Save the Broad Street Market.
I never thought I’d have to write those words.
After the July fire, I was cautiously optimistic that the market, the community, the city would rebound quickly from the devastation, maybe even come back stronger than before. How wrong I was.
Since then, the news has gone from bad to worse: project delays, contractor problems, vendor departures and, now, financial woes.
In this column, I typically introduce the month’s issue, maybe share some observations, some highlights. But, this month, I want to use this space to make a plea to the community to support the vendors in the Broad Street Market’s stone building, which was untouched by the fire.
These vendors face a double whammy. Since the fire, business is way down, and now, to add insult to injury, the market’s future is uncertain.
How can you help? It’s simple—eat!
Several vendors have told me that they blame business loss, at least in part, on a misperception that the entire market is shut down. But that’s certainly not the case. The stone building, home mostly to prepared food vendors, is as open and great as ever.
Cheesesteaks? They got ‘em. Asian cuisine? Yep, several kinds. Pizza, tacos, seafood, burgers, Caribbean fare. It’s all there, some of the best food this side of the Susquehanna. And you can wash it all down with a locally brewed craft beer.
I don’t know what the future holds for the market. I hope that, at some point in the not-too-distant future, we can report an upswing, that things have taken a big turn for the better.
But don’t wait on that—you can do your part today. Yes, you can be part of saving the Broad Street Market.
Just go over to the stone building, assess your delicious options and chow down. After all, this is central PA—home of scrapple, whoopie pies and chubby, corn-fed children. I know you got this!
Lawrance Binda
Publisher/Editor
Click here to read the digital version of the February issue.
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