Just as proximity to one of the city’s best farmers’ markets has long been a brag-worthy perk, the arrival of a favorite food market for easy access to fresh produce and specialty groceries can become a significant draw for nearby apartment buildings.

Though Zeckendorf Towers at 1 Irving Place may have been a major influence in the rebirth of the Union Square area as one of Downtown Manhattan’s top residential spots, the park’s famous Greenmarket has been just as important in making the neighborhood a great place to call home. The surrounding NoMad neighborhood’s recent rise in popularity has coincided with the arrival of Mario Batali’s Eataly market/dining space along with top-ticket condos like One Madison at 23 East 22nd Street. The celebrated Greenmarket at Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza adds even more star power to top buildings like the Richard Meier-designed On Prospect Park at 1 Grand Army Plaza.

In recent years, Whole Foods Markets in prime locations like Columbus Circle–literally downstairs in one of the neighborhood’s finest residential addresses–the Time Warner Center at 25 Columbus Circle–have made their way onto best-of-the-neighborhood lists. On the Lower East Side, having the grocery mega-chain at street level at Avalon Chrystie Place at 229 Chrystie Street undoubtedly helped bring new residents to the already buzzed-about neighborhood. Though Park Slope is already known for its wealth of grocery options (including the famed Food Co-op, the nation’s oldest) a new Whole Foods near the Gowanus Canal has given residents of nearby apartment buildings like the Argyle at 251 7th Street even more to love about their neighborhood (the arrival of a Trader Joe’s several years ago was also cause for celebration). The inclusion of a rooftop bar at this location is further evidence that food markets are as much neighborhood gathering spots as fridge-stocking locations. To the north in Williamsburg, newly-minted condos like Warehouse 11 at 201 North 10th Street provided the chain with more than enough reason to begin plans for a second Brooklyn store there.