Supermarket Sweep: Finding the Cheapest Neighborhood Groceries

In the months before  across the street from Fort Greene Houses last October, the store's owner, John Castimatidis, made a promise to this mostly low-income community: Fresh food offered at a great location, on the cheap.

With the market open to mostly positive reviews, Families United for Racial and Economic Equality decided to put Castimatidis' assertion to the test by comparing Red Apple's prices with seven other markets throughout Fort Greene-Clinton Hill.

The result? 

Red Apple,  uncovered in November, holds up well in terms of affordability for prices on basic food items like milk, eggs and, of course, apples.

For example, Red Apple's price for a half gallon of 2 percent milk ($2.09) held up well against the average across all eight stores ($2.32). Same for a dozen eggs ($1.79 v. $2.42) and one bunch of romaine lettuce ($1.49 v. $2.06).

Not included in the study's rankings is the , which offers low-cost organic produce for members.

FUREE senior organizer Lucas Shapiro praised the co-op's competitive prices for produce:"Organic products remain out of the price range of many public housing and low-income neighborhood residents, but if one were looking for the most affordable organic and locally-grown produce in the Fort Greene-Clinton Hill area, the Greene Hill Food Coop seems to come out on top."

So without further ado, here is the overall supermarket affordability ranking, according to FUREE (note that prices are for a full basket of groceries, with a full list of purchases provided below):

Basket of groceries includes the following: Half gallon 2 percent milk, half gallon fat free milk, half gallon lactose free milk, 8 oz. cheddar cheese, dozen eggs, 16 oz. natural peanut butter, 1 lb. dried black beans, 1 lb. dried lentils, 1 lb. boneless chicken, 1 lb. ground beef, 5 oz. can tuna, 1 lb. carrots, 1 lb. potatoes, 1 lb. yellow onions, 1 lb. tomatoes, 1 bunch of romaine lettuce, 1 lb. apples, 1 lb. oranges, 1 lb. bananas, 1 lb. brown rice, 1 lb. white rice, loaf of whole wheat bread, 16 oz. spaghetti, 16 oz. corn tortillas.