A morning at the Eastern Market, Detroit

So, I first heard about the Eastern Market on the internet... websites like VistDetroit.Org promote it as the place to be to experience the rich produce Michigan has to offer. I visited the place last Saturday and here are my thoughts.


1. The Eastern Market is a smaller version of the Victoria Market in Melbourne.
2. It offers a good variety of produce for a decent price - most produce are claimed to be organic.
3. The best deal I got was $1 for a pack of ~30 chilli (they call it "pepper" here) - very good value!
4. There is a provision shop that sells dried food called "Rocky's Historic" - they sell all kinds of dried food
5. Most folks in the market are busy doing their weekend shopping - so you can take photos freely!
6. Very easy to find a park - there are parking lots everywhere around the market... I always recall parking in Victoria market to be a nightmare.


At first, I was a bit apprehensive about taking photos in the market... I was reminded of the scenes in Tsujiki Market where the stall owners thought of photographers as being disruptive to their business. Here... it's all good... no one seem to care that you are taking photos. And so I click away.


In all, it was good for grocery shopping but not much of a tourist attraction... that I was hoping for. It seems like the Global Financial Crisis and the past 50 years of economic downturn in Michigan had a significant impact on the Eastern Market of today. In many of the online articles I've read, it used to be one of the busiest open market in the United States. I think much has changed since then, there are signs of improvements.