The Market Report

Here in Bay Ridge, "A" sure got around. What do I mean? Well, he co-founded A&A Produce Farms , A&S Deli & Meat Market here, and the A&D Turkish Market we're going to see tomorrow. I mean, they're all within the same two blocks or so, so he didn't have to travel far. It's not often that you see a Greek grocery store. At least, it's not often that I do. I know of maybe one other, which is The Greek Store in Kenilworth, NJ , an excellent family-run store with great foods. But not a supermarket. Now, neither is A&S here in Bay Ridge. But the blog is no longer NJ Supermarkets, so it seems fitting I should cover a store that's not in New Jersey and not a supermarket, post-rebrand, of course. A&S Deli & Meat Market is at 7918 5th Ave.

The various independent greengrocers along 5th Ave (some of which are undoubtedly Korean ) really cater specifically to the significant Middle Eastern population in eastern Bay Ridge, as mentioned before . This store, at 7816 5th Ave, is no exception. As far as the store's name goes, uh, where else would you grow produce? (Okay, okay, you urban garden lovers and hydroponics fans, I'm trying to make a point here.)

Wow! It's only been a few months but we're already at 400 posts here on The Market Report! Just last August, we reached 300. We're quickly approaching 100,000 views, too. Because I'm extremely well-prepared (read: insane), I already have posts scheduled for many months to come...that is, through the end of April 2020.  That's what you get for photographing almost 700 grocery stores in roughly two and a half years! As always, I sincerely thank everyone for reading. I honestly didn't think anyone would want to when I first started the blog. If you have any suggestions, or would like to contribute anything, don't hesitate to contact me at marketreportblog@gmail.com , or leave a comment here!

5th Evergreen Supermarket, which I would really classify as a deluxe greengrocer, is a real resource to the neighborhood. With a wide selection of really good and cheap fresh produce alongside an interesting selection of Middle Eastern specialty products, it might not offer something totally unique. But it's still a cool store. The majority of the store's produce is displayed outside, although the selection continues inside. I'm still not entirely sure how stores can display all this merchandise outside without people stealing every last piece of it. But I guess it works, because so many stores do it. The store's interior consists of two aisles. 5th Evergreen sells some grocery staples as well as specialty imported and organic products. The second aisle, above. The olive bar and bulk dry foods selection are reflective not only of the store's focus, but also the neighborhood's demographics. Supermarkets over on 3rd Ave tend to focus mor...

As most readers of the blog know, I'm not big on covering convenience stores. However, as I focus more and more on urban independent grocers, the lines between convenience stores, bodegas, oversized butcher shops, greengrocers, and true supermarkets tend to get blurred. However, I took pictures of this store for one reason and one reason only. It had Krasdale sale posters in the windows! 1 Stop Mini Mart is located at 7724 5th Ave.

Heading over to 5th Ave for our next store, which has a very different character from 3rd Ave. Fifth is more relaxed, less congested, but equally interesting. This particular produce market is at the corner of 77th St and 5th Ave. What mostly attracted me to this store (which I did not go into) was its logo, which I thought was really cool. Like many NYC produce stores, it has a prime location on the corner of a major retail corridor. The corner location allows for some great publicity on the side... Big Tree is located at 7702 5th Ave, Brooklyn.

Shop Fair (now Olive Tree Marketplace) has tough competition with a much larger Key Food affiliate just in the next block. This store, which opened as The Brooklyn Market with America's Food Basket, has since switched to the Food Emporium banner under Key Food. Originally opening in the fall of 2013, The Brooklyn Market combined several smaller storefronts into a full-size supermarket. The Food Emporium also has a prime location on the corner and also runs a free private parking lot across the street. As you can tell from what the store promotes on the outside, you're in for an upscale shopping experience. No stacks of Goya cans or scuffed floors in The Food Emporium!  The store is currently co-branded with both the Brooklyn Market and The Food Emporium logos. Old scenes of Brooklyn street markets set the tone in the front windows. And you can see the reflection of the "free parking" sign in the center of the window. I'm pretty sure this is th...