The Independent Edition

Tang Long Food Market Owner: Xin Hao Tang Opened:  2014 Cooperative:  none Location:  268 Knickerbocker Ave, Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY Photographed:  January 2019 This grocery store is located on the corner of Knickerbocker and Willoughby Avenues, immediately next door to The Angel's Fruit Market . I can't quite figure out what exactly this store sells, and the Chinese name contrasts oddly with the storefront, which reads (in Spanish): "Butcher Shop and Products of Mexico and Hispanic in General." Very strange, and I didn't go in because there's another, much more exciting store right across the street, which we'll see tomorrow on The Market Report!

The Angel's Fruit Market Owner: Carmello Bruno Opened:  1988 Cooperative:  none Location:  272 Knickerbocker Ave, Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY Photographed:  January 2019 This small produce market is well known in the neighborhood as the spot for good produce at cheap prices. I regret now not going inside, but we can see some interior pictures here  and here on Google Maps. These greengrocers were previously in every New York City neighborhood, but for many reasons, have been closing up shop across the city. Nice to see one doing well here with a great looking selection!

Hi! Mango Natural Market Owner:  Chang Hak Lee Opened:  2013 Cooperative:  none Location:  341 Knickerbocker Ave, Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY Photographed:  January 2019 Today is a quick look at a natural market and greengrocer just north on Knickerbocker Ave from Mr. Lemon . There are two additional Hi! Mango Natural Markets, one just to the north on Flushing Ave in Bushwick, and one out on Queens Blvd in Briarwood, Queens. It's one of the many small grocers that line streets like Knickerbocker and Flushing in all five boroughs of New York City.

Mr. Lemon Owner:  June Yoon Opened:  2016 Cooperative:  none Location:  410 Knickerbocker Ave, Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY Photographed: January 2019 Opened in 2016 , this sister store to Mr. Kiwi's  is the real thing, unlike yesterday's imitator . It's just about two blocks north of Mr. V Berry. I actually stumbled upon this store (and the others we are soon to see on Knickerbocker Ave) by accident; while attempting to walk west on Myrtle Avenue, I took a wrong turn and ended up on Knickerbocker. When I realized it (by seeing this store), I figured, why not stay on Knickerbocker, there are grocery stores! So I walked out on Knickerbocker and back on Myrtle, and we'll get to see some stores on both streets over the coming days.

Mr. V Berry Owner:  Mr V Berry Frutas Y Vegetales Inc. Opened:  2018 Cooperative:  none Location:  1410 Myrtle Ave, Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY Photographed: January 2019 Alright, now get ready for a lot of Brooklyn! This store seems to be capitalizing on the "Mr. So-And-So" chain of stores, owned by the Yoon brothers, while not sharing an owner. In fact, we saw the unrelated Mr. Berry in Greenpoint a while back. Mr. Kiwi's is also just up Myrtle Ave. Meanwhile, Mr. V Berry seems to focus on produce, juice, and salads rather than grocery items. (I'll take a moment to point out that, although this store is in a different neighborhood and technically over the border into Brooklyn, it's only 3/4 of a mile from Billy's Marketplace and half a mile from Food Bazaar on Wyckoff .) We'll be heading west along Myrtle Ave for more stores over the next few days!

Billy's Marketplace Owner:  Billy Rodriguez Opened:  2017 Cooperative:  Krasdale Location:  870 Cypress Ave, Ridgewood, Queens, NY Photographed:  July 2018 In 2017, the conversion of the former Fleur de Lis Caterers Ballroom into Billy's Marketplace was completed. The former catering hall became a supermarket just shy of 20,000 square feet with a coffee shop, beer bar, bakery, and seafood department. Soon thereafter, the store's positioning was altered slightly, angling less upscale. The store added a CTown affiliation, beginning to use the CTown circular with lower prices on mainstream grocery items instead of more specialty items. The seafood department was closed, and the grocery selection was modified to angle more mainstream. I visited the store after this transition was complete, and it's an interesting combination between upscale and mainstream. I'm not sure just how successful it is, but it's good to see that the owners of this store a...

The next neighborhoods we're taking a look at are Bushwick and Ridgewood! Now, we have been to Bushwick before, to visit stores  here  and  here . But we are returning for an additional dozen or so that were photographed later than that group. We're also adding in one Ridgewood store, which is just over the border into Queens, because I have nowhere else to put it. So let's begin with Billy's Marketplace in Ridgewood, Queens, up next right here on The Independent Edition!