our mission

The mission of Essex Market is to support small businesses that provide the Lower East Side with fresh, affordable, and high quality food items.

Essex Market has been a fixture on the Lower East Side since 1818 when it began as a covered market on Grand Street between Essex and Ludlow streets. Shopping at Essex Market has always been a unique experience, as local residents and visitors alike gather to browse a diverse collection of goods. Our vendors all have an individual story and distinctive personality that adds flavor to their already delicious offerings. Ready to share their experiences and knowledge, they give a true neighborhood feel to our historic public market.

 

 

The History of Essex Market

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1880s

© TENEMENT MUSEUM

© TENEMENT MUSEUM

 

PUSHCART PEDDLING ON THE LES

The Lower East Side was once a hub for independent pushcart peddlers and open-air markets.

Peddlers who rented their carts by the day and sold everything from potatoes and herring to pickles and hats. The vendors that eventually became part of Essex Street Market were part of the dozens of open-air pushcart markets that existed in the 19th century.

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1940

© ASSOCIATED PRESS

© ASSOCIATED PRESS

 

A NEW PLACE FOR STREET VENDORS

Mayor LaGuardia envisions a network of modern, indoor municipal retail markets to house vendors.

Soon the abundance of pushcarts and vendors made for very crowded city streets. To ease congestion, Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia created a network of public indoor markets throughout the city, including Essex Market, which opened on January 9, 1940 with four buildings and 475 vendors. In the early years, Essex Market’s identity was shaped by the Lower East Side’s Jewish and Italian immigrants, who served as both the vendors and the customers. Beyond its intended function as a shopping destination, the market also became a social environment where residents came to connect and build community.

 
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1950s

© ASSOCIATED PRESS

© ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW RESIDENTS JOIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

The New Migration brought in waves of Puerto Rican immigrants to the Lower East Side.

When a new Puerto Rican population shifted the neighborhood demographics in the 1950s, the market began to grow quickly. These new shoppers brought with them different needs and desires, and the market evolved to offer a wider variety of products.

 
During a time of food shortage, Essex Market becomes an important center for food education and cooking demonstrations.

During a time of food shortage, Essex Market becomes an important center for food education and cooking demonstrations.

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1970s

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SUPERMARKETS & CITY DEVELOPMENT

The economy takes a hit, and shoppers turn to big box stores and conveniences.

In the 1960s and 70s, shoppers turned to more convenient supermarkets and other store front businesses. Dedicated vendors stuck by the market through this difficult time, but many others couldn’t handle the reduction in traffic and left. After years of being run cooperatively by vendors, a 20-year lease expired in 1986, bringing change to the market once more.

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1995

© IAN SPANIER

© IAN SPANIER

 

a second shot

The NYC Economic Development Corporation steps in to save the market from closure.

In 1995, NYCEDC commenced a $1.5 million renovation to consolidate tenants scattered between market terminals into one building at 120 Essex Street. The renovation created the critical mass of vendors needed to save the market from decline and closure, inspiring growth, resurgence and vitality.


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2019

 
© COLIN MILLER

© COLIN MILLER

TODAY: A MARKET REVITALIZED

In May 2019, Essex Market moved to a new home that lies at the cornerstone of the Essex Crossing development project.

This larger, more modern space has allowed the market to invite a whole slew of new vendors to join the Essex Market family. The newest iteration of the historic public market is located on the ground floor of 88 Essex Street, with direct access to a light-filled mezzanine space where shoppers can enjoy a tasty prepared snack or simply take in the views. Essex Kitchen, a state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen and event space, offers a wide array of food education programming open to the whole community. Though in a new space, Essex Market continues to be a public market, allowing vendors the same opportunity to continue serving residents – old and new – with both affordable and specialty foods.