at home in the neighborhood: the produce stand

Yesterday was a nice day and Garrett and I were itching to leave the apartment. We were running low on fresh produce, so we decided (err...I decided) to make the hike over to 3 Guys.

Three Guys from Brooklyn is a large produce market on the northeast end of my neighborhood. It is always busy, but definitely worth the crowds because their fruits and vegetables, most of which are of remarkably good quality considering the state New York City produce is usually in, and which are piled up so high, they fill this stand to bursting, are cheap cheap cheap. Seriously. Here is my receipt from yesterday's trip:

The scan wasn't the best quality, so here's the rundown. For $10.82 I got:

• a head of romaine lettuce
• a large bunch of beautiful bananas
• 2 red onions
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 2 cantelopes
• 2 zucchinis
• 5 bartlett pears
• a bag of carrots
• 1 cucumber
• 10 gala apples

This might not seem as amazing to you folk living near local farmers markets and whatnot, but in the heart of New York City, where if the price of rent doesn't knock you off your feet, the cost of food will, this place is a lifesaver.

Before she moved away, a friend of mine did a little write-up about 3 Guys on her blog, and in it she gives a brief history of this marvelous establishment. She also mentions how it is not a good idea to plan your shopping trip on a Friday, as every Jew in Brooklyn is shopping for Shabbat. I could not agree with this advice more. For those of you in or familiar with grocery shopping in Utah, it is comparable to attempting a "quick trip" to Costco between the Saturday General Conference sessions, or to Macey's at 11:30 on a Saturday night. Three Guys is crowded enough as it is on an average weekday. It is no easy task to maneuver my stroller, with grocery basket attached to the handles, in and out of the stalls, meanwhile trying to keep Garrett from pulling an apple from the bottom of the pile or from swiping one of those delicious green grapes he's so fond of. I've learned, though, that to survive day-to-day living in Brooklyn -- including those trips to narrow-aisled and crowd-filled grocery stores -- one must act like a native, and though I'm more timid than most, I can still confidently shove my way in with the best of them.

The trek from my apartment over to 3 Guys is long (about 5 avenues and 17 blocks, which typically takes me about 45 minutes to walk), and I have to be really careful not to over-buy, seeing as how I'll have to lug my goods every step of the way back, but I'll tell you what: this place is incredibly worth it.