Reading Terminal Market is located on 12th and Filbert streets.
Credit: Sam HollandPhiladelphia’s Reading Terminal Market has been ranked as the top farmers market in the United States by The Online Farmers Market, PhillyVoice reported.
In the ranking page, The Online Farmers Market described how they tried to choose "more permanent markets that have stood the test of time, and are open to the public almost every day."
Reading Terminal Market certainly fits this description. Having recently celebrated its 125th anniversary, it is the oldest continuously operating public market in the United States. The Market has also accompanied Philadelphia through many historic moments. For instance, Philadelphians went to the Market to find scarce goods during periods of rationing in World War II.
The Reading Terminal Market is home to more than 80 merchants, two of whom are descendants of the original standholders. It features a wide range of products which attract locals and tourists alike, drawing more than 100,000 people every week.
Shoppers enjoy goods ranging from handmade candles to baked items such as doughnuts and pretzels, as well as roast pork and Chinese cuisine such as Peking duck.
"This Philly treasure is loaded with vendors that cover it all," The Online Farmers Market said in the ranking. "We’re talking locally made products, fresh meat, fresh fish, and no shortage of a good, ready to eat bite."
The market is open every day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. It also hosts special events such as the annual Party for the Market, a Saturday night event featuring live music, an open bar, and more than 30 operating merchants.
The first-place ranking comes after a 2012 renovation to Reading Terminal Market which expanded its offerings and restored its historical design. The changes created additional space for five new vendors, a more expansive seating area, and a demonstration kitchen. A private event space was also added, which features an exhibit on the history of the market.
West Side Market in Cleveland and Grand Central Market in Los Angeles respectively took second and third places in the ranking.
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