Grocery stores/markets?

[katers5636.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone,

I'm excited to be relocating to Davis Square from the midwest next month. When my roommate and I were exploring the area on a recent trip, we weren't able to find any grocery stores or markets. We were on a stressful apartment-hunting trip, so we could have completely missed them.

We'll be living right by the T, so if anyone can let me know where we can get our groceries in the area, that would be great. I checked the tags, but didn't have much luck there.

Anything else we need to know about the area?

Thanks in advance!

edit: Important info - I will not be bringing a car.

Comments

[georgy.livejournal.com]

There's a Star Market in Porter Square and a Johnny's Foodmaster at Broadway and Route 16 (a bus ride away). A bit farther afield, there's a Trader Joe's in Arlington, a Market Basket another bus ride away from Davis and a Stop and Shop a couple miles east on McGrath highway.

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

There are smaller and specialty markets, too.

There's Farmer's Bounty on Elm, McKinnon's butcher is across the street from that. There's Nimah Market on Mass Ave and Rindge (more of a convenience store) and Pemberton Farms further down Mass Ave towards 16.

[elusiveat.livejournal.com]

There's a big Shaw's at Porter Square, a couple of small grocery markets on the main strip of Davis Square, and there's Pemberton Farms (kinda yuppyish and expensive) on Massachusetts Avenue.

The Boston area is full of little places tucked away, hiding in plain sight.

Also, you have a kick-ass icon.

[ron_newman]

Pemberton is quite close to Davis Square, on Mass. Ave. between Day and Chester streets.

Also, Dave's Fresh Pasta on Holland Street is much more than its name suggests -- it carries a variety of food.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

If you're going to be right by the Davis Square T, it's not a long walk down Elm Street to the Shaw's at Porter Square. If you like to buy a lot of groceries at once, I'd recommend investing in one of those little folding wheeled carts. There are other stores in that shopping center as well. There are several convenience stores in the Davis area as well, for those need-it-now things.

Other things you need to know. Hmm. I guess I'd say that things are closer together than it seems at first. Porter, Teele, and Ball Squares are all within easy walking distance of Davis Square. Heck, even Harvard's not that bad of a walk on a nice day. So don't be afraid to venture outside Davis on foot, because there's a lot of stuff in easy reach.

[ron_newman]

Tags Hardware, right next to Shaw's, will sell you one of those 'granny carts'. At least when I bought mine years ago, it came with a lifetime guarantee.

Even though the supermarket is now called Shaw's, many people still call it by its old name of Star Market, as you can see above.

[katers5636.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :)

[thespian.livejournal.com]

Get a cart and get in the habit of catching the 87 down to Market Basket (you can catch it by the West side T-station or in front of the Dunkin' Donuts). Yes, the Shaw's is closer and 24 hours, and there's a time and a place for that, but you'll save about 25% on your grocery bill by going down there. It's a 5-7 minute ride, depending on the lights (not counting waiting for the bus, but it's a pretty frequent route).

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

In addition to the places folks listed that are quite close to Davis, you can take the T to Central Square, and get to Harvest, a co-op - open to everyone - with a nice bulk foods selection and a variety of organic foods.

In the summer/fall (Jun-Oct, maybe early Nov), there is a farmers market every Wednesday in Davis Square, from noon-6. There are several other farmers' markets (http://www.mass.gov/agr/massgrown/farmers_markets.htm) in the area if that day/time doesn't work for you: most of those in Somerville or Cambridge (the one listed as "Charles Square" is in Harvard Square, I don't care what they call it) are a short bus/T/bike ride away.

[katers5636.livejournal.com]

That's really good advice, thank you!

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

Oh, and if you want delivery of organic fruit and veggies, there is Boston Organics (http://bostonorganics.com/).

And also lots of CSAs in the area (though you have to go to a central location to get the delivery), though I suspect most of them have sold out for the season.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

People have the obvious/convenient choices covered, so I'll just add the other spots I occasion: 2 whole foods and the Harvest Co-Op in/near Central Sq (3 stops away on the redline) as well as a couple spice shops around there, haymarket near downtown is every friday & saturday and offers surplus produce for abnormally low prices (mixed quality but there's always good stuff as well), there is also a whole foods near alewife and soon-to-be a trader joe's I believe, and there are a couple specialty shops in/near Harvard.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

as much as i like to support local businesses, the granny carts are also sold at Target for less than half the price of tags--to the poster: you can bus to the targets in somerville or watertown somewhat easily, or you can take the redline all the way to andrew (about 20-25 minutes on the redline) where there is also the Super 88 (mixed asian grocer)

[katers5636.livejournal.com]

Really good to know. I'm a HUGE Trader Joe's fan, so I'll need to hunt those down when I finally move there.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

I actually go to the TJ's near Central Sq the most, but mainly because I work nearby--it's a 12 minute walk to the Central T stop so it's really only convenient to car owners

[ron_newman]

But I've found that granny carts and buses don't mix well -- at least, the 77 drivers and riders hated it when I brought my cart onto that bus. It crowded the aisle and got in everyone's way. I stopped doing it.

[ron_newman]

I bought my cart so long ago that Target didn't yet exist. Carts are also very useful for schlepping laundry and recycling.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

well, it certainly existed, just not here :)

Well, unless you bought your cart in the early 60s

[m00n.livejournal.com]

Anything else we need to know about the area?

Yes. We love parking and hate airplane noise. ;-)

[ron_newman]

Union Square farmer's market is Saturday morning, 9 am to 1 pm.

[cnoocy]

You may also want to investigate Zipcar, which is a car-sharing program that makes it easy to get a car when you need to do a larger errand that's farther away or requires more cargo.

[ron_newman]

No, late 80s. Back then, the Somerville Target and the Watertown Target were Bradlees.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

oh man, I remember going to the Bradlees in Watertown when it was liquidating

[jennyelfenmass.livejournal.com]

Alternatively, you can take the bus there and cab it back. There are always a ton of cabs waiting outside.

[lac.livejournal.com]

There is also quite a big Shaw's at the near the Meadowglen Mall..is that still Somerville even? But, that is definitely not walkable...believe me, I've tried it. Good if you have a car. I've taken to going to the Stop and Shop at McGrath now though...I mean, there's a Dunkin Donuts inside and the carts have holders for my iced coffee. How can I not love that?

Otherwise, I hit Shaws in Porter for quick stops and McKinnon's in Davis for meat.