6. Essex Street Market has undergone only 1 major renovation in its 77-year history

Photo by Nina LoSchiavo/Lower East Side Partnership

Facing competition from rising supermarkets in the 1950s and ‘60s, all public markets in New York City experienced a decline in business and many were forced to close. The New York City Economic Development Corporation, which is recognized for its work on city projects like the Brooklyn Army Terminal and NYC Ferry Service, completed a $1.5 million renovation in 1995 and consolidated all vendors into one building at 120 Essex Street, where the market is located today. Vendors welcomed an updated facility, though the original signage on the building’s exterior remains preserved and visible to all who pass the Delancey/Essex Street corner.