By Lakshmi:
Who? Are you a foodie? Do you like to cook? Does the sight and smell of fresh fruits and vegetables make you want to stuff an entire market into your shopping bags? Do you start dreaming about all the things you could churn out in your kitchen? Or are you just a photographer looking to delight in a feast for your lenses and your senses?
What? The Union Square Greenmarket also known as the Union Square Farmers Market is located in Union Square in New York City.
How? You can take the subway to Union Square or walk here from many points in the city. This hard to miss square is transformed into an agora on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and if you are in the vicinity of the area, your nose might just as well lead you here!
Why? From its humble beginning in the mid-seventies, this market has now become a place for over 140 local farmers and bakers to sell the fruits of their labor. It feels like a standing paradox to New York City life. In a city where people are always rushing and engrossed in their own world, here you can see people lovingly gazing at the zucchini, marveling at the color mother nature has imparted to the peppers and chatting intently with fishermen and farmers about the best way to prepare their newly purchased bounty. All of the well-known chefs from Food Network have shown an affinity to this market. As you listen to a seller extol the virtues of his honey, you realize that life is lived in multiple bubbles.
My teenaged daughters think their mother is a bit crazy to spend time admiring the blush on a radish, the sun like hues on a beet and the way the reds, oranges and yellows paint the peaches in a personalized fashion. This is why I ask them to sit in the park or walk around, while I dream, shop and sample to my heart’s content. And this is one of those places that truly leaves me content! And the smile on my face, my overstuffed bags and maybe a smidgen of a food crumb at the corner of my mouth bear testament to this state of mind.
To learn more about this market, click here:
a global affair 