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Bodega v. Grocery, The Eternal Debate

Or is that a deli?

Perhaps the most common shop in New York City is the "bodega," or maybe I should say the "deli." In Brooklyn, I often find a store that Manhattan residents would call a bodega referred to as a deli. I have no clue what they call such stores on Staten Island ? nor does anyone else from any of the other four boroughs, since none of us have ever been to Staten Island...

Also common in New York City is the "grocery." To the untrained eye, it may be nearly indistinguishable from a deli/bodega. But after many months of study, I have found the key to quickly establishing which of the two you are faced with: a grocery, unlike a deli or bodega, is required to have three or four large bins of rotting produce for sale.

· Your Guide to New York City Shops [lewrockwell.com via Manhattan Transfer]