Melon trucks cruised through the neighborhoods in DC well into the late fifties, the drivers singing out “fresh sweet melons an’ ‘lopes” and ‘maters.
A huge convience before supermarkets appeared.
If you lived in DC you might recall the little DGS (District Grocery Store). Dimly lighted with wooden bins for the vegatables and fruits.
The Eastern Market in DC and the big enclosed market in Baltimore were big shopping spots for things like potatoes by the bushel and such.
I don’t remember DGS, but I do remember the Eastern Market, and also the one on the loading docks up 6th St NE near the railyards under New York Ave. In Philly, the Reading Terminal Market is smack in the middle of Center City between City Hall and the Convention Center and is still a safe area to go to; but Baltimore’s Lexington Market, while still kind of amazing, is in an iffy neighborhood — huge hospitals on the one side, bail bondsmen and payday loan shops on the other. Philly also has the huge outdoor Italian Market on 9th St between Christian St and Washington Ave.
I love how these old-time markets are still in use. You can stroll from one stand to another and see an entirely different price for the same half-dozen of anything.
Do you remember Stevenson’s bakeries, with black and white tile? How about Velardi’s candy shops, with sugary homemade caramels?