Brooklyn Cries Out for More FreshDirect, Or Not

1.

At least they deliver to Forest Hills. It's hard living in a neighborhood where you can't even get a decent pork chop, or glazed ham.

And the other meats in Forest Hills supermarkets are BROWN! I can understand wanting to save a dime... but come on guys! Fresh meat is important.

Thank Jesus for Fresh Direct (and the Trade Fair on Queens Blvd, and the Organic store on Austin Street)

2.

forest hills guy if you want fresh good quality meat go to metroplitan ave in middle village
there are several excellent butchers,bakeries, and specialty shops there, except there is no snobbish attitude and no high prices
if that shit makes you fell special do not go

3.

I'm writing an article for a national urban affairs journal about development-focused blogs like Curbed. I would like to conduct short email interviews with a couple of regular Curbed commenters. Anyone who is interested in being interviewed over email about their thoughts about development in the city and why they post on blogs, please contact me at

"michaelfs at verizon dot net"

Thank you.

4.

Despite PR lies that they delivery to "all of Manhattan," the racist tools at Fresh Direct still redline my corner of the LES for having too many projects.

Because, you see, people that live in projects (or like me, near them) have NO money to spend.

5.

It's shocking. Fresh Direct just doesn't get it. They haven't noticed all those gourmet cheese shops located next to projects - with lines up the block.

6.

i used to work for a food delivery place and we used to exclude delivery areas because we got robbed too often. i wouldn't have thought the LES is rough enough to dodge though.

7.

I don't use Fresh Direct. I go to Beford for my Cheese and Wine(TM).

8.

Something is wrong when people don't even have the time and/or inclination to go to markets to select their own produce and meat.

9.

Mal Content: I live across the street from some projects on Allen Street, but Fresh Direct does deliver there. Where do you live? Don't worry, they'll surely be there soon!

I kinda wish they WEREN'T in my neck of the woods - stupid trucks always double-parked in the bike lanes and all...

10.

mfs.. about the email interviews, will you pay me for my comments? how much?

11.

They're not paying me, so why will I pay you? I'm using your comment in the article gratis.

12.

FreshDirect delivers to my building on the JMZ side of Bushwick... I think they only come to "select" addresses here... but then again... this is a neighborhood that doesn't even have cable service... ugg.

13.

Kristin--yeah, well, you want to talk to my boss about that? Cause he doesn't seem to care if I have time or not.

Also, there are things that I could get from Fresh Direct even when I lived in Manhattan that I would have to trek on the subway for otherwise. It's not like the local bodega and the local Key Foods usually are overflowing with choices.

That said, I'm sort of becoming pleased that Fresh Direct doesn't serve my current 'hood (Jackson Heights) because our grocery stores do have lots of cool, ethnic foods and have improved their produce selection tremendously. But if they hadn't, I'd be screwed.

14.

if there is one thing jackson heights has it is
alot of etnicity

15.

Yes, Kristin, something is very wrong. I live in the upper east, within walking distance of seven or eight dozen grocery stores but the quality of the produce available is very low - or the price is very high.

I also work very long hours so not having to spend my little spare time trekking to grocery stores is a bonus.

16.

Do any gourmet cheese shops have lines up the block?

But you're right. Some people just don't deserve service. Maybe we can get Fairway to ban negros and hispanics to speed up your shopping times, too.

17.

its your consitutional right to have fresh direct deliver

18.

Good idea #16.

19.

FreshDirect.com Discriminates!!!

FreshDirect is the most convenient way to shop for groceries in NYC…unless you live in a Public Housing building- they won’t deliver to you!

I attempted to order from FreshDirect on two separate occasions, both times using addresses for Public Housing buildings. After having my orders rejected by their website due to their inability to deliver to the addresses, I decided to test the site with different addresses throughout Manhattan (privately owned residential buildings, corporate office buildings and city owned residential buildings a.k.a. Public Housing) to see which addresses were accepted for delivery. Note: I am fully aware that there delivery is sometimes limited (so indicated by the asterisk on the zip code list found in their website.)

Since I know several different people who live in Public Housing throughout the city, I tested the FreshDirect service with some of those addresses. Some of the zip codes I used were 10002, 10025, 10026, and 11101. I started with 11101 (Long Island City – about 10 minutes from the FreshDirect warehouse) – I was shocked when this address was rejected, being located in such close proximity. When I called customer service, they explained the limited delivery and I pointed out that the website didn’t indicate this zip code had limited delivery. The only thing they could do was give me a lame apology for the inconvenience. I again attempted to place an order (this time for my 84 year old grandmother) using the 10025 zip code and, again, the address was rejected for delivery. This is when I decided to investigate this a bit further because; the 10025 address was rejected even though a block away, I have personally witnessed FreshDirect trucks making deliveries to privately owned residential buildings two blocks away on Central Park West, on Amsterdam Avenue, 100th Street, 103rd St., 96th St., etc. The same happened with the 10002 address, except they deliver to a privately owned residential building less than a block away. The 10026 address was also rejected, although, again, they deliver a few blocks away in the same zip code.

I don’t see why their delivery areas are limited in such a peculiar way. I cannot believe that of all the residential addresses I entered, the only ones that are not part of FreshDirect’s delivery areas all happen to be City owned Public Housing buildings. ISN'T THIS CONSIDERED
DISCRIMINATION?!

Why does FreshDirect REFUSE to deliver to individuals residing in Public Housing???? UPS, FEDEX, DHL, USPS and many other companies deliver to them.

I think this NEEDS to be investigated. As a matter of fact…it MUST be investigated. How dare they refuse service to so many individuals! We're in 2007...AND DISCRIMINATION is apparently ALIVE AND WELL at FRESHDIRECT!

20.

All:

A new competitor to FD is in town -breadnbrie.com. The website is not fully launched, but they opened up a forum for discussion. \ I think one of us should put down that the new competitor (breadnbrie.com) should deliver to public housing.

-JR