Public Market

Public Market January 2008

Location

280 North Union Street, Rochester, NY 14605

Hours

Tuesdays & Thursdays : 6:00 a.m. to 1 :00 p.m

Saturdays : 5:00 a.m. to 3 p.m

Sundays : 5:00 a.m. to 3 p.m [more antiques than food]

Phone

585 428 6907

Website

http://www.cityofrochester.gov/PRHS/PublicMarket/

The cheapest place to shop in Rochester. It is a bit crowded, and you have to use your brain. Goods are very cheap, but there is a whole range of quality. Some vendors are selling backstock that has been sitting in a warehouse for two weeks, while others are selling vegetables that they picked the day before. Produce is generally very high quality and at very low prices. Many large bags/boxes of food can be bought for around $1 each. $10 could feed you for two weeks.

Located just northeast of downtown. Follow the signs. Be careful, the signs may be deceiving and send you in the wrong direction or unsuspectedly onto the Inner Loop. It is recommended to look up good directions before going.

Be sure to check out Juan and Maria's Empanada Stop on Saturdays.

• Photo Links
  

• more pictures from the public market
  

• Photos: Public Market December 2005 by RocPic.Com
  

• Photos: Public Market August 2003 by RocPic.Com
  

• Hours, directions, and more information
  

• Site of the Greatest Community Garage Sale and Bands on the Bricks.

This is a rough guide for shopping at a public market for people who aren't used to public markets. Shopping at a public market is a lot different from a grocery store, since you have many people selling goods in proximity. Instead of blindly following a metal cart down fluorescent-lit aisles, you will end up fighting crowds, meeting people, and often getting awesome deals.

1. Don't Buy the First Thing: You need potatoes? Don't go to the first stand. Wander around. See who is selling how much at what price.
   

2. Timing Matters: What you get at what price depends on what time you shop. Show up at 7:00AM, and you will find a great selection of fresh stuff, and plenty of room to move, but you will have to pay the marked price. If you show up 1/2 hour before the place closes, you can often get cheap prices as people try to dump their stuff before going home. You will also be getting all of the goods people have passed over throughout the day.
   

3. Try different sellers: If you get good fresh produce at one place, you will probably get good produce from them. But there might be someone 3 stalls away selling fresh stuff for less. Shop around, check out what vendor has for sale.

The public market has been in operation since 1827, making it one of the oldest continuously operating farmers' markets in the nation. It was originally located in what is now the downtown area, and extended over the Genesee River at the west end of the Main Street Bridge. It was then later relocated to the Center Market on the east side of the river between the Andrews Street Bridge and the Sister Cities Pedestrian Bridge. In 1905 it was once again relocated to what it is now its current location off of North Union Street in the Marketview Heights Neighborhood.

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2005-06-19 10:27:38   Davis Honey has great honey products. Best in the market. —FarMcKon

2006-01-25 19:35:47   The polish sausage guy inside has great stuff. He gives samples (cooked there) so you can be sure you will like it. His chicken polish is great! —LindaMarie

2006-03-26 17:23:26   How do you polish a chicken? —TomKaminski

2006-04-01 00:37:22   what kinds of things do the community garage sales have? —AlieraKieron

2006-04-28 18:56:34   I was absolutely addicted to the tacos offered in the little window in the back of Rich Port Bakery. Those taco people have moved on however, and the bakery folks do tacos there now. Anyone have any idea where the original taco people went? I need my taco fix. —JenniferCisney

2006-05-15 17:48:04   Here I am answering my own question... Monteray Tacos has moved next door to Rich Port Bakery. Yay! —JenniferCisney

2006-09-23 17:27:13   Many of the fruits and vegetables offered for sale, come from wholesalers—the quality and pricing are not much better, if at all, than what you would find at Wegmans; which in my opinion, has the best fruit and vegetables in town. You would have to go to a road-side stand to do better. —MrPhil

2006-09-23 18:11:34   MrPhil, I think you may be missing the point of the market- the overwhelming majority of it is excess wholesaler stock. It is the same quality or worse than what you'd find at Wegman's (and it often has Wegman's labels on it!). But it's also anywhere from 5-25% of what you'd pay at Wegmans. I'll take my chances with 4 questionable avocados for a dollar than pay 2 bucks a pop at the supermarket. It's an adventure and it takes a modest bit of shopping savvy to come out ahead. —JonRobins

2006-09-24 08:27:43   MrPhil has a point to some extent. I go because of the great crowd. We are a very social-economicly divided city, and every demographic goes to the public market. While off-season goods are nearly the same price during in-season times you can get drasticly cheaper prices than at the grocer.

I myself try to get locally grown produce by talking to the vendors and all. It's also great to play in a 'market' (in the economic sence). I ask about prices, get free samples,etc. Sometimes I go at the end of the day, and get dirt-cheap stuff just before it closes. It's an awsome economic microcosm. I think every economics class in the area should take a school trip there.—FarMcKon

2006-12-14 14:21:49   By far the best food shopping experience in town, and the best prices too! Every time I go I learn something new from one of the vendors. I see food stuffs I’ve never seen before. I hear languages from around the world. I get a chance to interact with so many different people it makes my head spin with excitement. I get to taste things I’ve never tasted before. Drink a great cup of Joe. Hang out and meet new people. Fill my belly with tasty freshly cooked food. The chance for adventure at the market is endless. —ZedOmega

2007-02-22 12:01:48   Green Bell Peppers: Check out the 7 green bell peppers for $1 deal in the covered area in the public market. In my opinion, its the cheapest (and fresh) green peppers that one can get anywhere in Rochester. The vendor is 3-4 stalls down to your right when you enter the covered hallway from the entrance on the side of Union Street —TinyPliny

2007-02-22 12:13:24   love the gourmet cheese shop and the panini's you can get at the back of the shop! —JcPop

2007-03-31 22:29:04   The prices here are great, and it's an experience every Rochesterian should do at least once but be warned the stuff is cheap sometimes becuase it's store rejects or expired goods. It's best to consume what you buy asap, don't buy some meat or produce and expect to put it in the fridge for 5 days. If you want good stuff that will last, buy from actual farmers. —TravisOwens

2007-04-01 10:48:32   I've never bought anything spoiled at the public Market, only pretty produce. I like the cheese guy and the honey guy the best. Also there is sometimes a guy that sells Tastykakes which are closer to their exp date. However, these things last way past their exp date. And at .50 cents vs 3.00 a box.. it's a good deal. —KimBee

2007-05-28 18:56:30   Saturday has become amazingly busy. Onsite parking is full by 6:30 and the two extended lots on Union St are near capacity by 7am. On Saturday May 26, police expected 30 thousand shoppers! —DaveMahon

2007-06-26 23:49:49   Does anyone go for the antique portion of the public market? What is the furniture situation like, anything worthwhile? I'm already sold on going to the food portion, but want to know if the antique bit is worth it at all... —CalebKelsey

2007-07-27 18:03:23   You'll love the incense from the incense guy inside the building where the meat is sold. It's very cheap (like 12 cents a cone or something) and it burns a long time. Much better than the fast-burning, expensive incense packages from box stores and even neighborhood stores. —SarahLeone

2007-12-06 10:57:25   this is by far one of my favorite things about Rochester. i love to go there on Saturday mornings, and feel that i save a ton of money and get lots of very good veggies and fruits...always stop at rich port for bread and pastries too... —KipPrice

2007-12-06 11:35:29   The sausage guy rules. Cheap and delicious, great selection. —DarrenKemp

2008-01-12 00:29:39   EMPANADAS!!! my reason for going to the public market.
... and delicious produce too. —SarahFarmer

2008-01-13 19:58:40   I agree we are extremely fortunate to have the Public Market. It is an experience and something that not all cities have.I have been going for years and it never gets old. Its a tradition! To answer the question about the flea market or antiques;yes there are certainly items that are worthwhile in there. Some of the vendors have furniture acquired from estate sales and hold some strong value. Best to take someone with you who really knows antiques though if you are looking to spend some money. I have seen some great dinette sets in there. I think you definitely have more bargaining power if you bring cash!
Remember people. Smile to strangers while you're their. It's a happy place and someone just might smile back and make your day! —HeidiAnn

2008-01-13 19:59:17   I agree we are extremely fortunate to have the Public Market. It is an experience and something that not all cities have.I have been going for years and it never gets old. Its a tradition! To answer the question about the flea market or antiques;yes there are certainly items that are worthwhile in there. Some of the vendors have furniture acquired from estate sales and hold some strong value. Best to take someone with you who really knows antiques though if you are looking to spend some money. I have seen some great dinette sets in there. I think you definitely have more bargaining power if you bring cash!
Remember people. Smile to strangers while you're their. It's a happy place and someone just might smile back and make your day! —HeidiAnn

2008-01-13 20:04:01   If you are looking for quality meat I can tell you for a fact that Kastner Statewide(inside)has THE best if not exceptional meat product.Perhaps not the sausage. However, the poultry, beef and pork are purchased by some of the BEST restaurants in Rochester(ie, Max Chophouse).Best to arrive early to capitalize on it though.Alot of produce is from wholesalers and you wont find the best quality or shelf life for fruits and veggies. Wegmans offers better.There is a trick though.Find the vendors that have a truck backed up to their tables.Those are typically(not always) farmers and are bringing their wares directly and fresh from the farm and you can usually count on quality from them.Davis Honey has not only fantastic quality but for those of you who suffer from outdoor allergies, you can benefit medicinally from a tablespoon per day of their honey.It is said that honey from a local beekeeper can help to build your immunities for outdoor allergies.Add a tbsp to Green Tea, yummy! —HeidiAnn

2008-02-29 03:49:13   Lots of great vendors and products. Eco Bella Vegan Bakery has the most wonderful cupcakes...even my non-vegan friends and family loved them. The public market is probably my favorite thing about Rochester. —EllaBeeney

2008-03-29 12:54:26   Great place to shop! Can be a bit over crowded on the weekends, but then again thats when most people make it out. Parking is also hard to find, don't plan on getting a nearby spot, but it is all worth it for the prices, selection and fresh produce offered. —EnishaCray

2008-04-29 10:33:15   I'm new to town and gluten-intolerant. Do any of the non-produce vendors that sell sausage or baked goods (for example) have any gluten-free products? Any free-range eggs? —JulieHorne