After Move, will Essex Market Keep its Charm?
By Hayden Martz and Connor Rempe
It’s early afternoon at Essex Market in the Lower East Side. At Rainbo’s Fish stall, fishmonger Felix and his daughter Katie stare attentively at the television as their beloved Mexico battles Brazil in the World Cup. Felix casually saws at a three-foot-long fish while focusing on the screen. A customer yells in Spanish as Brazil takes the ball. A crowd, seemingly indifferent to the potent smell of the fish, gathers around the booth and soon ten people join the cheers. It’s only 10 am, but several take a swig of Bud Light (covered by a black plastic bags for discretion) to quench their thirst from the 90 degree heat. Rapid Spanish chatter fills the air around the market.
This sense of community is what keeps people coming to Essex Market, where local vendors have sold art and food to residents of the Lower East Side since 1940. The 15,000- square- foot building houses 26 merchants, ranging from a bodega-style produce store with a winding labyrinth of aisles to an artisanal bakery filled with crusty French loaves.
The market has sat near the corner of Essex and Delancey Streets since it opened, but recently the New York City Economic Development Council (NYEDC) decided to move it to a new space one block south, and demolish the old market. Many vendors think this move will be good for business; however, a report by the Essex Street Market Vendors Association (ESMVA) shows that nearly a third of market goers are, “Nervous about losing my market.” Many in the community hope that the new venue will be as reflective of its historic and diverse past as the new glass facade is of neighboring buildings. Will the market stay true to its roots, or will it succumb to the pressure of one of the most rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods in New York?
The market’s roots stretch back to 1934 when then-mayor Fiorello LaGuardia promised to remove pushcart vendors from the crowded streets and into indoor markets. When it opened six years later, it stretched from Broome Street to Stanton Street, initially housed 475 vendors and was contained in four buildings (two of which would soon close due to supermarket competition). In 1941 it became a center for food education, teaching people how to prepare cheap, healthy, meals during post-Depression food shortages. The market also hosted kosher cooking classes for members of the Jewish community. At that time the Lower East Side was a predominantly Jewish neighborhood and nearly 70 percent of the vendors were Jewish.
Today, the market still offers community programming like their class on “How to cook on a budget.”
Through the 1950’s the neighborhood began to be dominated by Puerto Rican immigrants and the demographic change was reflected in the fare at the market. Since then the market has been predominantly Latino, but Eastern European influence still remains with places like Davidovich Bakery, whose bagel recipe has been passed down through the generations of the Ukrainian owner, Gene Davidovich’s, family. And as the Chinatown neighborhood grows, so has the Asian influence in the market, with shops like New Star Fish Market and Ni Japanese Delicacies.
Over the years, the market has managed to maintain a base of loyal customers. In the same survey mentioned above, the ESMVA found that nearly 55 percent of customers have been shopping at the market for more than 10 years. Dumant Fennell, a 26-year-old cashier at Davidovich Bakery in the market says, “It’s been the same people here every day for the past couple years now.”
While the regulars do add to the feel and character of the market, the lack of new customers is part of the reason for the move. Jose Marmolejo of Puebla Mexican Food is excited about the move because, “the market right now is pretty slow.” Mendel Elmore of Osaka Grub, a Japanese restaurant, states that “this is the best thing that can happen,” and John Lavelle of Nordic Preserves, a cheese and fish store, echoed this opinion.
Marmolejo mentioned that in the new market, businesses will be able to stay open until 10:00 pm, versus the current 7:00 pm closing time. He hopes this will provide more sales for the merchants.
As for the character, well, Lavelle says, “Losing character is inevitable.” His co-worker Lu Ratunil isn’t bothered by the idea, either. “It’s the price you pay for making more money,”
While Mr. Ratunil may not mind the change, his customers seem to. In the Vendors Association survey, the group found the most important thing for customers of 10 or more years is the character of the current market. This feeling is amplified among immigrant patrons who feel “the Market resembles produce markets that they frequented back home,” with one particular customer saying ,“There is nowhere else in this neighborhood that sells my culture’s food. I [would] have to go to El Barrio (East Harlem) or Brooklyn.”
In an effort to keep the market they love, Market goers also suggested ideas to the Association. These include vendor-led cooking demos, coupon days for seniors, movie nights and working with local artists to create market merchandise.
It is still unclear what the future holds at the new venue, whether it will be a smash hit for vendors, a community gathering place or both is still to be seen. However it is undeniable the importance of the current market to the community.
Back at Davidovich Bakery, customers caught up over bagels and coffee. Mr. Fennell gestured toward the people he has seen every day since he started working. “This is history, you know,” he said with a smile. “It’s a little bittersweet.”
