Soho Loses Grocery

The increasingly pricey Soho neighborhood lost one of its only reasonably-priced grocery stores, when the neighborhood’s MetFoods branch announced its plans to close Jan. 7.

Landlord Abington Properties is seeking “a more upscale operation” to replace the grocery store, according to Councilmember Margaret Chin, who organized a rally in front of the supermarket.

Upscale condominiums and luxury apartments have taken over much of Soho, though hundreds of seniors still live in the neighborhood within a few blocks of the closed grocery store.

They will now have to depend on a few less affordable food stores like Gourmet Garage, where shoppers can find wild arugula and heirloom apples. There is also a flagship Whole Foods a half-mile walk away, and the vegetable sellers of Chinatown, further downtown.