I feel like the last four years, the ones during the T$%#p administration, were largely defined by this conflict of perspective: those who, despite all new evidence, hold onto with a death grip their previous beliefs, and those who understand that it is healthy to grow as a person.

When I hear people call Hartford a food desert, I now need to offer evidence to the contrary. Yes, there are sections of Hartford where being able to access healthy food remains an issue for those without private transportation, but to suggest the whole city is without such options? It’s not accurate.

Putting aside the spots where access to fruits, vegetables, and grains is limited, I think there is something else at work with such claims. Often, the same folks making this sweeping statement will, in the next breath, exalt Trader Joes and/or Whole Foods. That says a lot more about the complainer than it does about Hartford.

What’s the appeal of Trader Joes? It’s largely the convenience foods and the “international foods,” which basically overlap. Have the TJ fans even bothered to go into the various markets around Hartford that sell the more authentic versions of what they’ve been eating up? Do they know that three blocks away from their apartment is a grocery that sells similar items, just packaged differently?

What is the appeal of Whole Foods? Lots of organic and “specialty” food items, which have become more widely available elsewhere.

I’m not hating on Trader Joes or Whole Foods. The former has inexpensive pumpkin pies and chocolate flourless cakes. Whole Foods has a nice cheese selection and sometimes you can find tofu prepared well in the hot prepared food bar. But is it fair to say that because my neighborhood has neither, that I am in a food desert?

No.

Living near Park and Park Terrace, it is approximately a five minute walk to El Mercado, eight minutes to Key Food, eighteen minutes to the C-Town in Parkville, and 20 minutes to the Stop & Shop on New Park Avenue. There are bodegas in between. If I want fancier items, there is also a bit of that available ten minutes away inside Parkville Market. (Before anyone whines about a 20 minute walk, think about how much time is spent driving to any of those “swankier” grocery stores in the suburbs, plus time looking for parking, plus the time you had to work to pay for the gas to make the trip.)

Can I get what I need or want 90% or more of the time without leaving the Frog Hollow and Parkville neighborhoods? Absolutely. Do I occasionally get over to Crown Market in West Hartford because their sourdough bread, chocolate babka, and pickles are beyond anything I can get nearby? Also, yes. Having a few cravings or personal preferences that I can’t fulfill in my own neighborhood does not put me in a food desert.

For those who have never stepped foot inside a C-Town or gone to El Mercado or visited Key Foods, and who live near any yet complain that it’s hard to get groceries in Hartford. . . you have a homework assignment.