NYC Fresh Market

I refuse to shop here anymore — all winter long the owners refuse to turn heat on for the employees and shoppers due to energy costs. I just went there and it’s 30 degrees in the store — It’s ridiculous and cruel.

I only go to this market because it’s at a very convenient location. No one, including myself, has time to carry heavy grocery bags throughout New York.
They are well-​stocked with your basic essentials and have interesting snacks. I appreciate that they carry vegan items. On the other hand, their produce isn’t the greatest, which many people have pointed out. I’m not sure where they get theirs from but it spoils very quickly.
The cashiers are just there to do their job and aren’t the friendliest people. I would always say «Hello» when I got to check out but every time, I’d get ignored. I get it. It’s probably not the best job in the world. Nonetheless, I’ve stopped trying to be friendly and just mind my own business.
I wish management would be better because it has great potential. And they should really turn the heat up during the winter. The poor staff has to wear coats and scarves because it’s so cold in there.

How has the Health Department not shut this place down yet?
I bought a half-​wheel of Brie that was marked with a sell-​by date of January 29, 2016 on the store’s weight/​price tag on the front. Get home and open it and it is CLEARLY gone bad. Turns out, the manufacturer sticker underneath the store wrappings says it expired DECEMBER 3, 2015.
I go back to the store and lo and behold, the manufacturer sticker has clearly been peeled off every piece of this brand of cheese – they must have missed the one I bought? Manager was huffy and defensive about asking the snotty cashier to refund my money.
I live directly upstairs but will walk somewhere else to grocery shop from now until Trader Joes opens across the street in a few months. I echo everyone else’s comments about pricing errors, rude/​incompetent staff, and – now – expired foods. These guys are beyond screwed once a reasonably-​priced and honest competitor opens just a few steps away.

When they opened a grocery store in this building I was so excited because the Red Apple down the street is such a mess. This store somehow manages to be worse. I actually had to go return meat today that was RANCID and had expired over a week before. I didn’t even think to look at the expiration of chicken sausage. On top of that it is the worst organized store I have ever been in with no signage and a bizarre selection of products. Needless to say I hope this grocery store goes out of business so they can replace it with something useful. I never thought I would learn to appreciate the terrible Red Apple.

The manager at this location is extremely rude and unprofessional. I went to the dining area to charge my phone. A cashier asked me not to use the outlet. As I’m speaking with the cashier, the manager walks up to me and aggressively tells me to leave the store. I told him I had no problem leaving but mentioned that he was being unnecessarily hostile. He is over 6 foot tall and I’m a 5’4 female. There was no need to hover over me and speak harshly, as if I was committing a crime. He loudly responded «I don’t care, get the F*** out of my store». Everyone in the check-​out area could hear him yelling at me.
Again, I had no problem leaving the store, I simply expected someone in a leadership position to not escalate a simple situation. He acted like a bouncer at a nightclub instead of someone with proper communication skills. I will take this complaint to a supervisor because he needs to be re-​educated and maybe take a class in communication. How would you expect people who work under him to treat customers when the manager can’t control his temper, uses profanity in front of an entire check-​out line, acts aggressively towards other people, and escalates small issues?
There are several other reviews here that support my statements regarding rude and unprofessional management.

NYC Fresh Market is the «go to» spot for me on my way to and from work. Whether I’m stopping in to grab a coffee, or some market items for the office they have what you need.
The best is the deli section and the nice selection of breads to choose from, I love the cheddar egg rolls and if you get there early enough they are still warm!!!
The sandwiches are a bit pricey but constructed quite well! What can be deceiving is the fact that they have a breakfast grill; I didn’t learn that until recently.
Great selection of beers and they even have a little sushi section where you can see some of the sushi platters come to life. Lol.
The staff is pretty cool especially the friendly cashier ladies. They have some good sales and they come about pretty often. Very happy to have this spot close!

NYC Market is a little pricer compared to other places but sometimes if I don’t find certain items at Stop & Shop, I usually find them here: Almond & Coconut Dream yogurts, raw pumpkin seeds, & my fav Deep River Original Salted Kettle Cooked chips.
The deli carries only Boars Head, which I love so when I am in the area, I know I can get my cold cuts here.
Check out their weekly circular for deals like 2 for $ 5/​$ 7 on milk, yogurts, o. j, & shredded cheeses. Also, during check out, watch the screen to ensure the sale items are being rung up correctly. Sometimes the employees don’t realize it but the computers are not updated so the employees have to manually enter the sale price. You should also double check your receipt before leaving the store.

Nice supermarket… great deli, pastry/​bakery, fruits and veggies sections. It isn’t my go to supermarket as Fairway is my all time favorite in NY but it definitely gets my vote as I can always go and get hot food, hot/​cold sandwiches, fresh fruit salads, delicious baked goods, do a little grocery shopping and get some sushi (pre-​packaged and on site chef).

Sélection is decent, prices are ridiculous and the staff is universally unhelpful. Avoid if possible.

I WISH I COULD GIVE THIS STORE 0 STARS!
Let me tell you EXACTLY what is going on with this store, which I am not afraid to say: this store is surrounded by projects but also by high-​end apartment buildings. This store knows, that in order for people who can afford higher-​end products (organic meats, produce, milks, etc), they would have to walk quite a distance to find it. I KNOW FOR CERTAIN this store is illegally participating in price gouging and I have reported them. This store is disgusting, poorly ran, it’s employees are f-​ing morons who act like that barely have a 7^th grade education, they are frequently out of things, they frequently have EXPIRED AND DEAD items/​produce on display, literally every single day, and they do not care at all. I want this store actually shut down or every manager to be fired. This store is absolutely disgusting and the people who run it do not care about their customers at all. BUYER BEWARE. DO NOT SHOP HERE. It’s worth the extra time to walk to find the Trader Joe’s nearby or a market in Brooklyn Heights that’s fantastic — on Montegue street. Again, disgusting, insanely overpriced store.

BEWARE!!! This grocery store does not price items correctly and I believe it’s done purposely. I’ve said something about this every time I’ve gone and nothing has changed. Sale stickers are on many items at the grocery store but when you check out items ring up for as much as DOUBLE the sales price. I’ve been going here for a year only because I live right next to it and do not have a vehicle.
For example: Olivia’s Salad has been «on sale» for the last year for $ 3.99. It has consistently rang up as $ 4.99 every single time for the last year. Cashiers will not correct it until you say something. They actually treat you like your crazy and rude when you speak up. Not friendly or apologetic at all. They just look at you like your being a pain.

This place gets the honor of my first Unilocal review. Do not shop here! I’ve been burned at least three times purchasing food that was well within it’s expiration period yet opening it up and finding out that it was already spoiled rotten. Imagine buying some organic chicken on your way home from work (expiration date is 7 days from the time of purchase), opening it up and being overwhelmed by the stench of rotten chicken. This is not the first time it happened, even their vegetables are occasionally moldy when opened.
It’s Fresh Direct from now on. This place is terrible.

Can’t trust the pricing. The sale sign says one thing and the cashier rings up a MUCH higher price. This shouldn’t happen every time I shop at this store. Am I intentionally being ripped off?

This is definitely the fancy grocery in the neighborhood and I generally avoided it because of the high prices when I first moved here, however recently have started going again (initially just to avoid the craziness of the crowds at Pathmark and Trader Joes). It’s located on the basement of the Toren condo complex on the corner of Myrtle and Flatbush.
I’ve really come to like shopping here and have found that if you’re open to creating meals with whatever is on sale that week, that you can keep the cost comparable with other groceries in the area. Their sales generally last a couple weeks as well. They have a large and reasonably priced beer and cheese selection, as well as a large deli and ready made meal section. The produce generally looks fresh and I haven’t had an issues with their meats or seafood as others have described. They offer ample desserts including pies, juniors cheesecakes, and miscellaneous cakes and cookies. I especially love the fresh baguettes and the local whole wheat pizza dough (both under $ 2!). The check out line is efficient and I never have to wait (which is a huge pro compared to other places in the area). While it’s a small grocery they definitely maximize the space and have pretty much every item you could need (maybe not multiple options for every item) and you may have to ask one of the guys working on the floor for some guidance if you can’t find an item you’re looking for. I’m planning to keep this as part of my grocery rotation!

At first glance, this neighborhood market is outrageously expensive but being flexible about your purchases can yield some nice finds. From the circulars, I’ve been able to get good deals on fruit, produce, yogurt and the basics like eggs, milk and cheese. The other reviewers bring up a good point about keeping an eye out however. I have to be very careful about freshness, expiration dates and defective products.
Just today I was tempted by $.39/​lb for quartered chicken legs that were discolored, 10 for $ 2 oranges that were too squishy to be tasty and $ 1.99/lb seedless grapes that boasted a fuzzy exterior.
Good for very few necessities, definitely not my main grocery store.

The ready-​to-​eat meals are not edible. I’ve fallen severely ill from food poisoning twice after eating ready-​to-​eat meals from here. First, it was a rotisserie chicken and the second time it was a refrigerated meal (which I’ve noticed are left for weeks until sold). Expensive, unfriendly staff, and worst of all low quality food. Someone please call the Department of Health to this place ASAP! I would do it, but I’m too weak from food poisoning!
Tip: they charge $ 12.99 for a 6-​pack of Blue Moon. For the same 6-​pack, Trader Joes on Court St. charges $ 8.99.

Beware of expiration dates! I cannot count the amount of times that we got home only to find the food we just bought had already been expired. It happened for the last time last night when we opened a package of sausage that though had not expired but was definitely rotten. It took 10 minutes to clear the rotten smell out of our apartment. We will not be shopping here any longer. The prices are too high, most of the staff is less than friendly and expired food: there’s no excuse for it.

A rebranding? Name’s different but the unfriendly staff, questionable raw foods and produce, and high prices are the same. You really have to scrutinize the food and the expiration dates. I primarily buy the packaged and canned goods here. Sometimes I’ll get vegetables if it doesn’t look too old. The raw meat is iffy and if I have doubts, I simply go elsewhere. Recently, I went in to buy oranges and one of the bags of clementines was rotted but still with the rest of the fruit. Suffice to say, I didn’t buy oranges that day.
If you’re not lazy, several blocks down myrtle is a better grocery store with more options and better pricing. I can’t remember what it’s called – it should be on your left side.

NYC Fresh Market is the «nice» supermarket in the area, catering itself to the occupants of the Toren, Avalon, and Gold St developments. Its in the basement of the Toren, and has a weird triangular layout which makes for narrow shopping aisles and creative vertical displays. Previously, it was known as Metropolitan Citymarket.
In general, NYC Fresh Market is good for its selection of shelf stable, hard to find specialty/​organic goods. Their selection of gluten free frozen foods is remarkable, as well as their selections of cheese, beer, coffee, tea, and gourmet ice creams. You are more likely to find Stevia, acai, and white quinoa here than you would at the Red Apple or at the Bravo down the street. Watch the windows or circulars for sales, as they occasionally have good deals, especially for things like yogurt or apples.
Since my Metropolitan review, the produce has seen improvement. The selection of fruits and veggies is outstanding and quality is leagues ahead of Red Apple or Bravo. While loose greens may not be labled perfectly, there are usually enough signs to figure out 90% of the items. The organic options and prepared produce (precut/​prewashed) are plentiful and fresh. However, some of the rarer items are obviously pricey, reminiscent of places like Union Market. NYC Fresh Market has been a lot better at sales and promotion however, so I can usually find one or two produce items worth stopping in for. This week for example, yellow squash and zucchini were $ 1.49 a pound, peaches were $ 0.99 a pound, string beans were $ 0.99 a pound, and haas avocados were 4 for $ 5. I still had to go to Bravo for eggs, baby carrots, and cilantro, but its not a bad haul!
That said, the prices here are stupid expensive for anything that is not perishable and not on sale. $ 10 bars of chocolate and $ 12 bottles of juice are common. You will not shop well here on a budget, as pantry basics like pasta, flour, tomato sauce, etc are marked up over 50% and they don’t offer off brand generics. I notice that people really like the deli/​prepared foods counter and the lines there are longer than for the actual produce, so the average shopper here doesn’t actually appear to cook — they get high end prepared/​processed food. Even the meat aisle is very mixed, some weeks having chicken at $ 0.79 a pound, and sometimes at $ 5 a pound.

They really know how to maximize the shelf space with enough of your everyday plus unique items.
Pros: everything you need to make a great meal or fill in grocery shop. Yummy soft fresh bread from the bakery. Lots of good options in the meat and cheese department.
Cons: The spices can be tricky to find as they are scattered on various end caps. I had to throw out the ground beef the other day even though it was labeled 12÷17÷14 due to an awful smell. Could have more organic produce.

I was surprised to find a Whole-​Foods-​like market where I was staying. Right when you walk in, you see things like San Marzano tomatoes and lots of more unique varieties of apples. Then, you see the prepared foods, cheese counter, etc. All I tried was the espresso bar (they use Illy), which was better than most of the other coffee options in the immediate area.
Prices are about 25% higher than what I would expect for most things, but I don’t know where else you would be able to find this kind of variety close by.