Eastern Market

Detroit's Eastern Market

When I tell people I live in Detroit, I can usually anticipate that the infamous "Great, but where do you grocery shop?" question is not far behind. I am still shocked at the number of misinformed metro Detroiters that believe Detroit has no grocery stores. I wrote about this a while ago, and I'll say it again: this statement just isn't true. Detroit does have grocery stores, and some are the franchised ones, just like in the suburbs. Click here to read an old post of mine addressing this common Detroit misnomer.

As for today's post, its about groceries, but not the kind you buy in your regular old Farmer Jack or Kroger store. These are the ones that the farmer brings straight from the field. There's no processing, and prices are negotiable. These are the groceries that can only be found at Detroit's Eastern Market.


The Rocky Peanut Company

According to Eastern Market's website, approximately 45,000 visitors pack the market area each Saturday to shop for everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to meats, fish, flowers, antiques, pottery, and more. Although Saturday is its busiest day of the week, the market is open Monday through Saturday from 7 am - 5 pm.


The historic market turned 200 last year

In 2004, Eastern Market was a recipient of Governor Granholm's Cool Cities Initiative, a project designed to financially-assist underutilized developments within the state. With the funds from this accolade, Eastern Market plans to do a renovation of Shed 2, and to change the parking lot nearest to it into an entertainment plaza.

Plan on heading to the market soon? Here are some don't-miss sites:

-R. Hirt, Jr., Company, known for its variety of international cheeses and beautiful pottery
-Cost Plus Wine Shoppe has a dizzying assortment of domestic and international beers and wines
-Roma Cafe, Detroit's oldest operational restaurant

For more information on the market - including a full map - visit the market's website.