This Little Piggy Went To The Market
Located on and around Union and Blackstone Streets to the side of Fanieul Hall, Haymarket is where fruit and vegetable vendors come to sell their goods in a setting that can't be described as elegant. There's significant garbage, and yelling is par for the course. Haymarket is not your neighborhood Whole Foods, filled with diverse cashiers smiling while encouraging you to buy re-usable tote bags and magazines about how to incorporate yoga into your life. But if you're looking to save money like we are, Haymarket is the place to be.
Prices vary by each stand, but it's easy to find deals such as 6 oranges for $2, or 5 apples for $2. Fruits such as raspberries and blueberries run a little bit more expensive, but by expensive we mean probably $4 for a large container. If you're looking to buy a crate of something like mangos, of course the prices are going to get higher. But when you compare it to grocery store prices, it's practically a steal.
If you're willing to get yourself out of bed in the early hours of Saturday morning, then you definitely have the pick of the litter. That's when the produce is at its freshest, and choices are more diverse. But then again, the earlier you go, the more you'll be paying. If you want to wait until late in the afternoon when they're preparing to shut down, you can probably find significant deals even lower than those we mentioned above, but you're running the risk of having lower quality items to choose from. Either way, stay in the loop when buying your fruit, and head to Haymarket.
Map of Haymarket Area [Google Maps]
[Photo: Megan Johnson]
Comments
Haymarket has some really great fruit! Perfect for making a delightful fruit salad. Will I be seeing you there this Saturday?
Posted by: Kurston | July 30, 2008 03:18 PM
holy shit...I'm checking that out this saturday, probably afternoon though
Posted by: Patrick | July 30, 2008 04:31 PM
The freshness factor certainly decreases over the course of Saturday and many of the fruits and veggies need to be used before the end of the weekend - I used to frequent the market every Saturday when I lived in the North End and towards the end of the day you could walk away with a pallet of strawberries for a buck (well, not a palet but a full tray), bags of carrots, etc. I heard (rumors) that the food is expired wholesale produce that no longer can be sold in stores. I never purchased seafood there though.
Posted by: Adam Stern | July 30, 2008 05:18 PM
I LOVE Haymarket.The best deals can be found in the back, where less people are likely to go. Like the saying goes, never accept a first offer!
By the way, AWESOME article.
I'm still laughing over the Whole Foods and Yoga reference :)
Posted by: Sarah | July 31, 2008 11:58 AM