Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Jeffery's Meat Market In LES Closed For Good
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jun 26, 2011
Modified Jun 26, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jun 26, 2011
Modified Jun 26, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Our hopes that we would taste the brilliant zing of Jeffrey's spicy Italian sausage in our meat sauce once more have been forever crushed. The Lo-Down is reporting that after three months of financial limbo, Jeffrey Ruhalter is closing his family's butcher shop in the Essex Street Market for good.
After a glowing profile in the Times that described Jeffrey revamping his shop and reinventing his perspective on life, the shop's existence was in a constant state of peril, as his 75-year-old shop faced a 29% rent increase along with renewal fees. In March, Jeffrey met with the executives of the EDC and was "astounded" that they were determined to help him keep his shop. Though he had to temporarily close to get his finances in order he said that he "started to breathe again" after the meeting.
Jeffrey claimed that his family's business was the only original tenet still in the market, which includes another butcher shop. The EDC released this statement regarding Jeffrey's decision to permanently close:
“We wish Jeffrey the best, and thank him and the Ruhalter family for their decades of dedication to the market and its customers. We will now move forward with finding a new vendor to reactivate Jeffrey’s former space and look forward to continuing the success of this vibrant public market which serves the Lower East Side community.”
And Jeffrey himself knew that his shop might not reopen, so he ended his statement back in March with this poem:
Because this may be may my final ado I offer this:
I walk with my eyes open and closed.
I take a breath.
Feel the past.
Touch my soul.
Feel tomorrow.
Lay my head.
I say a prayer.
That you are here.
Jeffrey Ruhalter
Jeffrey’s Meat Market
Tagged
essex street market
jeffrey ruhalter
jeffrey the butcher
jeffrey's meat market
LES
NYCEDC
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .