apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I live in an adorably tiny town in VT with a locally owned grocery store almost directly in my backyard (well, I have to walk through a small field). When I go in to get my morning banana (they must be perfectly greenish-yellow - no buying in advance), the produce guy, Miguel, wishes me good morning by name. I can be there in 3 minutes, by foot, if I need something - before the pasta water even boils. Exaggerations aside, I will cry if we ever have to leave!

When you're a student who bikes and busses, it is SO important. What would take 30 minutes if you had a car (or a cute little moped...) can take an hour by bike or even longer if you have to take 2 busses both ways.

Since I don't have a car: yes. Especially if the area doesn't have reasonably-priced grocery delivery. Having to rely on public transportation or the goodwill of friends can get old fast. It is wonderful to have a grocery store within walking distance, especially if you have a small apartment without much storage space.

yes. i stop at the store practically every day on my walk home from the train, and if i forget something then, it's only 3 avenues to the good store, or one avenue to the crappier one. i used to live in a neighborhood without a store in walking distance, and i distinctly remember one night that i started baking something, realized i didn't have an ingredient, and spent over an hour taking a train to and from the store at around 11pm. of course, i could have just scrapped my baking plans, but that's not my style....

I used to be *this* close to a Whole Foods, a Trader Joes and a greenmarket... no car needed, thank you! Now, I have to remember to stash the canvas bags in the car, remember what I have (potentially) rotting in the fridge, remember what leftovers we have... and what I've already planned out for this week's meals. Ugh. There's really nothing like saying, "hey, I feel like fish tonight" rather than looking on the MENU posted on the fridge: "Oh, it's meatloaf night". *sigh*

It's definitely one of my criteria. Luckily, we live within 1 mile of 6 grocery stores, including our favorite coop.

we ix-nayed a little place for being too far from the grocery store. but i will warn... having a grocery store near by can sometimes lead to some slacking in the meal-planning dept. a trip to pick up forgotten broccoli can turn into broccoli and nutella and some sparkling water and yogurt-covered raisins. three to four trips like that can put a serious dent in the pocket-book.

I never really thought about it in part because I grew up in a town where you had to drive everywhere, grocery store included. I miss living right across the street from a nice one, though. I don't think it would be a dealbreaker for me since I try to do a single grocery trip a week as it is.

this is my grocery store! i recognize the signage. how bizarre.

Very important - supports meal time creativity, an ability to pick up fresh ingredients on the way home, and it saves hugely on gas. It is even more important if you are buying a home versus renting.

I lived in a neighborhood in baltimore for years where they were promising to put in a grocery store. After 3.5 years in that neighborhood, i got disgusted and left. They finally opened it about 2 years later and now that whole neighborhood is starting to pick up activity.

I think this is always a concern in NYC. One of my friends turned down an apartment because when she asked what the nearest grocery store is, her realtor replied, "well, Target sells food now." She ditched the realtor also.

I live near two crappy grocery stores (all within a 5-minute walk) and exactly one mile from Stop & Shop and Costco. I try to do all my shopping at those two places, but if I need a last minute ingredient I go to one of the crappy stores since I don't have a car and rely on walking/public transit for everything.

ehh... what about the proximity of a grocery store if you work in a city?
as long as I work where I do, I can always grab things last-minute for dinner (right by a Dominick's and Fox & Obel; Trader Joe's and Whole Foods only a few blocks/bus stops away). but also, at home I'm near a bodega and small neighborhood grocery store where I can get basics if need be.

I used to live around a corner from a good grocery store and loved the close proximity. I shopped 3-4 times a week and threw out less food that way too.

Next month I'm move to a new city. Since I'm not familiar with the neighborhoods, my search criteria has been to find a place near a Whole Foods. In addition to it being great living near a WF, I also figure there will be sufficient yuppie density so I don't wind up living in a crack den.

I didn't consider this when I moved into my apt and am bumming about it. Next time I move it will be a major criteria. I'm a ten minute drive on the freeway to the nearest grocery store -- a Kroger that is not very new or nice, and doesn't have the selection of some of the newer Signature Krogers. Or I can grocery shop at Walmart -- a 10 minute drive on the freeway in the opposite direction. And that's it. Those are my choices unless I want a 30 minute or more drive, or unless I stop at the 7-11.

Very much of a bummer, considering that I was part of an organic co-op, had 3 great natural food shops near at hand, and bought my eggs straight from the farm before I moved.

Scope out your grocery options -- farmers markets, CSA's, Co-ops, big box discounts, pit-stop convenience, and regular old supermarkets before you commit. And if you drink, where the nearest spirit or beer shop is. I'm 25 minutes from the nearest gin and tonic, and on a hot day in Dallas, that's a cryin shame.

Proximity to a grocery store is unimportant to me.

Proximity to a good (which most of the time means small) grocery and farmers market is very important to me.

What good is it to be close to Safeway/Keyfood/Van's or most other huge brands if you cannot even find good (from grass-fed cows/organic) milk in there?

very important to have a grocery store, a bank, a post office, drug store and a hardware store all close to your new home. well, for me, it's important. i'm lucky to have a fairly large grocery store and an italian specialty food store blocks from home.

let's not forget those bodegas - 24-hour "everything" stores. You never know when you might need milk at 1AM!

I used to live in a mixed-used development that included at 24-hour Harris Teeter supermarket. Being able to pop in for something at 3am on the way home from being out was great. The best of all, though, was being able to walk though an indoor corridor to get to the market during a major snowfall that shut down almost all traffic - I did not even have to put on a coat. So, yes, living close to the grocery store is pretty super.

There's a small grocery store just down the street from me and I *love* having it so close. It means I can pop down for 1 or 2 things just when I need them, rather than filling up my kitchen with food I might not eat. Your food will probably be fresher too since instead of week-old items at the end of the week, you can be buying something that was just made or brought in that day.

Absolutely! I must have at least a small market that carries basics within a 5 minutes walking distance... I'm very spoiled because at the moment I live a few seconds from a huge grocery store that carries tons of produce and a variety of Jaimaican, Latin American and African products!

Until recently, this wouldn't have even entered my mind. But now, living sans vehicle, I have to plan shopping around what I can carry (or plan for "big groceries" in the boyfriend's car on weekends).

I thankfully live about 2 blocks away from a FABULOUS little Mexican grocery store, lovingly dubbed "The Supermercado". The produce is extremely cheap (20 limes for a dollar, seriously?!), and quite fresh. It's not exactly Whole Foods' pristine quality, but it's fresh, good, and astonishingly less expensive.

I will probably cry when I have to move away from it; and I will darn well have to move somewhere I can easily get to a good grocery store. I define this as 5 minutes travel time, either in a car or by foot.

http://www.abreadaday.com

It's very important when you don't have a car! I just signed a lease after apartment searching for weeks. To aid in my search, I used the "My Maps" feature on Google Maps. I plotted the locations of all the grocery stores and farmers' markets in the area, as well as the library, gym, etc. It really helped me make a decision - now I have an apartment within walking distance to TJ's and Whole Foods!

When we moved to our current apartment, we were hoping to cut down on our vehicle use and unnecessary reliance on mega-stores. Being close to things like a grocers or a market was on our "must" list, and we found our little slice of heaven walking distance from a cheese deli, an organic market, the weekly farmers market, a handful of big box grocery stores, a bakery, and an amazing selection of local shops.

You couldn't pay me to move back to the burbs. You could, however, pay me to move near the Supermercado. 20 limes for a dollar?? Heaven.

We have it really good. The almost-best year round farmer's market is close by on a Sunday market. We fill in at the Whole Foods (walking distance) and at the Trader Joes (longer walking distance but we usually drove). But then, drum roll, a Trader Joes opened up within two blocks. It is very very cool.

We go to a regular grocery store once a month maybe. I stop by the good cheese store or bakery on my way home from work sometimes.

I live in Chicago w/out a car so it is very necessary. My building is basically on top of a Treasure Island which is perfect for grabbing the little things I forget when I make the bi-monthly big grocery trip to Trader Joes and Dominicks w/ my friend that has a car.

I'm also VERY lucky to live close to the Green City Market where I get all my produce and such twice a week during the summer!

It's very important to me. I walk to buy vegetables every 2 days. It's 10 minutes walk away and I get to pick out the best and the cheapest.

It was important to me in my recent apartment search. A bonus, but not a necessity, is a farmer's market nearby.

So important! We have stayed in a decent, but pretty plain apartment for years because we can walk to Central Market and bike to the cheaper grocery store. I agree that a *good* grocery store is essential; being near a normal grocery store is definitely better than nothing, but it would take some getting used to, although I would take a well-stocked traditional grocery store. In our previous apartment we were very close to Whole Foods, but I had to walk over a really large bridge with lots of traffic, so that pushed me into driving more often--but it was an extremely fast drive.

Deal-breaker! When we bought our first home years ago, a good selection of grocery-purchasing options nearby was high on our "checklist". We'd already ditched my car, as it's so much better for my health (sedentary computer job), and we went for a "village" feel in an urban neighbourhood when we went househunting. Half a mile from the mainstreet, that's just the right distance for me.
I think that's one of the issues that can absolutely make or break your option of aging gracefully in place. One should probably ensure access to several grocery-buying options, just to cover off the odds that some will migrate away in years to come.
On the other hand, guys, I suppose there's web-based delivery nowadays, too. But that's no good for the 1 liter of milk at 1 am crisis. Nor for the built-in exercise benefit.

This is probably one of the last things I think about. I suppose I'm more concerned about the location/which part of town I want to live in and whether the apt is something I want to live. I recently moved to a new place as well and am now about 6 blocks from a large grocery store and 4 from a local CoOp. I still make the stop by target b/w on the way home from work. I suppose grocery proximity isn't as important b/c I tend to shop different stores to get the best deal on select items. Each store has its purpose

I live in Texas, so as most of you probably know, I drive to get pretty much anywhere. So having a grocery store near by isn't too much of an issue. I lived in England for a while though, and having to haul several bags worth of groceries on the bus was no treat! I'm hoping to be moving up to Boston within the next month or so though, and selling my car, so I would have to say yes, having a grocery store near is definitely key.

To me it was very important living near a supermarket or grocery store when I was apartment hunting this past winter. In the area I lived in before I spent more time in my car than in my apartment. The apartment I finally ended up moving in is one block away from a commercial strip. Also, living close to the supermarket gave me the advantage to go grocery shopping early in the morning grabbing the freshest produce, freshly baked bread and any sale items before it was gone.

Absolutely. Especially living in New York, because groceries are heavy to carry and bringing them on the subway can be a huge hassle, especially if you run out after work (i.e., during the end of rush hour).

YES! considering I would need to carry all my groceries home, my current flat is within a 10 min walking distance to 3 supermarkets, a wet market, delicatessen and butcher. Then again I live in Hong Kong, where a big supermarket/drive everywhere culture just doesn't exist. My criteria is max 15 min walk to public transport and shops. It makes a BIG difference during the summer rainy season.

Yes. For seven years we lived on the 20th floor of a building that had a major grocery store as its ground floor retail tenant. There's nothing like going downstairs without a jacket at midnight to pick up some late night snacks when its 20 below and snowing outside.

YES!! Living in a densely populated area, parking at grocery stores is at a premium unless it's 6am or 10pm (or later), so I do most of my grocery shopping on my way home from the subway. At my current apartment, it's about 3/4 mile from the nearest store and that can get a bit rough in the winter. I'm currently in the market again, and proximity to a food shopping is a huge consideration for sure.

Heck yes, it's important! What kind of question is that?!

Yes!
I'm considering buying a townhouse that's a little too close to an interstate overpass just because it's one of the few places in my town where you can safely (eg, no major streets) walk to a grocery store, restaurants, bars and pharmacy.

I live in Ottawa, complete with -35 C winters, and a particularly irritating union for the bus drivers. This winter the bus drivers went on strike from Dec-Feb, the coldest and stormiest time. I was SO happy to live in the vicinity of 4 grocery stores in an under 30 minute walk in heavy snowfall. They are within a 20 minute walk when I am not knee deep in snow!
I also tend to eat a lot of raw foods in the summer, so I tend to make a few trips to the grocery store a week. I also considered Farmer's Market proximity when choosing a neighborhood- I love buying local organic produce! I considered this more than the grocery store actually, but quickly realized the plus of the closest grocery store being less than a block away.

I always live near a grocery store. I used to have to take public transit or walk an hour to get there...never again!

I lived close to a grocery store for years and loved being able to stop by to pick up a bag or two of groceries on the way home.

They closed a few years back when the landlord raised the rent - and now the place sits empty and I order groceries from Safeway.com.

It is one of my main deciding factors. The places I walk to on an almost daily basis are the gym and the grocery store. If I can't get to them in under 15 minutes, I don't want to live there.

When I have been car-less (which is most of my urban-living life and some of college) my MO was to live either within 3 blocks of a grocery store or have one that was en route home on my commute. I think it is very important to have one close to home, even if I only go once a week. Now I live farther from a full grocery store, but only 1 long block from an Italian grocery that has a full deli and a lot of freshly prepared foods as well as some Italian staples. However, I am also 1 block from my boyfriend and he has a car :-)

I live in a Brooklyn neighborhood that only has a few supermarkets (all about 15 minutes walk or bike ride), therefore it was more important to have a simple produce store and a meat store within a block or two of my apartment than an actual grocery store. The produce store is open 24 hours and also doubles as a convenience store. I can get by on salads with protein most of the time, and I hit up Fairway (a large supermarket in Red Hook, a 20 minute drive) for specialty cheeses, groceries, seafood, cereals and staples maybe twice a month.

This is important to me, since I bike everywhere, but now that I've moved to a place with a 30 minute walk to the store, I've learned to make due. I buy heavy items in bulk from Amazon and get them delivered, and then I get fresh items every week at the farmer's market or on my way home from work. Once in a blue moon I get a zip car or bum a ride with a friend, but honestly, grocery store proximity isn't as important as I originally thought.

*make do. :)

i too am i bike rider, so yes, it is crucial to be near a grocery store! i don't have a basket on my bike, and travelling far with pounds of food on my back gets tough and leaves me out of breath, so i like to be within fifteen minutes of one. where i live now, the grocery store is five minutes away. score.

It wasn't a priority when I moved recently, but it was a happy coincidence. I wanted to stick to a central area of the city with excellent bus service and off hand I can think of 6 grocery stores nearby, 5 accessible by bus in about 10 minutes and one I can walk to. No walk-to 24 hour corner stores though, which I would really like.

It wasn't, but it is now. I didn't care when the mainstream grocery store near my house closed, since I prefer Trader Joe's or the local health-food store. But, recently, a Trader Joe's opened within walking distance, and it is SO convenient. When I have to move, I will be looking for something within reasonable distance of something similar.

Absolutely! I have three grocery stores, a fish market, a bakery, a liquor store and two butchers all on the walk home from the train. I don't know what I'd do any more if I didn't; I've grown so used to picking up dinner on the way home each day and having fresh everything. They all deliver for free, too - important when there is no car and you want to do big shopping.

It's pretty important and makes life easier when you have to carry everything back.

The reason I ended up eating much healthier three years ago was because there was a Whole Foods only a block away from my apartment in Boston.

I have a grocery store on the end of my block. It's fantastic being able to run out and get what I need in just a few minutes. I call it my Kitchen-Annex

I have a small Albertsons that I can get to in 3 mins on foot from my kitchen.

I also have a Posh Ralph's and a Giant Ralph's only a quick bike ride or 10 min walk.

And a liquor store across the street and 2 big gas station markets open 24/7 on the corner.

It's the stuff dreams are made of!

It's totally a necessity, but it shouldn't be a problem for me. The neighborhood I'm looking to live in has a full-service grocery store—the only one in the area. So I consider myself lucky. I couldn't imagine having to drive just to pick up a gallon of milk. That's just mean.

I live in a small appartment in Paris and I can't use too much place on food storage. So living next to a grocery store is crucial since I have to go shopping 3-4 times a week!
But I'm lucky : I have 4 different grocery stores 5 minutes away from my place!

i just moved to phoenix from nyc and i'm not a driver, so that was actually my dealbreaker when finding an apartment. brokers apparently didn't consider it though, bc every one i asked about whether supermarkets delivered were stumped. i ended up taking a place that's diagonally across the street from a small market, even though i would have taken a place with brand new appliances, amenities had it not been at least 2 miles from the supermarket.