~~ recommended by emil karpo ~~
BY Alyssa Paolicelli Manhattan
La Marqueta, under the Metro-North Railroad train tracks in East Harlem, is one of the city’s most historic marketplaces.
The hub for Latin American and Caribbean culture will now also be the site of the five boroughs' first city-owned grocery store.
What You Need To Know
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced that La Marqueta in East Harlem will be the site of the five boroughs' first city-owned grocery store
- The property is already city-owned, so the store will not have to make any rent payments. It will be established in a part of the market that is not currently utilized
- Mamdani says the city will open up a municipal grocery store in each of the five boroughs
The store will be one "where prices are fair, where workers are treated with dignity, and where New Yorkers can actually afford to shop," Mamdani said at a rally on Sunday. "[In] a neighborhood where nearly 40% of households received public assistance or SNAP in the past year."
The property is already city-owned, so the store will not have to make any rent payments. It will be established in a part of the market that is not currently utilized.
A third-party operator will help determine how much the items for sale will cost, but according to Mamdani, the municipal-run stores are going to offer more affordable prices for grocery staples like milk, eggs and produce.
Within a half-mile radius of La Marqueta, at East 115th Street and Park Avenue, there are a number of different traditional grocery stores, including a City Fresh Market and Fine Fare Supermarket around the corner.
There's also a Shop Fair two avenues over — and it's a short walk from the East River Plaza with a Costco and an Aldi.
Mamdani says the city will open up a municipal grocery store in each of the five boroughs.
An Economic Development Corporation spokesperson said the city is working to open the East Harlem store by the end of 2029. The city’s goal is to open all five stores before the end of Mamdani's administration, the spokesperson said.
It will reportedly cost the city $30 million just to open up the East Harlem location.
Earlier in the year, Mamdani proposed a $70 million budget for all five stores.
“Now, some will insist that city-owned businesses do not work. That government cannot keep up with corporations,” he said. “My answer to them is simple: I look forward to the competition."
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