What makes a good market? - Hackney & Walthamstow

Walthamstow market is the longest daily market in all of Britain & Europe. Started in 1885, it is often touted as a little piece of authentic East London. The reality doesn't really live up to the hype, though.

Walthamstow market has many good things: It's open every day. It's cheap. There are clean and accessible toilets. Shoppers are mostly locals.

So what's wrong with it? Perhaps it's best compare it side-by-side with a true little bit of authentic East London, Broadway Market in Hackney.

Both markets attract local shoppers


Walthamstow


Broadway market

Both Have Authentic East End fare


Cockles and muscles at Walthamstow


An authentic jellied eel shop on Broadway market.

The difference in in the merchandise. Although there are 500 stalls at Walthamstow, much of the merchandise looks the same. There are no stalls filled with nice old junk. Instead, it's mostley plastic tat. The fruit and veg leave a lot to be desired.



The merchandise at Broadway market is a different story:


Vintage quilts


Artisan cakes


Homemade jams......

......and blocks of vintage and handmade clothing, old knick knacks and good old junk.


Walthamstow High Street, London E17

Broadway Market, London, E8

Dreamtime - Islington

Vintage clothes and accessories for the swing set, and anyone else who likes to collect jewelery and knick knacks from the 50s, and 60s. Cardigan sets and a few things from the 40s and 80s such as mint condition Home Pride men are a few of the treasures found at this hidden gem at the back of Camden Passage. It's a hidden gem because everything for sale is in excellent condition. The proprietor is a fellow collector, so if you have a special request, such as some vintage Bakelite jewelry shaped like cherries, she will call you when she comes across it.

6 Pierrepont Row
Camden Passage
Islington N1

07804 261082

Premium Jeans

It seems Self Edge, the premium jeans store on Valencia has been mentioned in the The New York Times. If you want to read about the Japanese obsession with premium jeans and the lawsuit Levis is pursuing against some of the manufactureres, the article, Out Levi-ing Levi Straus is worth reading. Here's my original post on Self Edge in San Francisco.

Calandra Cheese - Arthur Avenue

In my constant search for authenticity, this cheese shop is a little gem. Started in 1952 by late patriarch Salvatore Calandra, the family still uses some of the original techniques to make their cheese. Yes, they actually make some of the cheese on the premises. Other hot sellers are imports from Italy, Spain and Greece, and local cheese, fresh from a farm in Pennsylvania. It's still run by the Calandra family.

2314 Arthur Ave.
Bronx, NY
718.365.7572

Mags & Fags - Shoreditch

This magazine shop is worthy of entry just for the name.

90 Hoxton Street
Shoreditch
London N1


020.7613.0664

Paxton Gate - The Mission

If you think taxidermy is a dying art, go to Paxton Gate and take a class on how to stuff your own mouse. If that's a bit too hands-on, you can buy one dressed in a cute little outfit, in a shadow box. Paxton Gate also sells mounted bugs, animal skeletons fossils of all types, bell jars, pedestals and other decorative items for those whose taste leans towards the macabre.

824 Valencia St.
San Francisco, CA 94110 map
415.824.1872

Vending by Sony - Santa Rosa Mall

Sony calls them robotic stores instead of vending machines, but I think whoever thought that term up should be fired. It just brings attention to the fact that Sony is using the novelty of vending machines to avoid paying employees. What happens if a shopper accidentally pushes the wrong buttons? How do you return anything? Who do you ask questions to? What if the mp3 player you just bought is defective?

635 Healdsburg Ave
Santa Rosa, California, 95401

Street Fairs, Festivals and Markets - London

It's festival season in London, and that's good news to those who love to wear hancrafted fashion.

Of course the markets like Spittalfields, Sunday Up at Brick Lane and Portobello Green run all year, but in the summer the artists and young designers and tailors get more exposure.

If you think handcrafted clothes are a bit granola, think again. Alternative fashion week at Spittalfields proves otherwise.

Chocolate Eating Vegetarians Unite - Mars Recants

Who says it doesn't pay to complain? If I had a pound for every time someone told me, "it's not worth it," I'd be a multi-millionaire. In reality, if enough people make their voices heard, social (or culinary) change isn't far behind.

A couple of days ago, I mentioned that Mars candy was no longer vegetarian. The update on that issue is that enough people complained to make Mars reconsider this decision.

Here's the letter I received today from Mars:

Dear Sir/Madam
Thank you for taking the time to contact us in connection with the change of ingredients in our chocolate confectionery and ice cream range.

Please note that after recently changing the source of some of the whey that is used in some of our chocolate products we have received lots of feedback that this decision has made it difficult for some of you, especially those of you who are vegetarians, to continue to enjoy our products. We realise that we made a mistake and we apologise. We have committed that we at Mars UK will ensure that a selection of favourite brands including Mars bars, Snickers bars, Galaxy and Maltesers will be suitable for vegetarians in the near future.

Meanwhile we are currently experiencing unusually high volumes of contacts from our consumers and therefore we hope that you understand that, rather than answer your question individually, we are attaching a list of questions and answers we believe would be useful and help answer your enquiry.

Alternatively you can visit our web site (www.masterfoodsconsumercare.co.uk) for this, and other useful information.

Once again thank you for taking the time to contact us. Please do get back in touch, at the dedicated email address below, if your specific query has not been answered and we will do our best to get a speedy response to you.

Yours faithfully

On Behalf of Fiona Dawson
Mars UK
fionadawson@masterfoods.co.uk

Q1.What are you announcing?

A1.We have recently changed the source of some of the whey which is used in our chocolate products made in the UK from a vegetarian friendly variety to one which contains traces of traditional rennet from animal sources. We have received lots of feedback from consumers and reversed this decision.

Q2.Are you reverting to vegetarian recipes for all of those products that were subject to the ingredient change?

A2.Yes, this announcement means that favourite products - Mars bars, Snickers bars, Galaxy, and Maltesers will once again be suitable for vegetarians.

Q3.You make lots of other brands - what about the suitability of them?

A3.Other products will also be suitable for vegetarians including Minstrels, Revels, and Ripple. However, Twix, Bounty and Celebrations will continue not to be suitable for vegetarians.

Q4.I'm a vegetarian - which products can I eat / should I avoid?

A4.Currently we cannot guarantee that our products contain vegetarian rennet. However, we are starting to change our manufacturing process with immediate effect. We want to get our vegetarian products on the shelves as soon as possible. During this process of changing the recipes we will provide updates on this consumer care website, on a regular basis. If you are not sure about the suitability of our products please call us on 0845 0450042.

Q5.Why did you decide to change the ingredients in the first place?

A5.We made the change to broaden our supply base in order to ensure we could continue to provide our consumers with products of consistent quality in the future.

Q6.Will you now consult with consumers on any future changes to products?

A6.Yes. This change was a mistake and we are sorry that we may have prevented consumers from enjoying the products they've always enjoyed.

Alexis Bittar - Soho

Jewelry made out of gold, gems and lucite sounds a bit like a throwback to the 50s, but Alexis Bittar is anything but that. The lovely handmade pieces sold here are perfect for people who like unusual jewelry and have money to spent on it.

Alexis Bittar
465 Broome Street
212.625.8340

I'm not a plastic bag - eBay

I have to admit. I was initially attracted to the Anya Hindmarch "I'm Not a Plastic Bag" promotion. The shopping bag was cute, a beige canvas tote with a braided handle and the slogan, "I'm not a plastic bag," emblazoned across the front. The Anya Heinmark logo is understated but there, along with the motto "We are what we do" hidden inside. In England, it was sold at Sainsburys for £5, and sold out within hours. The same thing happened in the US at Whole Foods.

Then things got crazy. People started selling them on eBay for £30, £50, £100. Is there no end to greed? This seems contrary to the original intent. It feels like the bag has gone beyond environmentalism, beyond fashion, into elitism. Some would argue that fashion is elitist, but it doesn't have to be. Fashion often starts on the street, then is dropped when it becomes mainstream. The Lance Armstrong wrist bands are a good example of that. They swept American, but then, they were so cheap and easy to come by that they lost their cachet. Anya Heindmarch was probably trying to avoid that by manufacturing such small quantities, but I think it backfired.

A clever artist, Marissa Vandersee, is selling a bag at Sunday Up on Brick Lane, that looks almost identical to the Anya Hindmarch version, but sums up my current sentiments about the bag. It says "I'm not a smug twat."

Lidl - Wathamstow, Finsbury Park

Worst. Store. Ever.

I didn't think anything could get any more depressing than Big Lots. I was wrong. LIDL is filthy. Most of the stock was stacked along the wall in boxes. The cheese is injected with cheddar flavour and to add insult to injury, customers have to pay for bags.


This is the Finsbury Park LIDL, not much better.

Sterling Way
N18 2XZ London/Edmonton

269 Seven Sisters Road
Finsbury Park,

Fear is the New Pathos - Brick Lane

I've noticed many appeals to fear in recent advertising. The anti-smoking hooked ads are so scary the campaign was pulled due to public complains. The Ribena march of the lemmings ads, though funny, have a certain horror movie sensibility. Then there's the ad illustrated above for Obey clothing.

Is it just in London, or is it everywhere? Certainly evocative ads create a message that sticks in the mind of the observer. This reminds me of th Benetton ads of the 90s. While the Obey ad is graphically appealling, is the message appropriate in a city with a swelling group of militant religious fundamentalists? What is the call to action here: Embrace the veil? Oppose war in Iraq? or buy Obey products?

American Apparel -- Shoreditch, Notting Hill

Shoreditch


Notting Hill

If you plan on visiting New York any time soon, it's worth waiting until you get stateside to do your shopping at American Apparel. While the prices are not cheap in the New York and San Francisco stores, it's worth paying a little more to get good quality. However, in London it seems the people who did the pricing just took the $ symbol off and replaced it with a £ symbol, with little, if any adjustment for the exchange rate.

See origanal post

176-178 Portobello Rd.
London W11 2EB
020 7243 8499

123 Curtain Rd.
London EC2A3BX
England
020 7012 1112

Earlybird -- Stoke Newington

At first glance Earlybird looks like so many of the card and gift stores scattered around London. Cute small items like home wares, retro decorative items, stationary, tradesman mugs, gift bags and other carefully selected gift items fill the shelves. Unlike most other shops, at Earlybird some of the collection of greeting cards and wrapping paper are designed and made on the premises by illustrator and part owner Dominic Early.

This is also one of the only places to buy the hard to find "I heart Hackney" badges. For those who want to assert that they live in the "good" part of Hackney, "I heart Stokey" badges are also for sale. In fact, being in Stoke Newington, the shop stocks a lot of "I heart Stokey" paraphernalia, including mugs, bags and t-shirts.

86 Stoke Newington Church Street
London, N16
020 7923 3504

The Laden Showroom - Shoreditch

Lovely frocks by young and independent designers, line the walls. Each desiner's wares fit neatly into their own little nook. Quontom, Bohemia and Eucalyptus are a few lines seen recently, but they seem to change regularly.

103 Brick Lane
Shoreditch, London, E1 6SE
020 7247 2431

Gourmet Garage -- West Village

I admit that the first time I went into Gourmet Garage it was because Ted from Queer Eye took one of the hapless straight-guy victims there. That was before Queer Eye for the Straight Guy became boring, but that's another blog.

Gourmet Garage is not the super giant warehouse that its name implies. It's better. While some grocery stores have more variety, quality is emphasized here with gourmet pre-made meals, fresh bread, organic veggies, domestic and international cheeses, and they deliver.

117 7th Ave S
New York, NY 10014
212.414.5910

Forth & Towne is Shutting its Doors

Fans of Forth & Towne should get down there before June 15, when the chain is closing after less than two years. The sale should be good.

The tag line Forth & Towne splashed all over their advertising was, "Let the Chic Revolution Begin." The clothes looked nice in the ads, a bit Banana Republic, but perfectly acceptable. The models looked chic enough, but it was difficult to miss that they were a little older than the typical Madison Avenue fare.

What happened?

Were shoppers not ready for chic? The question should really be: was Forth & Towne chic, or just another arm of the Gap, targeted at the older shopper? Theoretically this could have been a good concept, except that the original Gap doesn't exactly target the youth market. Why can't this "older shopper" shop at the Gap, or Banana Republic? If the cuts in these stores are a bit slim to accommodate the spreading posteriors of older shopper, then the savvy storekeepers would add another size or two to the line to capture this growing market.

From a marketing perspective, having different brands makes sense. Gap is casual wear, Banana Republic can be worn to work, or the office party. Forth and Towne, however, veered off from Gap's usual lifestyle niches into the dangerous territory of age. Clothing is often sold in different age categories. Abacrombie and Fitch, Forever 21, Hot Topic, Delias and the Gaps own, Old Navy all unabashedly sell to teenagers, so why didn't Gap's attempt to sell to the middle aged, and beyond, work? Can this type of targeted marketing work at the other end of the age spectrum? In the era of Botox, pilates and Fabulous 50 year olds, I think not. Even the tried and true brands sold at places like Lord & Taylor don't try to sell exclusively to an older audience. Ralph Lauren sells to all ages and St. John has tried to make its brand seem more youthful by hiring Angelina Jolie as spokesmodel.

865 Market Street
San Francisco, CA, 94103
415.947.0332

Shopping For Candy?

If you're a vegetarian, forget about eating Mars Bars, Twix, Maltesers or any other chocolate made by Master Foods. The company has switched over to cow rennet.

Considering he's in the food business, it's a bit ironic that Master Foods' corporate affairs manager Paul Goalby hasn't quite grasped the concept of vegetarianism. What is a "strict" vegetarian? I'm sure the definition is as broad as the reasons people decide not to eat animals. Those who do it for their own health probably wouldn't care what kind of rennet is in the foods they eat, but they wouldn't be eating candy bars anyway. Those who do it for religious reasons are probably appalled by Goalby's cavalier attitude about their fear of accidentally violating laws that they believe would stop them from getting into heaven. Those who don't eat meat because they care about animals probably make up the largest group of chocolate eating vegetarians. Would they mind eating bits of baby cow in their chocolate bars? Probably. Perhaps he is talking about the occasional vegetarian, the vegetarian for fashion. Would this group care? Probably not. Perhaps he was misquoted? I don't know. Click this link to read for yourself.

If anyone else is annoyed about this, here's Masterfoods email address: contact.uk@masterfoods.com

Teuscher -- Union Square

Giving a Teuscher chocolate to someone feels like a real gift, even if you can only buy one piece of chocolate. As would be expected from any handmade Swiss chocolate, they taste lovely. Chocolates are flown in from Zurich each week, and the ingredients taste fresh, and the fillings really taste like the name of the filling: champagne, orange, raspberry.... Chocolates, even individuals, come wrapped in lovely little packages of twisted paper made to look like whimsical creatures.



307 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
415.834.0850

Giant Robot - Haight Ashbury

Giant Robot is part gallery, part gift shop, and don't they have a magazine too? Toys, clothing, art, books, comics, this store is dedicated to Japanese pop art. If, like me, you love Tokidoki, this place is heaven. Of course, not everything is Japanese. Many books on street art, modern, fringe-type artists and architecture that meets the Japanese sensibility of the small perfect thing are sold here. The small, perfect thing is likely to be a tennis shoe, a clapped out kitchen in Hackney, a monster doll or an exquisite piece of art.

622 Shrader St
San Francisco, CA 94117
415.876.4773

Nida -- Hayes Valley

Nida is one of those places that, while small, the collection is finely edited. It may not have hundreds of clothes to sort through, like MACY's, but unlike MACY's nearly everything you touch is beautiful. Mid-range lines like Mark by Marc Jacobs share the rack with more exclusive labels Costume National, Helmut Lang and Martin Margiela. The labels are not the draw here, though. It's the individual pieces that have been chosen for each label. This is one of those rare stores that show equal care with both women's and men's lines.


544 Hayes St
San Francisco, CA 94102
415.552.4670

Chinatown - San Francisco

Speaking of Chinatown. This optician gets the prize for creative use of decorative fireworks and pig signs in a window display. The glasses are almost hidden by the New Years' display.

Chinatown
Grant St.
San Francisco

Chinatown - San Francisco

Chinatown is not all fake handbags and plastic tat, especially China Town San Francisco, which is one of the historic gateways for Chinese immigrants to America. It's got history; it's got dirt; it's got places for the adventurous to eat; but mostly, it's got shopping.

In the olden days, tea was a precious commodity carried in hard pressed blocks and often used as money. Tea was pressed into molds and carved into decorate tablets. You can still buy these in Chinatown. I don't know it they're edible, but they're beautifully decorative. They're a good conversation piece and make great houswarming gifts. Chinatown is also a place to buy pearls galore, but don't shop for jewelry unless you know the value of what you want, prices are fluid, depending on the customer.

It's also a great place to buy tea sets, strange small gifts and old world items such as ant chalk.

Grant Avenue and Bush Street
San Francisco, CA 94101

A Different Light Bookstore - The Castro

Lady Godiva was a freedom rider....

Who knew that Bea Arthur had a big following among drag queens? Come to think of it, there is that drag show that recreates episodes of the Golden Girls verbatim. And Bea does sport a look that look that most men could adopt fairly easily, with the right flowy caftan or slouchy boot. Nevertheless, it was a sad day when I realised that I had missed my opportunity to see my idol at A Different Light Bookstore.

In addition to great celebrity appearances, A Different Light sells mostly books and videos that could possibly be of interest to the gay community, but don't expect all gay porn and overwrought lesbian love stories. Shoppers are just as likely to find a book on carpentry or child rearing as they are to find the latest Bear of the Month Calender. It's got a broad magazine selection and quite a few videos. Despite the range of the book selection, the book section seems to be shrinking a bit as the video section expands. Doesn't anybody read anymore?

489 Castro Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
415.431.0891

Cliff's Variety -- The Castro

This is one of those rare instances when a store is aptly named. Cliff's Variety is much more than a hardware store. Of course it carries hardware; the typical you would expect to find, like nails, paint and light bulbs; the less typical you would hope to find, like Victorian ceiling sconces and latches for old-fashioned windows; and the completely surprising, like tiaras, toys and quirky kitchenalia.


Jungle-themed cleaning supply display. It's not easy being green.

479 Castro Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
415.431.5365

Sephora -- San Francisco Airport

To those of us who are addicted to beauty products, Sephora a pretty, nice smelling crack den. We can't leave the store empty handed. Nars, Fresh, Philosophy, Dr Perricone are just a few of my favorites. They also sell a great lip gloss that plumps the lips, Lip Injection Extreme.

For those who need a little retail therapy to sooth pre-flight jitters, Sephora at the airport seem to carry most of the lines available at the downtown store. Beware, though, it's before the security checkpoint so don't buy anything you can't carry on.

International Terminal
San Francisco Airport

Toy Safari -- Alameda

Forget Toys-R-Us. Toy Safari is a great toy store for kids and adults. It stocks the widest range of Play mobile I've ever seen under one roof. The range of other toys is equally broad. Nostalgic throwbacks to the past sit side-by-side on the shelves with the latest must have toys.


It's worth a trip just to look at old doll display case populated with many of my favorites from the Seventies including, Flatsie, Kiddles and Dawn. Check out astronaut Barbie.

1410 Park St
Alameda, CA 94501
510.522.1723

Self Edge - The Mission

Has anyone else noticed how Japanese make American products better than Americans? Take jeans, for example. When Levis get rid of old looms because they take too long to weave a bolt of denim, Japanese manufacturers buy them, then reproduce them because the quality of the fabric they make is superior to that of the high speed computerized looms many manufacturers use today. Where are the most expensive premium Levis made now? Japan. They don't stop with Levis. A whole industry of Japanese blue jeans has sprung up. Some of these brands, such as Sugar Cane, Samurai, Iron Heart and Flat Head are also sold at Self Edge. In keeping with the American theme, it's also a good place to buy gangsta inspired, handcuff and gun jewelry designed by Jewels Kim.

714 Valencia St
San Francisco, CA 94110
415.558.0658

Val 16 market -- The Mission

Right on the corner of 16th and Valencia, this is one of the last places that sells authentic Dulce De Leche, not Smuckers sauces or those weird hard candies with Dulce De Leche flavorings but the real thing, the kind you can buy on the streets of Mexico, only there it's called Cajeta.

There's also a good range of South & Central American groceries, fresh produce and some things that reflect the changing area, like Bawls soda. If you're a Gavacha expect pleasant service. The clerks are a little cooler to Gavachos, but not rude.

3100 16th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
415.863.8790

Therapy - The Mission

Furniture, nick knacks or shoes, this is the store, actually two stores for retail therapy. Both shops named Therapy sit side by side, one for furniture and one for gifts for yourself. Although the breadth of the stock is wide, there it's carefully chosen to reflect a specific sensibility, quirky, urban-cute, anti-hip.

541 & 545 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415.621.5902
415.861.6213

Hideo Wakamatsu -- The Mission

Hideo Wakamatsu luggage and tote bags are more proof that form and function can peacefully and stylishly coexist. Modern lightweight design is mixed with traditional Japanese elements, such as the cherry blossom suitcase and the children's school bags made out of motorcycle helmet material. These suitcases certainly won't blend in with all the others on the baggage return and the ergonomic laptop carriers actually look nice.

Another nod to Hideo Wakamatsu's Japanese roots is the strange, automated greeting that goes off when you open the door to the store.

563 Valencia St
San Francisco, CA 94110
415.255.3029

If You Can't Afford Cartier -- Union Square

The next best thing is to buy your jewelry off the street. This vendor is part of the city artists program. She makes the jewelry while minding her stall. If you're partial to coral, like I am, it's much better that the plastic and base metal costume jewelry sold at Macy's.

Street Stalls -- Oxford Street

How do Londoners afford to live? The answer is simple, they shop off the street. While at first glance, this stall on Oxford Street looks like it could be filled with tourist tat, look again. Two pashminas for £5 is cheap enough to keep every Londoner's neck decoratively warm. I've also seen fashionable Muslim girls wearing them as head covers.

Old Vogue -- North Beach

Old Vogue is a vintage store specializing mostly in men's clothing. They sell the type of fashion that doesn't change much from era to era, Hawaiian shirts, classic Pendletons, cashmere coats, so it's hard to say what decades are covered here. To the untrained eye, a 70s Pendleton looks much the same as one fron the 50s. One thing that stands out, though, is the excellent condition of all the clothes, including the vast selection of blue jeans on the top floor. It's not as low-cost as the vintage chains on the Haight but the nicely organized displays and high quality of clothing is well worth the cost for those who like this vintage style that would fit in well at the next Hillbilly Hop.

1412 Grant Ave
San Francisco, California 94133
415.392.1522

Estate Sale - Civic Center

There's usually a sandwich board out in front of American Rag on the weekends that simply says "Estate Sale, Fern Ally." One day, I decided to follow the sign down the ally. I expected to find a ratty apartment filled with an old dead person's things, but I found so much more. This little shop is a collection of rooms filled with display cases and shelves filled to the brim with all sorts of household items, collectibles and books. Whoever is responsible for displaying the goods has an obsessive compulsive collector's sensibility appreciated by shoppers who like to look at collections of things, and there are many collections here. If you need a specific pyrex bowl to complete a set, this is the place to look for it, likewise for Jasperware, clocks, old radios, coctail sets, 60s and 70s lamps....

This little shop seems to be only open on the weekends, so keep an eye out for the sandwich board.

Fern Alley
around the corner from American Rag

Portobello Green -- Notting Hill

If Portobello Market is a bit too rich, Portobello Green may be just right. Less antiques (none) fill the stalls, but there is plenty of vintage, and just plain used stuff to be had. Artists, jewelry makers and seamstresses sell their wares too.


Suitable for vegetarians? Expect to find the quirky and unusual, like these non-sweatshop made trainers. They look a bit like an art student made them.