By Zachary Smith
The outside of the CTown Supermarket on 86th street across from NYCHA Marlboro Houses. (Photo Credit: Zachary Smith)
For NYCHA's Marlboro Houses residents, the closest grocery store is a CTown across the street from the 86th street-facing side of the complex. It's close, which is good for residents who may lack the means to travel further for groceries and carry them back home. But one step into this grocery store next to the 86th Street N Train station shows that may be where the good fortune ends.
Upon entering the 86th Street CTown, a shopper is met with cramped aisles and simultaneous low and harsh lighting. While products are carried that cater to Black and Hispanic residents, the quality of the protein, fruits, and vegetables leaves a lot to be desired, with limitations in both choices and freshness.
Perhaps this wouldn't be so egregious if the second nearest grocery store wasn't a completely different story. It so happens to be another CTown, accessible by an additional 15-minute walk over to Avenue U. This CTown is well lit, with a hot and cold food bar and produce that looks plucked from the pages of a magazine. Produce is meticulously placed on shelves and not in the boxes it was shipped in, and there are at least two options for each product a customer may consider.
With the improved quality and variety of food, it could be reasonable to experience an increase in grocery prices. After all, Whole Foods is known for its pricier groceries for this exact reason. But a quick comparison shows that this is not the case for the CTowns of Gravesend.
The price of chicken legs at the CTown across from NYCHA Marlboro is $1.69 per pound, $0.20 more per pound more than at Avenue U.
The price of tomatoes at the CTown across from NYCHA Marlboro is $2.69 per pound, $1.00 more per pound more than at Avenue U.
The price of loose red onions at the CTown across from NYCHA Marlboro is $1.99 per pound, $0.70 more per pound more than at Avenue U.
The price of a dozen eggs at the CTown across from NYCHA Marlboro is $1.99 per pound, $0.10 more per dozen than at Avenue U.
Across the board, diet staples like beef, chicken, eggs, and vegetables all cost more at the C-Town outside the Marlboro Houses. Only lemons limes cost more at the C-Town on the wealthier Avenue U. Some products did ring out to be the same price, including milk, bread, and romaine lettuce. But other items met the same cost discrepancy, including avocados, carrots, and cucumbers.
Ultimately, the CTown catering to Gravesend's non-white residents is charging more for food, even though there are less variety and a visible difference in quality. While Marlboro Houses are not in a food desert, the 15 minute travel time may not be possible for disabled or older tenants who would have more difficulty bringing their groceries home.
