Arthur Avenue is the Italian-American food street that Manhattan's Little Italy stopped being, and the Retail Market is its compressed version: family businesses calling across the aisles, mozzarella pulled while you wait, and a sandwich counter with a permanent line. It is a working market rather than a food hall built for tourists, and early in the week you get the vendors' full attention. Come with an empty bag and leave with bread, cheese and something you had not planned to buy.
What to expect
A single high-ceilinged hall with vendor stalls along both sides and a few tables in the middle. Expect to order at counters rather than browse silently, samples if you ask, and the surrounding blocks of Arthur Avenue — bakeries, pork stores, pasta shops — to absorb the rest of your afternoon.
Good to know
- The Metro-North to Fordham plus a short bus, or the B/D/4 to Fordham Road and the Bx12, both get you there
- Each vendor sets its own hours, so a few stalls may be shut even when the market is open
- Bring cash — some of the older counters still prefer it
- Come hungry: the sandwich counter portions are built for two
- Pair it with the bakeries and pork stores along Arthur Avenue outside the market
- Best on a weekday if you want to talk to the vendors rather than queue behind a tour group
Common questions
Is the market open on Mondays?
Yes — the hall runs Monday through Saturday, though individual vendors set their own hours within that.
Can I eat there or is it only shopping?
Both. Several counters, including the deli, make sandwiches and plates to eat at the tables in the hall.