Rally to Save City Fresh Market in East Harlem Draws Residents, Elected Officials

EAST HARLEM, NY — Protesters gathered Friday afternoon outside City Fresh Market in East Harlem to protest plans to turn the supermarket into a Walgreens Pharmacy.

The rally was organized by the National Supermarket Association to protest the imminent shuttering of City Fresh Market and was supported by elected officials such as the Democratic nominee for Congress Adriano Espaillat and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.

City Fresh Market, located at 125 East 116th St., could close as soon as the end of July, according to a press release from the National Supermarket Association. City Fresh Market currently rents space in their building, but the property owner is planning on demolishing the space and creating a residential building, said Nelson Veloz, a member of the National Supermarket Association. The owner has signed a lease with Walgreens, not City Fresh Market, to occupy residential space in the new building.

And that's bad news for East Harlem, a neighborhood that already has few options when it comes to fresh, affordable food.

But Espaillat spoke hopefully that the supermarket would be saved, alluding to a similar situation where the Hudson Heights community rallied to save a supermarket in their neighborhood.

"We will fight again and win again in East Harlem," Espaillat said.

Espaillat said that East Harlem is the "Sahara" of food deserts and that City Fresh Market is one of the only places that neighborhood residents can shop for fresh foods.

Since the closing of an area Pathmark two years ago that serviced more than 30,000 residents and employed more than 200 people, fresh food in East Harlem has been hard to come by for those not willing to walk miles to the nearest store, Veloz said. The smaller grocery stores and bodegas in the area rarely stock the shelves with fresh produce, said a National Supermarket Association press release.

East Harlem resident Juanita Henson told Patch that she came to the protest because she felt passionate about preserving affordable food options in the neighborhood.

"We do not need another drug store, we need more affordable supermarkets, Henson said. "Many residents are on fixed income and food stamps. It's unacceptable, we need places to shop."

Henson, a teacher, described herself as an optimist and said that seeing the community support at Friday's rally she thinks the supermarket could be saved.

City Fresh Market owner Anthony Espinal said that he felt emotional as he thanked the community members and elected officials for supporting his business.

"I hope that the decision makers will heed East Harlem's call for healthy and affordable food, and allow City Fresh Market to continue serving this neighborhood for many years to come."