That's too bad. I hope another grocery store replaces it.
Huron Village is one of the few Cambridge neighborhoods with a walkable grocery store. Some people in the neighborhood have cars and can drive to Whole Foods, Star Market, or Trader Joe's, but that leaves car-free people in the lurch.
A legal notice in the Cambridge Chronicle a few weeks ago indicated that the owners of nearby Formaggio Kitchen had applied to purchase the liquor license and operate a store at the old Fresh Pond Market address. It sounds like there's a possibility that it will reopen as a grocery store, but we'll have to see.
“Hopefully another store will be here,” Marc Najarian said Thursday, reporting that there’s more than one potential buyer – including Ihsan and Valerie Gurdal of Formaggio Kitchen, an equally beloved if somewhat more gourmet Cambridge mainstay. Formaggio, open 40 years compared with Fresh Pond Market’s 97 years, has four locations including in Boston and New York. “Formaggio is one of the people interested, but there’s more than one possibility.” (Formaggio’s owners have been contacted for comment.) http://www.cambridgeday.com/2019/09/05/though-fresh-pond-market-closes-s...
Walk along Huron Ave and you all sorts of small shops, all with one thing in common: a large bright window or two displaying whatever they are selling. That is certainly the case with Formaggio Kitchen, the other food market on this strip.
Not so with Fresh Pond Market... a wall of forboding metal facade, more appropriate for a roof or a prison exercise field, covers at least 6 feet in height in front of the entire market. Look above and large oversized tacky lettering identifies the store (because you can not see into any windows of course!).
Lets hope the new owners do the right thing and transform the storefront... if Formaggio is indeed the new owners, then it might happen.
I've never understood why the facade looks like this - it definitely is not welcoming, despite how friendly people are inside.
My biggest hope though: that whoever operates there next (Formaggio would be cool) has more convenient hours. I live a 5-minute walk from Fresh Pond Market but almost never go because it closes by 7 pm and is closed all day Sunday, which is usually the biggest grocery shopping day of the week. I just go to Sarah's Market to pick up small things instead, but I'd love to have more options.
This. Years ago, I actually lived on Huron and I can count on one hand how many times I went there. The place was gloomy, the selection wasn't great, and the hours sucked. I really want to help local small businesses and the death of brick-and-mortar retail is a shame, but stores need to do better. Too many mom-and-pop places in Cambridge kept bankers' hours, made it hard to pay with a card, and acted like they were doing you a favor just by being there. No thanks--Amazon and big box stores all the way if that's your attitude.
You call it tacky, I call it a vestige of the neighborhood's working class roots.
I'd much rather have an affordable, friendly grocery store with a blank facade, than a carefully curated window display of way-overpriced decorative stuff I would never need.
The Bryn Mawr Bookstore also has a blank wall for part of its facade. It's a neighborhood treasure, and I'd be thrilled to have a store like that in my neighborhood.
It's too bad to hear that there are people in the neighborhood have not shopped at Fresh Pond and experienced the wonderful staff and friendly vintage atmosphere.
In a small-ish store, every inch of interior space is precious. Having large windows means you can't really use that space for shelving and displaying goods. The way it is now, they can use the space in front of the "windows" to sell stuff, rather than just having it open to the street. It may be ugly, but it's certainly practical.
Comments
That's too bad. I hope
That's too bad. I hope another grocery store replaces it.
Huron Village is one of the few Cambridge neighborhoods with a walkable grocery store. Some people in the neighborhood have cars and can drive to Whole Foods, Star Market, or Trader Joe's, but that leaves car-free people in the lurch.
Though Fresh Pond Market
Though Fresh Pond Market closes Sept. 14, that’s not necessarily the end for shoppers.
http://www.cambridgeday.com/2019/09/05/though-fresh-pond-market-closes-s...
Formaggio annex?
A legal notice in the Cambridge Chronicle a few weeks ago indicated that the owners of nearby Formaggio Kitchen had applied to purchase the liquor license and operate a store at the old Fresh Pond Market address. It sounds like there's a possibility that it will reopen as a grocery store, but we'll have to see.
“Hopefully another store will
“Hopefully another store will be here,” Marc Najarian said Thursday, reporting that there’s more than one potential buyer – including Ihsan and Valerie Gurdal of Formaggio Kitchen, an equally beloved if somewhat more gourmet Cambridge mainstay. Formaggio, open 40 years compared with Fresh Pond Market’s 97 years, has four locations including in Boston and New York. “Formaggio is one of the people interested, but there’s more than one possibility.” (Formaggio’s owners have been contacted for comment.)
http://www.cambridgeday.com/2019/09/05/though-fresh-pond-market-closes-s...
Good bye little dudes!
Good bye little dudes!
Miserable Facade
Walk along Huron Ave and you all sorts of small shops, all with one thing in common: a large bright window or two displaying whatever they are selling. That is certainly the case with Formaggio Kitchen, the other food market on this strip.
Not so with Fresh Pond Market... a wall of forboding metal facade, more appropriate for a roof or a prison exercise field, covers at least 6 feet in height in front of the entire market. Look above and large oversized tacky lettering identifies the store (because you can not see into any windows of course!).
Lets hope the new owners do the right thing and transform the storefront... if Formaggio is indeed the new owners, then it might happen.
Agreed!
I've never understood why the facade looks like this - it definitely is not welcoming, despite how friendly people are inside.
My biggest hope though: that whoever operates there next (Formaggio would be cool) has more convenient hours. I live a 5-minute walk from Fresh Pond Market but almost never go because it closes by 7 pm and is closed all day Sunday, which is usually the biggest grocery shopping day of the week. I just go to Sarah's Market to pick up small things instead, but I'd love to have more options.
This. Years ago, I actually
This. Years ago, I actually lived on Huron and I can count on one hand how many times I went there. The place was gloomy, the selection wasn't great, and the hours sucked. I really want to help local small businesses and the death of brick-and-mortar retail is a shame, but stores need to do better. Too many mom-and-pop places in Cambridge kept bankers' hours, made it hard to pay with a card, and acted like they were doing you a favor just by being there. No thanks--Amazon and big box stores all the way if that's your attitude.
Enjoy your eBubble.
Enjoy your eBubble.
Their sales approach failed, and I never shopped there but I'd rather the store than loads of delivery trucks permeating all neighborhoods.
But whatever. put that in your exhaust pipe and all smoke it.
You call it tacky, I call it
You call it tacky, I call it a vestige of the neighborhood's working class roots.
I'd much rather have an affordable, friendly grocery store with a blank facade, than a carefully curated window display of way-overpriced decorative stuff I would never need.
The Bryn Mawr Bookstore also has a blank wall for part of its facade. It's a neighborhood treasure, and I'd be thrilled to have a store like that in my neighborhood.
Seriously?
I'll stick to affordable friendly grocery stores with a nice atmosphere, thanks.
On my way to Trader Joe's shortly...
Fresh Pond Market
It's too bad to hear that there are people in the neighborhood have not shopped at Fresh Pond and experienced the wonderful staff and friendly vintage atmosphere.
Practical is the word
In a small-ish store, every inch of interior space is precious. Having large windows means you can't really use that space for shelving and displaying goods. The way it is now, they can use the space in front of the "windows" to sell stuff, rather than just having it open to the street. It may be ugly, but it's certainly practical.
Sarah’s Market
Maybe, but Sarah’s Market up the road has managed to stock products in front of windows in its facade without issue.