Particle Board Paradise
I was an Ikea late bloomer, but it wasn't my fault. The NW, where I spent the first 24 years or so of my life, is colorful, functional furniture deprived. But from the first moment I set foot on NYC soil, the Ikea seed was planted. Where did you get that cute, cheap insert item here? Ikea, duh. But I didn?t want to do the Port Authority shuttle like all the other New Yorkers that I?d instantly taken a disliking to. No, fresh from Portland, I wanted the suburban experience, even if it involved extra effort.
Hicksville became my focus. Heck, the LIRR stops there. (For at least my first year here, I harbored all sorts of sick romantic notions about Long Island, Levittown, little run-down prefab houses and how I should somehow be a part of that. Really, I was already isolated and trapped in Ridgewood, Queens–why not go full throttle?)
About five years later, I finally visited the Hicksville location, thanks to a car-owning boyfriend, and it is better than Elizabeth (though the newer Paramus store beats all). And it feels super Swedish since there?s also an H&M kitty-corner in the mall.
Ikea * Various locations, NJ & NY
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