Gerald S.
Yelp
Riverfront Market is a glorified food court housed in a redeveloped brick and beam warehouse on the banks of the Christina River in Wilmington, DE. It was built under the auspices of the state funded Riverfront Development Corporation in the late 1990s. It is an interesting destination in a part of town that was weed filled lots and dilapidated buildings prior to the large investment of taxpayer funds. It is much better to reestablish a functional, economically viable commercial center than to leave it forgotten and abandoned.
The mix of dining choices comes from all locally owned food outlets of varying ethnicity, including, Mexican, Thai, Italian, cheesesteak and Korean green grocer. New kitchens are taking the place of those that have not survived. With hours from 6 to 6, it is primarily a lunch choice, with only the Mexican place open for business when I arrived at 4 on a Friday. The rest were already locked down, or being cleaned and straighten in preparation for the next day.
The building is historically attractive, a pleasant place to walk around or sit at the many tables around the retail space or the second story open balconies. I was the only customer in the house and had time to explore before and after eating my tacos carnitas. It was disappointing that they were unable to sustain their businesses the entire day, but the market has made it this far (with possible subsidies), and the city and state should assure that it can continue to attract people to this part of town.