Answer this: do you enjoy shopping? Do you also enjoy low prices for quality label items? Then it’s time to get excited: TJ Maxx, one of the largest department stores in the world, is slated to open on 31^st Street and Ditmars this spring!

With over 1,000 locations in the U.S. alone, as well as its parent company TJX operating as TK Maxx in locations around the world such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Poland, and The Netherlands, TJ Maxx is set to become Astoria’s premier chain shopping destination. And this comes as no surprise; promoting the trend of larger companies such as Target and, previously, Amazon choosing Astoria and its surrounding areas as destinations to open up shop.

However, this raises the question of what happens to smaller, family-owned businesses? Will they be able to keep up with the demand of larger corporations moving into town, thus becoming serious competition? Or, is Astoria becoming another over-commercialized neighborhood? Only time will tell, but we can only hope that all businesses have the chance to prosper.

What do you think: are the bigger companies moving into Astoria good for the neighborhood? Let us know in the comments below!