Grocery Archaeology

Original Grocery Tenant: Grand Union Address: 140 Orange Ave, Suffern, NY Opened:  between 1953 and 1965 Closed:  unknown Later Tenants:  assorted non-grocery tenants Photographed:  December 15, 2020 We're near the Hudson River -- about 12 miles west -- and you know what that means: Grand Union territory. The New Jersey-based chain had locations all up and down the river in New York state, as far north as Rouses Point a mile from the Canada border all the way south to here in Suffern, where we're less than half a mile to the New Jersey line. This one was built between 1953 and 1965, but unfortunately I don't know when it closed. It's possible, though, it closed in the 1970s when Grand Union constructed a new store around two miles east out on route 59 -- but the stores are far enough away that it's also possible that store's opening didn't affect this one. The 16,000 square foot location just south of downtown Suffern is today the Rainbow Ace Hardware. O...

Original Tenant:  Grand Union Address:  200 NY-59, Suffern, NY Opened:  1970s Closed:  2001 Later Tenants:  none Photographed:  March 2019 It was the end of a frigid March day, a long day of visiting supermarkets across the Bronx and downstate suburban New York. I'd been to over 20 stores that day, photographing nearly 40 in total. What better way to end it than a still-vacant former Grand Union where the setting sun perfectly filtered through the store's windows, illuminating the entire interior? It's entirely possible that that Space Available banner has been here since closing day in 2001. Unfortunately, it mostly obscures any labelscar that might be here, except perhaps for something to the left. This store is located just west on NY-59 from a power center anchored by a ShopRite at one end and a Walmart at the other. That's likely why the store has not seen any tenants since Grand union closed, and unfortunately the entire mal...