In the 1930s, the Bronx Terminal Market was a bustling agglomeration of produce and meat vendors. It later became one of the nation's largest Hispanic wholesale food markets, and in recent years was known as an important source of hard-to-find products ("goat legs and 99-cent toothpaste") for African immigrants in the region. It had been plagued by poor management and "mired in political scandal and decay" since the early 1970s, however, and most of its buildings were knocked down several years ago and replaced by the big-box shopping center whose tenants' logos can be seen looming in the background of this photo.
The remaining structure above, which has been taken over by Hostos Community College, is "a piquant landmark to every northbound motorist on the Major Deegan Expressway. This building was designed to serve as a bank and, upstairs, a hotel for farmers."
Day 443
Bronx Terminal Market
March 17th, 2013
Bronx Terminal Market was the ugliest shopping area of New York (IMO), Very hard to get to on foot, scary, dirty. It was next to a jail that was also torn down to make way for the big box shopping center. Yet it was a great adventure to go to that could only be found in New York. A place you could find exotic goods or great bargains. And maybe some nefarious behavior of one sort of other. Now we got a little bit of Paramus in the Bronx. Now it is as sterile as a hospital corridor, safe and boring.