Just what this part of town needed

I've mentioned before that organically-minded grocers with a gourmet bent have forced the chains to go "whole grain" so to speak, in order to raise their game, and that ultimately this is a good thing. I may not have have mentioned this before, but there is a real dearth of any kind of credible market in the city (unless you happen to live in a trendy area), which often forces those of us who live here into the suburbs when it's time to shop. This is challenging if you don't have a car.

I worked near a Whole Foods for three years, so I had it good for a long time, but once that gig ended, I was back to relying on an okay, but not great neighborhood market. Don't get me wrong. This market has been there for me (and you can buy alcohol there), but it's dingy, cramped, and the produce, well... sucks.

Call me a snob if you want, but I believe I deserve fresh, crisp, unbruised fruits and vegetables. Here's the thing. Everyone deserves fresh, verdant, brightly coloured, unbruised produce. It's another example of the class divide in this country that only the sprawled suburbs and fashionable, gentrified areas of most cities and states have stores where the fresh food is actually fresh. That's not something I'm going to get on a soapbox about here. It's just a fact.

This is the point of this post. One of the chains (SuperFresh) opened up a store about 9 blocks from my place--far enough away from my neighborhood market that it still has a fair shot at staying competitive--but close enough that this new SuperFresh will provide another option for the residents of Mt. Vernon who want finer cuts of meat, organic options, good, fresh vegetables, and unwilted flowers for a fair price. This new store is a compromise between WF and The Neighborhood Store (not its name).

And what is more, it's a good enough walk away that I worked my glutes on the way there and back today. I couldn't be happier. This is a wonderful development and way over due. The joint was jumping! I think they're going to be around for a while.