[Image courtesy of Adrian Kinloch/Brit in Brooklyn]

The Ikea in Red Hook was one of those projects that created strong opinions on both sides: among those who said it would destroy the neighborhood and those who thought the benefits would outweigh the problems. Two months later, the neighborhood isn’t gridlocked, but the store has definitely had an impact and today the Times takes a look at the issue and concludes, in effect, that the store “has turned out to be less annoying than people thought.” Here’s an excerpt:

But since the store opened, something unexpected has happened. Ikea has won grudging acceptance from some of its detractors, who admit, somewhat sheepishly, that the feared blue box has brought perks enjoyed even by those who have no interest in stepping into the store. There is the daily water taxi and shuttle bus service provided free by Ikea, technically for its customers…The grassy waterfront esplanade that Ikea built, featuring benches with a view of the Lower Manhattan skyline, framed by remnants of Red Hook’s maritime past, is also catching on as a neighborhood attraction.

And the onslaught of Ikea-generated traffic that so many predicted has yet to materialize. Indeed, traffic is so light on some days that a rumor started among locals that Ikea was actually turning out to be a customer-starved failure (Ikea said its store was meeting its financial expectations).

The article doesn’t include any figures on Ikea’s local hiring (which the retailer won’t release) or actual traffic stats. There is, of course, more to be said on the subject, not to mention neighborhood discussion (one email we got calls the story “rather absurd”) but that’s today’s take.