UPTOWNflavor

The other day we started a conversation about the lack of quality supermarkets in Harlem and the effect on our health. Many of you have echoed the same sentiments that I have about not having a variety of convenient places to shop for groceries.

What I’ve heard from readers so far is that the best produce can be found at the uptown Fairway but it is quite a trek and the delivery fee is expensive. The next best choice is the smattering of Farmer’s Markets around the neighborhood which offer a limited number of items and limited hours.

In SoHa it seems the top contenders for groceries are Fine Fair and C-Town. Citerella is overpriced and the service provided by Fresh Direct is spotty at best. I can just picture it now…a Dave Chapelle episode called “Supermarket Sweep: Harlem Style.” Your mission is to get a basket full of fresh, healthy, low-fat, non-processed food in one location for less than your whole paycheck. Who’s up for the challenge?

To add insult to injury, according to a study being conducted by the city, most of uptown (including the Bronx) and huge pockets of Brooklyn lack this very basic need. See the attached map to get a bird’s eye view for yourself.