend on clothing will be well spent when you've been clubbing till four in the morning and danced with your favorite singer. Oh yeah... a quick trip to canal street to pick up a nice Knockoff Gucci bag and some Tiffany jewelry never hurt either. In closing PLEASE NOTE that New York City supplies FREE condoms so make sure you have that thing covered because that's one Souvenir you don't wanna bring back home.

If you are a "City Dweller" and know of some more Hot spots you woulld like to share feel free this blog is all about the city and what we have and what they want. Cheers!

Michael Mahoney
Drunken Contributing Editor

Sugar Daddy
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL BAR
57 E. 57th St.
212-758-5700

After work is a little scary—women in tight, cleavage-baring designer clothes prance around, looking to pounce on thick, watch-wearing suits—but late night, the real-deal moguls and heiresses come out to play.

Model
MARQUEE
289 Tenth Ave.
646-473-0202

You’ll have to fight for attention with the guys flashing black AmEx cards, but the models are top shelf: Gisele, Karolina Kurkova, Natalia Vodianova & Co. hang out in the back room.

Musician
DARKROOM
165 Ludlow St.
212-353-0536

Bands like the Libertines and Interpol have been throwing after-parties at this basement-level bar since it opened late last year. The narrow layout ensures that stars rub elbows with their hangers-on—and they seem more than happy to do so.

Stockbroker
ULYSSES
58 Stone St.
212-482-0400

Hip for a financial-district bar, with close Wall Street proximity and plenty of nooks and crannies to retire to. The action is thickest right after the market lets out on Thursdays, from 5 to 8.

Doctor
BELLA BLUE
967 Lexington Ave.
212-988-4624

This relaxed restaurant is blocks from Lenox Hill Hospital, New York Presbyterian, and every doctor’s office on the Upper East Side. On any given night, you’re likely to spot a well-known physician or surgeon.

Gay Man
THE SLIDE
356 Bowery
212-420-8885

Sometimes feisty, sometimes sleazy, but always foolproof, this is the fast food of hookups: no fuss, low-priced, and billions and billions served. The midweek crowd is graying; on weekends, shirtless, college-age barflies score free drinks and gyrate on the corner stage.

Lesbian
STARLIGHT BAR & LOUNGE
167 Ave. A
212-475-2172

Girl-on-girl options are often limited to humble neighborhood joints or overblown tourist traps. With its slinky house music, stiff cocktails, and seduction-inspiring sofas, “Starlette” on Sundays is an oasis packed with a wide mix of women.

Literary Type
HAPPY ENDING
302 Broome St.
212-334-9676

A young, attractive, inebriated bunch attends the 8 p.m. Wednesday reading series at this basement red-lit bar. Quietly pretending to pay attention leaves ample time to spot prey—fittingly, series director Amanda Stern fields requests for e-mail addresses the next day.

Hipster
FUN HOUSE
160 N. 4th St., Williamsburg
718-302-4300

A scruffy crowd arrives by bicycle and pays proper lack of attention to grooming. Look for starving filmmakers on screening nights; lavish praise is a surefire entrée. The man made of Barbie parts is a conversation-starter with starving artists.

Jock
BROTHER JIMMY'S BBQ
1485 Second Ave.
212-288-0999

Home to baseball-capped legions and tank-topped girls who’ve never met a table that didn’t need to be danced on. Challenge your targets to a drinking contest—try “Swamp Water,” a fishbowl full of vodka that comes with a grenadine-filled alligator figurine, and six straws.

Celeb
BUNGALOW 8
515 W. 27th St.
212-629-3333

The Energizer Bunny of celeb watering holes is still pulling boldfaced names from Colin to Mary-Kate in to the VIP banquettes nearest the bar. Slip past the bouncer before 11 p.m., and pass the time before the stars come out.

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NYC 10 MUST SEE BUILDINGS!!

Hello!

I want to start by wishing everyone a very happy St. Patrick's Day! Keep those Irish eyes a smilin'. I know in our wonderful city we get thousands of new residents daily among the millions of tourists that visit, so I have decided to add a short slide show showing the New York City's must see buildings and structures. I am sure there are many more that we can add and we welcome any and all additions as long as they are in good taste. I hope you enjoy this slide show and if you need help getting to anywhere in the city I suggest you use a great program/website called "nyc hopstop" where all you have to do is enter you current address and where you wanna go and in just a few seconds it will give you step by step directions on what train to take to where, transfer here or there if need be, and which way to way once you leave the subway. This site is great and will actually take you to the doorstep of where you want to go in easy, understandable directions. Anyway, enjoy the slide show,

TARGET Furniture is Just Junk!

I am sorry to say this about Target because overall I like the store and it's prices. But when it comes to their furniture it basically boils down to you getting what you pay for. In the furniture assembly business you will always find a kink in every manufacturer's pieces. However, the furniture that Target is purchasing is just to the point of not being able to be assembed.

We are New York City's #1 provider of professional assembly and we have assembled over 10,000 pieces of furniture in 2007. Many stores have seen the demand for RTA (Ready To Assemble) furniture and have made it a point to add this product line to their stores. However, I believe that furniture should be left to furniture retailers, such as computers to electronic dealers. Why? Because they are able to look beyond the price and know what they are getting, and what is a fair price. Most of the RTA furniture you find in Target and other large retail chains is from China and is very poorly made using the cheapest materials. Till today we never made a concious decision to stop assembly of a certain product because we were always able to suck up the issues it may have and move on.

However, at our weekly meeting it brought up by all our technicians that the furniture coming from Target is of the poorest quality and it is actually making us not only lose money but leave a bad taste in the customers mouth when after several hours we tell them that there is no way we can assemble this particular piece because the pre-drilled holes are off by 1", or they sent you two left side panels instead of one left and one right. What do we do, charge the customer for our time? I guess some companies would and do, but we have decided that such an act would only add insult to injury. For a year we have been working on this furniture only in the hope that they would correct their errors in time. To date there have been no changes made and we have decided that we will no longer be assembling Target furniture until they find new suppliers and provide their customers with better quality furniture. I have spoken with several other companies throughout the United States and they have already made the decision to stop the assembly of Target furniture until they upgrade their products. The worst part is that the furniture there is not being sold at super low prices, and most people could buy the same piece at Ikea or Crate & Barrel for the same price or a few dollars more and receive much better quality.

If you have purchased furniture from Target and found it to be junk or great, either way please let us know how you feel.

Eric Davis
General Manager
EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations