I've lived near the park for about six months and finally braved the Key Food on 21st after they took down the plywood. It's... brighter? But I walked in for heavy cream and pasta and ended up doing two laps. The produce is no longer by the entrance? Or maybe it is and I'm just blind. The aisle signs seem wrong, and the checkouts are in the middle of the store now? I ended up leaving with cereal and no cream. I'm trying to figure out if I should just give up and use Trade Fair instead. Does anyone actually like this layout? Also is there a second entrance I'm missing on the side street?

Lol I'm in LIC but I stop there on my way back from the park sometimes. The new layout is weird, but I think the produce is along the back wall now? The misters are aggressive. I got sprayed reaching for grapes. The frozen aisle used to be on the right when you walked in, now it's where dairy used to be? The self-checkout is only like four machines and there's always a line going into the chips. I still go for emergency eggs, but for a real shop I take the bus up to Food Bazaar on Northern. The Key Food seems more expensive now too, maybe to pay for the renovation? Anyone know if there's a side entrance by the parking lot?

I've been shopping at that Key Food off and on for years, and I think the problem is they renovated the shell without really rethinking the flow. The old store was a straight shot: produce on the left as you came in, dairy and eggs along the back, frozen on the right. The new one moved produce to the back right because they expanded the deli and bakery up front, which makes sense for grabbing prepared food, but it means anyone doing a quick pantry run gets routed through the snack aisles.

For heavy cream: it's now in the short refrigerated case near the checkout, not back by the milk. Pasta is aisle 2, but the sign says 'International' because they put some jarred sauces there too. If you go early on a weekday, the staff are still restocking and can actually tell you where things moved; weekends are chaos.

My honest take: the Key Food is now better for a few specific things — the deli, the olive bar, maybe a fresh loaf of bread — but for a full weekly shop on the same walk, Trade Fair on 30th Ave or C-Town on 31st St are less pretty but faster. I wouldn't recommend Food Bazaar unless you have a cart, because the walk from the Q69 stop with more than two bags feels long. Also, the side entrance LIC_newbie asked about: yes, there's one on 31st Ave, but it puts you directly at the checkout line, not the produce.

Y'all are too polite. The old Key Food was grimy but at least you could get in and out. Now it's like a Whole Foods wannabe with worse lighting. They moved the heavy cream next to the Snapple? No thanks. I live off 30th and I just go to the fruit stands for produce and Trade Fair for dairy. Key Food only if I need the deli because their honey turkey is decent. The self-checkout line is always a mess, and half the time the card reader is down. Also check the expiration dates on the fancy tomato sauce near the front—I once grabbed a jar that was three months expired. They fixed the shelves but not the rotation.

I just moved to Astoria in September and I've been trying to figure out which grocery to walk to from 24th Ave. I went to this Key Food once and it felt like a hotel lobby with grocery aisles? I didn't even buy anything because I couldn't find the eggs. Are they hidden now? I asked a worker and she pointed vaguely toward the back. I ended up at Trade Fair, which was less shiny but I found eggs in 30 seconds. Is Trade Fair the move for basics? Or should I learn the new Key Food layout? I don't have a car, so I'm carrying everything.

@firstwinter for basics, Trade Fair on 30th is the move. It's not fancy, but the prices on dairy and pantry stuff are better, and the lines move quicker. You can also hit the fruit stand across the street for berries and greens; cash only though. Key Food is fine if you're already over there and need one or two things, but don't do a full shop unless you enjoy paying $2 extra for butter to look at new floors. If you're on 24th Ave, you're actually closer to the C-Town on 31st St? I used to live on 23rd and I'd do C-Town for quick stuff. The Key Food side entrance on 31st Ave is real but it's like a secret exit—nobody tells you until you've already circled the store.

Okay update: I took advice and went to Trade Fair this morning before work. Found heavy cream in like a minute, and the pasta aisle was labeled normally. I think I'm converted for basics. The Key Food is now my deli-only spot. Also the side entrance on 31st Ave is a game changer—I used it today to get to the deli counter without walking through the whole store. Question: does Trade Fair have a decent meat section, or should I go to the butcher on Ditmars? I got chicken there once and it was fine, but I want to know if it's worth it.