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June 11, 2007

Union Market Prepping for Fort Greene Expansion

Park Slope's modestly-sized but decidely upscale Union Market has spent much of the past year looking for the right spot to open a new store in Fort Greene. While Union Market won't comment on its plans yet, we're hearing that it has its eyes on the 10,000-square-foot Dollar Dream space at 633 Fulton Street at Rockwell Place. While this location is a bit of shlepp for some of the brownstone blocks of Fort Greene (and definitely for Clinton Hill), there's one constituency that's going to be thrilled with this news: those buying in the Forte Condominium (and the developer who's going to get some extra marketing mileage out of this). Regardless, if true, this is huge news for an area that has never had an upscale market of any size. It's also a nice boost for the BAM Cultural District. We wonder whether if there's going to be any permanent plan for parking for the store. GMAP
Photo by Scott Bintner for Property Shark

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Comments

Ugh, I hate Union Market (or should I say Useless Markup). I've seen the EXACT same products at the 5th Ave key Food for literally less than half the price.

Murray's Chicken at UM is priced at $6.79/lb - and only $2.49/lb at the 5th Ave Key - a 3 lb bird is almost $13 cheaper at Key - and they're the same exact product!!!

Posted by: Anon at June 11, 2007 10:46 AM

It's expensive, for sure, but in my experience they have good stuff

Posted by: Anonymous at June 11, 2007 10:50 AM

Owner of a long closed bar on 7th Avenue around 13th Street (they had a liquidation sale this weekend) said a Union Market would be moving in there. Anyone else hear that?

Posted by: Stephen at June 11, 2007 10:54 AM

I wonder why brownstoner wonders "whether if there's going to be any permanent plan for parking for the store"?
Because brownstoner would be opposed to busy (becoming a chain?)retailer having parking that would encourage people to drive to very congested traffic area and adding further traffic woes and pollution? or because it would be nice and convenient personally to drive to congested area that is already served by myriad of public transportaion and have parking to by your "upscale" foods?

Posted by: Anonymous at June 11, 2007 10:54 AM

This is cool to me if they are no more expensive than Whole Foods. Just a simple bus ride away from Clinton Hill & Ft. Greene.

lol @ anon 10:54, good comment.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 11, 2007 11:01 AM

oooh, you got us Anon 10:54! Yes, we'd rather drive to the supermarket rather than carry 7 or 8 grocery bags on the bus. when was the last time you carried enough food for a family of four for the week on public transportation?

Posted by: Brownstoner at June 11, 2007 11:03 AM

"when was the last time you carried enough food for a family of four for the week on public transportation?"

Most of the time we go grocery shopping. Yesterday, in fact.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 11, 2007 11:08 AM

Union Market is crazy overpriced. They charge more for meat than even Citarella. There's no reason for it.

I don't mind if they have parking, as long as they charge for it (and/or pay the city to compensate for the additional congestion). Though I'd note that there are certainly families of four who don't have the privilege of a car and DO have to carry lots of food on the bus, train, or via dollar vans.

Posted by: ed at June 11, 2007 11:08 AM

When a good grocery store opens up within walking distance of our house, we'll be more than happy to hoof it. In the meantime, we're gonna be driving for our big weekly food runs...On a related note, you'll be happy to note that as of today we are commuting to work on a bicycle.

Posted by: Brownstoner at June 11, 2007 11:19 AM

I don't know brownstoner, something doesn't quite make sense: I understand shopping at somewhere like Union Market occasionally, to cook that one fancy dinner, for which you really don't need 8 grocery bags. But if you're shopping for the week, and have a family of four, you are actually gonna do that shopping at Union Market? Seriously? I mean, I love fancy food, but if I had a car and a big family, i'd much rather drive to Fairway once a week. I just can't imagine getting 1 week's worth of food at Union.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 11, 2007 11:28 AM

The way things are going here Mr.B will not be able to buy much upscale food soon....

Posted by: Anonymous at June 11, 2007 11:33 AM

I'm the snark. And didn't mean anything nasty. Just that a bigger retailer that wants parking (which I doubt very much this place will have considering how exspensive land is there and that they already have the pedestrian traffic) should choose different location.
And I have no problem with you or anyone else driving to get your groceries or anywhere else. But just remember when criticising others(developers) for adding to congestion, etc that perfectly willing to add some yourself.

Posted by: petebklyn at June 11, 2007 11:33 AM

Brownstoner I have no real issue with you driving for large grocery shopping but at the same time you seem to promote the anti-(proposed)Whole Foods group PSN on this same blog, which is demanding changes based on their opposition to the fact that WF will have too much parking and will not rely on mass transit.
Seems inconsistent

Posted by: David at June 11, 2007 11:33 AM

Waddaya mean "used to house the Dollar Dream"??? I just bought toilet paper there last week. Has it closed?

Posted by: cb at June 11, 2007 11:34 AM

Probably not on a regular basis, but it's not unlikely that there will be weeks when there's not time to go all the way to Fairway, for example. We're just being honest that we're not going to carry 8 bags on the bus when we are fortunate enough to have a car.

Posted by: Brownstoner at June 11, 2007 11:34 AM

It's people like you, with your cars and your big families, who . . . .

Just kidding.

Thanks for your honesty. But please let's skip the parking.

I'm SO HAPPY ABOUT THIS! Ft. Greene is getting so Fancy Pants. Remember when it was all dreads and crunchie granolas and crack? aW.....

Posted by: Anonymous at June 11, 2007 11:39 AM

Anything has to be better than the Pathmark, or, God forbid should you be hard up for groceries, the Target. It's not that the Pathmark selection is bad, it's that it is overwhelmed with shoppers. I'll be nice to have a B&M alternative to FreshDirect, which has served us well (and the new State Street Deli is good in a pinch).

Posted by: Union M. sympathizer at June 11, 2007 11:41 AM

I think Mr B's stance is totally reasonable, and I'd do the same if I were in his position (though again, UM is a total rip-off, IMO). I just also think that any retailer who brings parking to an already-congested area should be made to pay for adding more traffic to the mix.

And kudos on biking to work! I should start doing the same.

Posted by: ed at June 11, 2007 12:06 PM

I heard last week from a reliable source in the development community that the current building is going to be replaced with new construction, no doubt to its maximum potential. If that is true, nobody be grocery shopping anytime soon.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 11, 2007 12:28 PM

It doesnt matter. I live walking distance and will still drive to Fairway.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 11, 2007 12:32 PM

12:28 pm = Say it isn't so! Although it totally makes sense, as the existing structure looks like a disaster, but how long must we wait?

I guess i'll be hitting the Choice market first. On my bike! (i just gotta fix a large basket to the front and back).

Posted by: Anonymous at June 11, 2007 12:39 PM

Anon 11:28: i'd much rather drive to Fairway once a week.

Fairway? What about that huge PathMark at Atlantic Center?

Posted by: supergirl at June 11, 2007 1:01 PM

CB said: Waddaya mean "used to house the Dollar Dream"??? I just bought toilet paper there last week. Has it closed?

Why go there when you can go to the new store and get your "upscale" paper for $5 a roll ;)

Seriously, sometimes I fret that FG/CH is going the way of 1980s South Africa.

Posted by: supergirl at June 11, 2007 1:07 PM

i love union market. nice spot to treat myself every once in a while, pick up some nice things for a party or to have a great dinner if i don't feel like cooking.

comparing union market to key food is like comparing calcutta to monte carlo.

sure, it's more expensive, but as we all know in new york, it's oftentimes about the experience more than anything else and going into union market is always a pleasure.

i prefer my grocery stores to smell like food rathar than dead bodies.

Posted by: jm at June 11, 2007 2:25 PM

You must be thinking of the 7th Ave Key Food.

And knock yourself out if you want to pay a 200% markup.

Posted by: Anon at June 11, 2007 2:38 PM

i will knock myself out.

you pay a 200% markup to live in park slope over brownsville so what's your point?

Posted by: anon at June 11, 2007 3:30 PM

Wow, does Union Market really charge more than twice what Fifth Ave Key FOod does for Murray's Chicken?! That's some kind of chutzpah.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 11, 2007 3:30 PM

If you think the analogy of Park Slope and Brownsville is even close to an apt comparison between the 5th Ave Key Food and Union Market, you're an idiot.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 11, 2007 3:45 PM

3:30, good point.

Come on people. Stop crying about how new york has a few fancy food retailers. Can't they exist too, along with all the major coops and chains? What's wrong with a little specialty food? It's gonna be marked up because there's a tremendous overhead on small operations like that.

Do you also gripe about the markup of wine in a restaurant? Ugh. Go live elsewhere.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 11, 2007 3:52 PM

sometimes I wonder myself, if it is worth driving to Fairway to buy their over ripe produce and much of their perishable food that goes bad the day after I buy it.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 11, 2007 4:05 PM

I think they and Whole Foods speeds up the ripening process. Their organic avocados are disgustiing when ripe. They look fine, but they taste putrid. That goes for some fruit to, grapefruit for instance.

Lately I've been buying all my fruit from the street vendor on Dekalb. His fruit are deliciously flavorful, they last, and the prices are ok. Screw organic, I want the damn things to be edible first and foremost!

Posted by: Anonymous at June 11, 2007 4:09 PM

"If you think the analogy of Park Slope and Brownsville is even close to an apt comparison between the 5th Ave Key Food and Union Market, you're an idiot."

considering you're talking about a 10 dollar chicken and i'm talking hundreds of thousands of dollars, i think you're the idiot actually for not being able to see the point i was making.

Posted by: anon at June 11, 2007 4:45 PM

I think that David makes an excellent point about the hypocrisy of many city car owners. So many of them complain about traffic, congestion, and pollution, yet none are willing to give up their cars. Do as I say and not as I do.

I have a family of four, too, and manage to do all my shopping on public transit (as do most of my neighbors, some of whom have larger families). Granny carts come in handy, too. Believe it or not, people, life without a car is possible. I guess that you only remember that when lecturing others or complaining about Atlantic Yards.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 11, 2007 4:46 PM

and if you don't like 200% markups 3:45, i hope you never drink a coca cola.

it costs about 15 cents with the can to make one.

Posted by: anonymous at June 11, 2007 4:55 PM

Hey supergirl - I'll stick to my 79 cent Marcal ;) Cant live without it.

Long live Dollar Dream!

Posted by: cb at June 11, 2007 5:17 PM

Here's my 2 cents on best produce: (1) the place next to the key foods on Atlantic is fantastic; and (2) the produce spot on 3rd ave and 20-something street.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 11, 2007 6:45 PM

what's up with Fairway produce? I shop there every week for my family, and within 4 days all the fruit rots. What's happening with that? I was beginning to think it was my fridge.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 11, 2007 9:01 PM

I think this is a good move to start "integrating" this area where everyone comes to shop but noone lives. Afterall, all you anti yards people can now see Mr. Ratner get pressured to raise the bar on his current retail establishments which apparently bus in the GHETTO!

Posted by: anon at June 12, 2007 7:04 AM

I'm all for a supermarket in this location but Union Market is ridiculously expensive and overpriced!! Something a bit more mid-tier, like food emporium would have been a better choice, and serve the community better rather tnen a small uber wealthy minority.

Posted by: rosie at June 12, 2007 8:06 AM

people spend their money on what they want. for some its buying fancy food in a beautiful market, for others it's overpriced designer clothing and yet others spend their money on pricey vacations. so my $12 chicken, purchased in a beautiful environment, is your $120 jeans. poor brooklynites also make choices--just look at their designer footwear. consumption is about desire and aspiration.

Posted by: jake at June 12, 2007 11:52 AM

better on some nice food than gold teeth, fake nails, cheesy sneakers and a cell phone imo.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 13, 2007 12:04 AM

What a wonderful community this is. I love Brooklyn! Thanks Mr. B.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 13, 2007 3:29 AM

I know that Park Slope is getting another Union Market at 7th avenue, between 12th and 13th. Don't know if Ft. Greene is getting one too...

Posted by: anon at July 21, 2007 4:03 PM