You wake up Saturday knowing you need paper towels, garbage bags, and enough snacks to feed eight people watching a game Sunday night. You figure Costco in Sunset Park is the move. You leave Bushwick at eleven, take the L to the G, transfer at Metropolitan, ride to Smith-Ninth, walk fifteen minutes, spend forty minutes inside because the checkout line wraps past the freezer section, then realize on the platform that a twelve-pack of seltzer and a tub of pretzels barely fit through a subway turnstile. You get home at three. Half your day is gone.
Text Karpo before you leave to get current subway timing, whether the warehouse is slammed right now, and a backup plan if you need to split the trip across two days.
Why most Brooklyn shoppers waste two hours
The mistake is treating Costco like a neighborhood errand. It is not. It is a bulk supply mission that requires route planning, a realistic carry limit, and a decision about whether you actually need twenty-four rolls of toilet paper today or just want them because the unit price feels like a win. Most people skip the planning and pay in time and sore shoulders.
The Sunset Park warehouse sits at Third Avenue and Thirty-Seventh Street, a schlep from any train. The Rego Park, Queens location is closer to the M and R but still a walk, and the East Harlem spot on East 117th Street near the FDR requires a crosstown bus unless you are already on the 6. All three get crowded Saturday mid-morning through early afternoon. If you are coming from Bushwick, Sunset Park is the shortest total trip, but only if you go early or late and carry smart.
A route that does not collapse under a tote bag
Leave Bushwick by nine on a Saturday or after five on a Sunday. Take the L from Morgan or Jefferson to Lorimer, transfer to the G southbound. Ride to Smith-Ninth Streets. Walk west on Ninth Street, then south on Third Avenue. The warehouse opens at ten on weekends. If you arrive at opening, checkout is fast. If you go after five on Sunday, the crowd thins but you lose an hour of daylight for the return trip in winter.
Set a carry limit before you go inside. A backpack and one reusable tote is the ceiling for a solo subway trip. A rolling cart works if you are willing to block the aisle during the evening rush, but the G platform at Smith-Ninth has stairs, no elevator. If you drive, street parking on Third Avenue south of Thirty-Sixth is metered until seven pm weekdays, free weekends, but it fills by eleven. The lot at Costco requires a membership scan to enter.
What fits the subway ceiling and actually saves money: garbage bags, paper towels, aluminum foil, dish soap, laundry detergent, snack-size chip bags, mixed nuts, granola bars, batteries, and the big olive oil tins if you cook constantly. A case of seltzer fits in a backpack if you are willing to walk slowly. The rotisserie chicken is cheap and famous but it leaks and smells up a train car. The giant muffin packs and croissant boxes crush under pressure. The frozen pizzas do not fit in a standard backpack without diagonal jamming. If you are hosting a dozen people, rent a Zipcar for two hours or coordinate with a friend who has a car. The savings on bulk soda and beer justify the fifty-dollar rental if you are buying for a crowd.
Skip the furniture, the rugs, the electronics, and anything that requires assembly unless you are driving. The optical and pharmacy counters are useful but add twenty minutes to the trip. The food court sells cheap hot dogs and pizza at the exit; it is faster than stopping somewhere on the way home, and you can eat standing near the entrance while you repack your bags for balance.
Who should skip this and order delivery instead
If you live above the third floor in a walk-up, the bulk detergent and seltzer cases will punish you. If you are shopping for one or two people and not hosting, the unit savings do not justify the trip unless you go every six weeks. Costco requires a membership; the basic tier is sixty dollars a year. If you only shop there twice, you are not breaking even unless each trip saves you thirty dollars over buying the same items at Target or a grocery store, and that math only works if you are buying ten or more bulk items per visit.
If you do not have storage space, the oversized packages become a problem. A twenty-four-pack of paper towels takes up a closet shelf for three months. The garbage bags come in a box the size of a small suitcase. If your kitchen and bathroom are tight, you will trip over inventory until you use it down. Delivery through Instacart adds a markup and a service fee but saves the round trip and the carry. For single-item runs, it is often the better call.
If you are visiting New York City and staying in a hotel or a short-term rental, Costco is not the move. You cannot store bulk goods, you do not need twelve rolls of paper towels for a four-night stay, and the membership does not make sense for a one-time trip. Buy what you need at a Duane Reade or a Key Food near your rental and spend the saved time seeing the city.
What to confirm before you leave Bushwick
Check the Costco app or website for current warehouse hours. Weekend hours shift around holidays. The Sunset Park location occasionally closes early for inventory or opens late after a snowstorm. If you are going Sunday evening, confirm the closing time; it is usually six pm, but double-check so you are not locked out mid-shop.
Check the G train status. Weekend service changes are frequent. The MTA sometimes runs shuttle buses between Court Square and Church Avenue, which adds fifteen minutes and requires a bus transfer in both directions. If the G is running local or skipping Smith-Ninth, you will need to get off at Fourth Avenue-Ninth Street and walk an extra ten minutes south and west. The L is more reliable on weekends but still worth a quick check for planned work.
If you are buying alcohol in bulk, note that New York Costco locations do not sell liquor or wine in the warehouse; you can only buy beer. If you want wine or spirits, you need to visit a separate liquor store. The membership is not required to shop the pharmacy or buy alcohol in states where that is the law, but in New York the alcohol selection is limited to beer and hard seltzers, and you do need to show your card to enter the main warehouse. If you are hosting and need wine, plan a separate stop at a wine shop in Bushwick or Sunset Park on the way back. Drink responsibly. If you are buying beer for a group, plan how you will get home safely. The subway is the best choice; do not drive after drinking, and if you are planning to drink during the game, have a friend handle the return trip or budget for a rideshare.
Bring your membership card and a photo ID. Costco checks both at the door. Bring reusable bags; the warehouse does not provide bags at checkout, only the cardboard boxes that held the inventory. A backpack with padded straps is better than a duffel for a subway trip. If you are splitting the run with a roommate, coordinate who carries what before you check out. One person takes the heavy liquids, the other takes the bulky paper goods. It makes the walk to the train survivable.
Practical notes
- Sunset Park Costco opens at 10am weekends; go at opening or after 5pm Sunday to avoid peak crowds
- G train from Bushwick requires a transfer at Lorimer; check for weekend service changes before you leave
- Set a carry limit: one backpack plus one tote is the subway ceiling; a rolling cart works but Smith-Ninth has stairs
- Membership costs $60/year; break-even requires multiple trips with ten-plus bulk items each time
- If buying beer for a group, plan a safe ride home and drink responsibly; subway is the best return option
- Bring reusable bags and your membership card; warehouse provides only cardboard boxes at checkout
Tags: #karpo #nyc #bushwick #costco #sunsetpark #bulkshopping #brooklynlife #gtrain #subwayshopping #weekenderrands #nyclogistics #hostingprep #gamedayplanning #smartshopping #cityliving
Sources consulted: Costco Warehouse Locations · MTA G Train Service · NYC Costco Membership Info
Please drink responsibly. Must be of legal drinking age.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Ask Karpo first
Text Karpo to check current G train service and transfer timing from Bushwick, whether the Sunset Park warehouse is crowded right now, and a backup plan if you need to split your shopping across two trips. Karpo will also map the fastest route home and remind you what fits in a backpack before you overload at checkout.
