Let us eat cake! Essex Street Market turned 75 in May and celebrated with all the delicious fanfare that you would expect of a legendary culinary destination.
This month, Essex Street Market celebrates its 75th birthday. We look forward to celebrating in style with the market vendors, the Lower East Side BID, and the entire Lower East Side community.
This week, we're sharing a whole new side of Essex Street Market by showcasing the vibrant and dynamic stories behind the merchants at this historic culinary destination.
Porto Rico Importing Company in Essex Street Market was started by a family of newly arrived Italian immigrants who craved items from the homeland. Owner Peter Longo grew up working at the business and attributes his early education about coffee to his father. The history he shares here about the business is as rich and aromatic as the coffee they brew every day.
Viva Fruits & Vegetables is a wholesaler and retailer of fruits and vegetables that has sold Mexican specialty food products at Essex Street Market for over 14 years. Some of the products at Viva are even imported directly from Mexico and Santo Domingo!
Luis Rodriguez opened Luis Meats in Essex Street Market 17 years ago. He told us about some of his shop's prime offerings as well as the changing demographics of the Lower East Side and how he likes to spend his evenings after work.
