Cheap Groceries in NYC?
January 29, 2015 8:24 AM Subscribe
I am currently visiting NYC and am moving here soon. I thought it would be helpful to know where to get cheap food - I won't be making too much money and am looking to move to Queens, Brooklyn or Inwood/ Washington Heights. Does anyone have any recommendations, even if not in those areas?
Cheap produce would be great to know of as I usually skimp on that. I figure it might be helpful to look at these places while I'm here, to get a better idea of my budget, since outside of rent, I spend most of my money on food. Thanks guys!
Cheap produce would be great to know of as I usually skimp on that. I figure it might be helpful to look at these places while I'm here, to get a better idea of my budget, since outside of rent, I spend most of my money on food. Thanks guys!
H-Mart! There's a location in Bayside and multiple locations in Flushing.
I just loaded up on produce there. I felt like I was shoplifting.
Poultry and meat are inexpensive as well. I did Bo Ssam and got a nice hunk of pork shoulder for $7.
Cherry tomatoes for .99! I mean, it's pretty flipping fantastic. My H-Mart also has Russian (?) and Mexican foods.
Really, it's very inexpensive and the selection is amazing. Sign up for their buyer loyalty thing and get even more deals!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:29 AM on January 29, 2015
I just loaded up on produce there. I felt like I was shoplifting.
Poultry and meat are inexpensive as well. I did Bo Ssam and got a nice hunk of pork shoulder for $7.
Cherry tomatoes for .99! I mean, it's pretty flipping fantastic. My H-Mart also has Russian (?) and Mexican foods.
Really, it's very inexpensive and the selection is amazing. Sign up for their buyer loyalty thing and get even more deals!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:29 AM on January 29, 2015
Trader Joes (several locations)
Stiles for cheap produce
Chinatown (I like Hong Kong Supermarket)
posted by melissasaurus at 8:29 AM on January 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
Stiles for cheap produce
Chinatown (I like Hong Kong Supermarket)
posted by melissasaurus at 8:29 AM on January 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
A lot depends on the neighborhood you wind up in. But check out Trade Fair.
posted by bunderful at 8:35 AM on January 29, 2015
posted by bunderful at 8:35 AM on January 29, 2015
For fruit and sometimes vegetables, NYC sponsors carts - if you don't have one in the neighborhood where you live, there may be one (or several) by your work. Prices are great, quality varies by vendor but is generally really good except in midsummer, when being out in the heat all day takes its toll.
posted by Mchelly at 8:36 AM on January 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Mchelly at 8:36 AM on January 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
United Brothers in Astoria has great prices on fruits, veggies, nuts, herbs.
They also have a "discount bin" which sounds scary but isn't. If even one thing actually rotted in there, they'd lose the whole thing, so they're careful--the stuff's just barely past its prime.
posted by whoiam at 8:39 AM on January 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
They also have a "discount bin" which sounds scary but isn't. If even one thing actually rotted in there, they'd lose the whole thing, so they're careful--the stuff's just barely past its prime.
posted by whoiam at 8:39 AM on January 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
Bodegas!
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:43 AM on January 29, 2015
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:43 AM on January 29, 2015
Many neighborhoods in the areas you're looking at have local produce stores -- basically a small storefront with basic selections of produce and some pantry staples, usually for way cheaper than the grocery store. It's definitely something to look for when you visit possible apartments. Having one of these on the walk home from the subway will make your quality of life significantly better.
I've found the prices of these types of places pretty comparable in different neighborhoods, so if you want an example you can come visit Sunnyside and walk south from the 46th street station -- you'll see a couple of produce stores just across from the Fresh n Save. Sunnyside is great anyway, put it on your list of neighborhoods to consider!
posted by LeeLanded at 8:46 AM on January 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
I've found the prices of these types of places pretty comparable in different neighborhoods, so if you want an example you can come visit Sunnyside and walk south from the 46th street station -- you'll see a couple of produce stores just across from the Fresh n Save. Sunnyside is great anyway, put it on your list of neighborhoods to consider!
posted by LeeLanded at 8:46 AM on January 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
Rossman's in Sunset Park is really surprisingly cheap.
posted by moonmilk at 8:53 AM on January 29, 2015
posted by moonmilk at 8:53 AM on January 29, 2015
So, the cool thing about NYC that I didn't realize is not universal until I left is this:
There's probably a supermarket in walking distance from your apartment that hits right about the socio-economic demographics of your immediate surroundings. Living in Washington Heights, don't worry, C-Town has you covered. Moving to Park Slope? Join the Food Co-op. Sweet loft on the Bowery? The swankiest Whole Foods ever is right down the street.
Of course, there are some exceptions to this rule. For one thing, if you end up getting a deal on an apartment where the surrounding community trends more well-off than you, you might have trouble finding affordable groceries. This was a problem when I lived in a college dorm in Murray Hill (broke college kid surrounded by finance bros). There are also some pretty serious food deserts, where there just isn't a grocery store convenient to you. I also feel like Williamsburg and Bushwick can fall into a weird trap where they gentrified so quickly that there was no time for a good network of supermarkets to open, and then they got populated by people who can afford to just order Fresh Direct.
But assuming that you're living in a relatively ordinary working class neighborhood where the surrounding community is at about your same level of grocery budget, yeah, this is going to be easy because the grocery store closest to your apartment is going to have food people who live in your area can generally afford.
Also, specific things from your question:
- Produce in NYC almost universally sucks unless you're willing to spend top dollar at the greenmarket or really upscale supermarkets like Fairway and Whole Foods. You should probably just make your peace with that now.
- Ethnic groceries are almost always a good place to shop for raw ingredients.
- Bodegas can be convenient (especially the roided out hipster ones in gentrified parts of Brooklyn), but they are rarely a good deal.
- Produce Stores are totally a thing in Queens. For some reason they're much less ubiquitous outside of Queens, though. Not sure the produce is much better than the supermarkets, but it might be a little cheaper and there's more selection. Finding the least moldy onion is a slightly less daunting task when you have 100 to dig through instead of 10.
posted by Sara C. at 9:10 AM on January 29, 2015 [7 favorites]
There's probably a supermarket in walking distance from your apartment that hits right about the socio-economic demographics of your immediate surroundings. Living in Washington Heights, don't worry, C-Town has you covered. Moving to Park Slope? Join the Food Co-op. Sweet loft on the Bowery? The swankiest Whole Foods ever is right down the street.
Of course, there are some exceptions to this rule. For one thing, if you end up getting a deal on an apartment where the surrounding community trends more well-off than you, you might have trouble finding affordable groceries. This was a problem when I lived in a college dorm in Murray Hill (broke college kid surrounded by finance bros). There are also some pretty serious food deserts, where there just isn't a grocery store convenient to you. I also feel like Williamsburg and Bushwick can fall into a weird trap where they gentrified so quickly that there was no time for a good network of supermarkets to open, and then they got populated by people who can afford to just order Fresh Direct.
But assuming that you're living in a relatively ordinary working class neighborhood where the surrounding community is at about your same level of grocery budget, yeah, this is going to be easy because the grocery store closest to your apartment is going to have food people who live in your area can generally afford.
Also, specific things from your question:
- Produce in NYC almost universally sucks unless you're willing to spend top dollar at the greenmarket or really upscale supermarkets like Fairway and Whole Foods. You should probably just make your peace with that now.
- Ethnic groceries are almost always a good place to shop for raw ingredients.
- Bodegas can be convenient (especially the roided out hipster ones in gentrified parts of Brooklyn), but they are rarely a good deal.
- Produce Stores are totally a thing in Queens. For some reason they're much less ubiquitous outside of Queens, though. Not sure the produce is much better than the supermarkets, but it might be a little cheaper and there's more selection. Finding the least moldy onion is a slightly less daunting task when you have 100 to dig through instead of 10.
posted by Sara C. at 9:10 AM on January 29, 2015 [7 favorites]
Also keep in mind that "destination" supermarkets like TJ's, Fairway, Rossman's, H-Mart, etc are going to add to your overall grocery cost because unless you're planning to keep a car in NYC, you're going to have to get it all home somehow. Those stores are good if they carry a specific item you would buy at any price, but they're not really good for getting a deal once you add either cab fare or the pain and suffering of schlepping groceries on the bus.
posted by Sara C. at 9:12 AM on January 29, 2015
posted by Sara C. at 9:12 AM on January 29, 2015
In line with Sara C's comment, I strongly recommend using a backpack for grocery shopping. Some groceries will pack it for you, sometimes you wind up packing it yourself. Regardless, hauling several grocery bags for several blocks and up a few flights of stairs is a very frustrating chore; hauling it in a backpack much improves the experience and reduces your chance of a bag breaking and dumping your almond milk and Goya beans on the sidewalk.
You can still put bread and eggs in a plastic bag if you want.
posted by bunderful at 9:20 AM on January 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
You can still put bread and eggs in a plastic bag if you want.
posted by bunderful at 9:20 AM on January 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
Two things - Food coops (all but one in Brooklyn) and for fruits and vegetables only CSAs (also almost all in Brooklyn or Manhattan). These are great ways to get great cheap high-end food and very good produce on a budget that aren't so prevalent in the rest of America.
I've been in the Park Slope Coop forever, and while the rules can be a bit cringe-inducing, it's a great resource. And my CSA share makes me eat well (in order not to waste the ton of vegetables I get every week) all summer. But if you plan to go this route, I suggest you live somewhere in Brooklyn.
posted by overhauser at 9:23 AM on January 29, 2015
I've been in the Park Slope Coop forever, and while the rules can be a bit cringe-inducing, it's a great resource. And my CSA share makes me eat well (in order not to waste the ton of vegetables I get every week) all summer. But if you plan to go this route, I suggest you live somewhere in Brooklyn.
posted by overhauser at 9:23 AM on January 29, 2015
I don't know, every neighborhood I ever lived in, supermarket produce was usually just a battle to find something not actively rotten.
posted by Sara C. at 9:24 AM on January 29, 2015
posted by Sara C. at 9:24 AM on January 29, 2015
Yeah, it's hard to answer this question for, like, the whole city. Your answer is going to depend on your neighborhood. In my part of Brooklyn, there are all of the following within walking distance:
-cheapo produce market
-Russian, Polish, Mexican, and Pakistani grocery stores
-swanky natural foods store
-nice but expensive coop
-farmer's market
-kosher markets
-NYC-style basic supermarket
-supermarket with interesting/weird stuff
Where's the best place to get any given thing? It really depends.
posted by the_blizz at 9:46 AM on January 29, 2015
-cheapo produce market
-Russian, Polish, Mexican, and Pakistani grocery stores
-swanky natural foods store
-nice but expensive coop
-farmer's market
-kosher markets
-NYC-style basic supermarket
-supermarket with interesting/weird stuff
Where's the best place to get any given thing? It really depends.
posted by the_blizz at 9:46 AM on January 29, 2015
Produce in NYC almost universally sucks unless you're willing to spend top dollar at the greenmarket or really upscale supermarkets like Fairway and Whole Foods. You should probably just make your peace with that now.
This is absolutely not true. Most neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn have small green grocers that sell produce at reasonable prices. They may not have the selection of Whole Foods, but their produce is generally fresh and of good quality. I mean, if you must have fair trade organic whatever, they are probably not going to have that. But a head of lettuce, a couple of green peppers, some onions, cherry tomatoes, yeah, they're going to have that stuff, and it's generally fine and pretty inexpensive.
Be aware that some neighborhoods, like Washington Heights, are really lacking in both green grocers and decent supermarkets.
posted by Leatherstocking at 10:20 AM on January 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
This is absolutely not true. Most neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn have small green grocers that sell produce at reasonable prices. They may not have the selection of Whole Foods, but their produce is generally fresh and of good quality. I mean, if you must have fair trade organic whatever, they are probably not going to have that. But a head of lettuce, a couple of green peppers, some onions, cherry tomatoes, yeah, they're going to have that stuff, and it's generally fine and pretty inexpensive.
Be aware that some neighborhoods, like Washington Heights, are really lacking in both green grocers and decent supermarkets.
posted by Leatherstocking at 10:20 AM on January 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
As others have said: produce markets are the best things on the planet, local neighborhood 'ethnic' stores ditto, and Trader Joes (And just use a backpack, or even better: a camping backpack. I fail to understand the challenge of carrying a backpack and some bags on a subway for 45 min. The concept of taking a taxi to transport groceries is unheard of, at least in my experience.) Personally, I like Trader Joes because I can get organic produce/eggs/milk for the same price as conventional versions elsewhere, and I can get frozen grassfed beef for perfectly reasonable prices. You may not care about that at all.
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 10:32 AM on January 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 10:32 AM on January 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
I could go on and on about this. In Astoria, my favorite produce places when I lived there were California Farmer's Market (by the Ditmars stop), United Brothers (by the 30th Ave stop), and Elliniki Agora Fruit & Veg which is right next to that. During apple season, United Brothers does a thing nextdoor called "Apple House" where they have huge barrels of different varieties of apples from NY State for like $0.99 per pound. I recommend the empire apples. If you want to get a sack of produce and live in a sad produce neighborhood, I'd say United Brothers is worth a special trip if you have time and bring a sack to carry everything home in.
If you end up in an area with a Trade Fair, they had the largest selection of cleaning supplies and pest control products in the neighborhood if you find yourself needing that sort of thing. They also had a good selection of jarred spices by Badia and La Flor- I'm talking jars of whole cloves for around $2. Again, worth a trip if you need to stock up on that sort of thing without spending a lot of money. The one on 30th Ave right under the N train is the biggest one in Astoria, not sure about the ones outside of Astoria. They also have a good selection of Indian and South/Central American food products for low prices.
Want delicious Greek feta cheese for not a lot of money so you can make amazing Greek salads at home? Go to Parrot Coffee Market. They have more than one location, but the only one I've been to was on Ditmars. Feta cheese so delicious, you don't even know.
Chinatown has grocery stores worth the trip for all of your Asian food products. Hong Kong Supermarket is great. There is also a tiny Thai grocery store on Mosco Street, called Bangkok Center Grocery, if you find yourself experimenting with Thai cooking.
Definitely check out Kalustyan's, too. Not quite as cheap, but not bad, and they have all sorts of fascinating food things.
posted by bananana at 11:16 AM on January 29, 2015
If you end up in an area with a Trade Fair, they had the largest selection of cleaning supplies and pest control products in the neighborhood if you find yourself needing that sort of thing. They also had a good selection of jarred spices by Badia and La Flor- I'm talking jars of whole cloves for around $2. Again, worth a trip if you need to stock up on that sort of thing without spending a lot of money. The one on 30th Ave right under the N train is the biggest one in Astoria, not sure about the ones outside of Astoria. They also have a good selection of Indian and South/Central American food products for low prices.
Want delicious Greek feta cheese for not a lot of money so you can make amazing Greek salads at home? Go to Parrot Coffee Market. They have more than one location, but the only one I've been to was on Ditmars. Feta cheese so delicious, you don't even know.
Chinatown has grocery stores worth the trip for all of your Asian food products. Hong Kong Supermarket is great. There is also a tiny Thai grocery store on Mosco Street, called Bangkok Center Grocery, if you find yourself experimenting with Thai cooking.
Definitely check out Kalustyan's, too. Not quite as cheap, but not bad, and they have all sorts of fascinating food things.
posted by bananana at 11:16 AM on January 29, 2015
Best Yet Market is Astoria is my JAM. It's a suburban-priced market you can walk to. Only works if you live in Ditmars, but I highly recommend living in Ditmars.
(Also, California Farmers is a bit overpriced if you ask me)
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:37 AM on January 29, 2015
(Also, California Farmers is a bit overpriced if you ask me)
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:37 AM on January 29, 2015
I work in the South Bronx and several of my coworkers joined the Corbin Hill CSA, which specifically targets underveggied parts of the city. They have pickup points in Harlem, Washington Heights, and the Bronx.
Besides the other ethnic neighborhoods already mentioned, there's Patel Brothers in Jackson Heights for veggies, dry goods, and Indian instafood.
I find I stock up less and pick up stuff on the way home more here, so don't forget to consider the options on both ends of your commute. Having a reliable place to drop in and grab a few things for dinner makes things a lot easier. When I lived in Manhattan, I went to the aforementioned Stiles by Port Authority for veggies, Big Apple Meat Market next door or Western Beef for meat (duh) and packaged stuff like cereal, and there was a great little Greek market a block down for cheap bulk grains and spices. East Village Cheese is magic. I've always thought that budget eating is one of the few things that's actually more easier and cost-effective in NYC than elsewhere. Cheap take-out is cheaper and better and more varied in NYC than in other cities, and cheap groceries are better and easier to find in NYC than cheap groceries elsewhere.
Also as a corollary to Sara C.'s note on the socio-economics of grocery stores: When I was apartment hunting, checking out the selection at the groceries in the area definitely helped convince me I would feel at home in Sunnyside. There was a range of stores, including small specialty markets <3<3 Parrot Coffee <3<3 that clearly did good business, the big groceries weren't just Goya or just organic kale, and they all had good selections of "international" foods that match the locals (Irish, SE Asian, South American, Turkish, Korean, and Central European, for starts).
posted by yeahlikethat at 6:29 PM on January 29, 2015
Besides the other ethnic neighborhoods already mentioned, there's Patel Brothers in Jackson Heights for veggies, dry goods, and Indian instafood.
I find I stock up less and pick up stuff on the way home more here, so don't forget to consider the options on both ends of your commute. Having a reliable place to drop in and grab a few things for dinner makes things a lot easier. When I lived in Manhattan, I went to the aforementioned Stiles by Port Authority for veggies, Big Apple Meat Market next door or Western Beef for meat (duh) and packaged stuff like cereal, and there was a great little Greek market a block down for cheap bulk grains and spices. East Village Cheese is magic. I've always thought that budget eating is one of the few things that's actually more easier and cost-effective in NYC than elsewhere. Cheap take-out is cheaper and better and more varied in NYC than in other cities, and cheap groceries are better and easier to find in NYC than cheap groceries elsewhere.
Also as a corollary to Sara C.'s note on the socio-economics of grocery stores: When I was apartment hunting, checking out the selection at the groceries in the area definitely helped convince me I would feel at home in Sunnyside. There was a range of stores, including small specialty markets <3<3 Parrot Coffee <3<3 that clearly did good business, the big groceries weren't just Goya or just organic kale, and they all had good selections of "international" foods that match the locals (Irish, SE Asian, South American, Turkish, Korean, and Central European, for starts).
posted by yeahlikethat at 6:29 PM on January 29, 2015
I'm a former Inwood resident, and we got all our staples / packaged food from CTown. It was generally affordable and sometimes they had good sales. We avoided getting produce there as it tended to be past its prime (to put it mildly). We got as much produce as possible from the (year-round!!) Inwood farmers market on Saturday mornings. It's not the cheapest, but in my 8 years of living there, it was easily the best produce available; plus it's a bit of a local scene - very social and fun. We would shop at the farmers market, then plan meals around what we got and pick up the rest at Ctown. We were watching our budget pretty carefully, and this was a cost-efficient, low-waste way to plan meals for our family. Inwood also has a CSA - we never joined, but it looked great.
posted by JubileeRubaloo at 7:30 PM on January 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by JubileeRubaloo at 7:30 PM on January 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks for all of the great info, everyone! And the backpack suggestion, I'm sure that will be helpful for the ride home on the train. Lots of useful info here- now there's no excuse for not getting produce! Thanks guys!!
posted by Coffee over Tea, till the Bitter End at 9:51 PM on January 29, 2015
posted by Coffee over Tea, till the Bitter End at 9:51 PM on January 29, 2015
One more suggestion, if you're still looking- I love these guys. They put supermarkets in traditionally under served neighborhoods and focus on food that fits the community (for my location that means Mexican, Puerto Rican and Jamaican), although they still carry standard American fare. The prices are lower than other supermarkets I've really looked at (although, to be fair, that's generally been in the area around Columbia, which is just a tad expensive).
One other suggestion, for selection, not price is Fairway. I could rhapsodize on for a while about them, but their selection tends to be quite good. Look for the larger, out of the way stores (the one up in Harlem is a full block). The prices tend to be about the same as the neighborhood, although the items that are unusual tend to have a higher price.
posted by Hactar at 8:02 AM on January 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
One other suggestion, for selection, not price is Fairway. I could rhapsodize on for a while about them, but their selection tends to be quite good. Look for the larger, out of the way stores (the one up in Harlem is a full block). The prices tend to be about the same as the neighborhood, although the items that are unusual tend to have a higher price.
posted by Hactar at 8:02 AM on January 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by I-baLL at 8:28 AM on January 29, 2015 [2 favorites]