Haymarket, Boston

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Personally, I don't shop at Haymarket. I have no need to buy fruit or veggies by the sackful. And the few times I ever did buy produce there, the vendors wouldn't let me touch or select anything on my own and they were rude and obnoxious.

If I want to be treated that way, I'll just call a family member.

However if you visit our fair city, you might find it interesting to see such a market in the middle of an urban city. Or, it might repulse you.

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The Union Oyster House is the longest-running restaurant in the United States, and is conveniently located a few minutes from Faneuil Hall. The Oyster House was first opened in 1826 in a building that likely dates to the start of the 18th century. John F. Kennedy allegedly had a favourite booth at the restaurant, and legend states that the toothpick was first popularized at the restaurant. I didn’t actually eat at the Union Oyster House (probably one of the few eateries I did not frequent), but the building itself is quite an interesting one to photograph.

The Haymarket
This is a great outdoor market, where you can buy everything from fruits and vegetables to fish just off the boat. It is very boisterous. The vendors yell at the customers, *Buck a box!* -- *Dollar a pound!* They also yell at each other, to get more produce to the stands, or just to goof around. They probably have to be loud, to make themselves heard over each other and the traffic.

On Fridays and Saturdays, check out the Haymarket. The traditional farmer's Haymarket closes down the intersection of Hanover, Marshall, and Blackstone Streets for use of the stalls and stands of fish and produce sellers. When the market is open, it's a plethora of sounds and colours, with brightly coloured fruit, people of all kinds, and purveyors throwing bundles of cash to each other in the air. Even now that the elevated highway looms overhead, and when it comes down in the years to come, this centuries-old Boston tradition lives. Note: You might want to hold on to small children in the Haymarket, lest they get separated from you in the hustle and bustle of the place.