Detroit’s First Gift to the World: Eastern Market
For the next seven days, the Metroblogging sites around the globe will be unveiling seven gifts their cities can share with the world – one gift a day for seven days. These gifts can be serious, funny or sarcastic. Kicking things off, Metroblogging Detroit begins with an old Detroit favorite: Eastern Market.
Food-fanatic or not, Detroit’s Eastern Market is a hidden gem – a unique city staple we’re lucky to have.
Located on Russell Street near Gratiot, Eastern Market’s vendors and shops offer nutritious, inexpensive selections, plus tasty meats and cheeses, homemade breads, wine, beer, flowers, antiques and so much more.
Sure, other cities have markets – DC even has its own Eastern Market – but how many have been around since 1841?
And how many are as big as the D’s Eastern? I’m not sure if this is still true, but the 2000 edition of The Detroit Almanac says Detroit’s Eastern Market is the biggest open-air wholesale-retail market in the U.S.
Friendly competition aside, Detroit’s Eastern Market is just a flat-out cool place, one I wish everyone could enjoy. There’s something about heading to the market on Saturdays, spending a few hours with 45,000+ locals in this unique pocket of Detroit that feels like another world. It’s an experience like no other.
For pictures of Detroit’s market, check out the Flickr Eastern Market Photo Pool
I like Eastern Market, I go there every Saturday morning for my groceries. I am particularly fond of the prices on meats (particularly chicken) from Gratiot Central Market and the bacon from the family that sells the pork products in the shed (they’re only there from Nov thru Spring).
Eastern Market is one of those cool things about living in the city that you can’t really get elsewhere. I’d like to summarize Eastern Market with an equation:
Saturday +
BBQ at 8am +
Outdoor Karaoke (can you say PRIVATE DANCER?)+
Super cheap prices +
Fresh Food +
People selling odd and ends on the I75 overpass +
Delicious bacon +
Easy parking +
Cool downtown views +
Crazy flower day in May
=
Eastern Market
I cannot believe I never caught the karaoke. Excellent derivation Tom.