LifeThyme Natural Market has been serving Greenwich Village a cornucopia of exceptional natural and organic foods for over 30 years.

My go-to grocer is a cornerstone of the bohemian Greenwich Village vibe that draws visitors to New York and makes its residents feel lucky live here. The store is family owned and operated, and the staff and customers are family too.

LifeThyme Natural Market opened in 1995, combining two boarded-up buildings at 408 and 410 Sixth Avenue to form a quirky, inviting neighborhood grocery store that overflows with an abundance of delicious, healthy foods, supplements, household products, and wholesome body care.

LifeThyme’s on-site kitchen is a pioneer in vegan baking, and they also boast the only vegan, raw organic salad bar in NYC. With everything from fresh organic fruits and vegetables to a tasty hot bar featuring locally and ethically sourced salmon, chicken and beef, as well as legumes, tofu and seitan, and of course a fantastic selection of cooked vegetable dishes, LifeThyme dedicates itself to serving customers the highest quality foods at affordable prices.

Village Preservation recognized LifeThyme for thirty years of excellence in serving the community with their business of the month award in June 2025.

LifeThyme has a vibe that keeps people coming back. The in-store music soundtrack is curated by the staff, most notably by long-time employee Joe, LifeThyme’s supplement expert and resident musicologist. The tunes make me feel happy while cruising the aisles, and I’ve learned some new songs to love too, like LifeThyme’s theme song, Cheryl Lynn’s “Got To be Real”!

After shopping at LifeThyme for more than 10 years, I feel like a member of the family. I love going into the store for a friendly greeting and quick chat. The store was a significant factor when I chose my apartment, and during the pandemic they were literally a lifeline, delivering groceries while I was in quarantine. There are too many lovely staff members to name, but Christina is knowledgeable about the best snacks and always puts the biggest zucchini in my delivery order.

LifeThyme has a sunny dining space on the second floor overlooking Sixth Avenue, where they host wonderful organic Saturday and Sunday brunches. They also have a Grab & Go breakfast cart outside the store, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 2 pm, featuring breakfast burritos, sandwiches, and plates.

Stuart Bander opened LifeThyme in 1995, after founding a chain of health food stores called Good n’ Natural in the 1970s. His son, Jason, a Village resident from 1994 to 2022, had lived for a period of his youth on a farm in Vermont. This gave Jason a deep familiarity with the operation and economics of independent farms, and nurtured his strong commitment to support small, local producers. Jason joined LifeThyme full-time in 2004, and is now in charge. Jason lives to “bring the farm to the people,” and that love can be seen every day on the shelves and in the bins.

As a LifeThyme devotee, I was worried when the Lincoln Market chain opened a store nearby on Sixth Avenue in 2024. I was afraid they would undercut LifeThyme’s prices, devour their slim profit margin, and put them out of business. Fortunately, this didn’t happen!

I recently did a comparison of prices for a “basket of goods,” including produce, yogurt, eggs, lentils, pickles, and cooked salmon. To my joyful surprise, LifeThyme beat Lincoln Market’s prices. The LifeThyme basket was $1 less, at $78 to Lincoln’s $79.

While many of the products in the baskets were the same brands, some of the produce and the cooked salmon were from LifeThyme’s superior sources. Having tried the salmon at both stores, I can tell you with certainty that the quality of LifeThyme’s salmon is much better. This goes for all of LifeThyme’s offerings. No one can beat their quality except maybe your mother’s garden! The natural conclusion is that you’ll get exponentially better value for your singles at LifeThyme.

Jason wasn’t worried when Lincoln Market and another grocery store called Tashkent opened nearby. He views them as large-scale hybrid convenience stores, not true competition, and feels they have actually benefited LifeThyme by bringing more foot traffic to the store.

Having devoted his life to LifeThyme for more than 20 years, Jason said, “I feel blessed. This is a really great market. We have great selections for a tight budget and for someone who’s interested in the best available. Maybe even the best available on a tight budget!”

LifeThyme’s mission is to bring customers the healthiest options for themselves and the planet. Jason says, “We’re focused on our game… supporting independent businesses, entrepreneurs, new-to-market businesses, and the integrity of the food system.”

This means supporting the regional supply system whenever possible, not the centralized food system. For example, LifeThyme sells maple syrup that’s single-sourced and went from the tree to the bottle to the store. Whenever possible, he sources goods from local suppliers within a 200 mile radius.

“We curate produce from as many regional farms as are available in Manhattan,” he said. He prefers to stock brands like Norwegian Baked and Healing Home Foods, rather than seemingly wholesome brands that have been acquired by giants such as Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Unilever, and Nestlé.

For the inside scoop on who owns the organic brands you find on the grocery shelves, read the pamphlet Who Owns Organic? by The Cornucopia Institute, available at LifeThyme and here. It’s a real eye-opener.

Supporting the integrity of the food system and providing the best “wonderfully natural” products so New Yorkers can feel better, look better and ultimately live a longer, healthier life is what makes Jason jump out of bed in the morning. I feel proud to be part of the mission, knowing I’m supporting a healthier planet while eating delicious, wholesome food.

A shorter version of this story first appeared in Chelsea News and other papers in the Straus News group.

Style Notes

Catching the spirit of the urban farmer, I donned classic denim overalls for my visit to LifeThyme. I found the perfect bunny-themed tank top and of course had to inject a dash of quirky style via these amazing green suede 6″ platform boots!

What I Wore

• Celebrity Pink faded denim overalls. Macy’s Herald Square.
• Free People cream tank top adorned with bunny holding bouquet. Crossroads Trading, 47 W. 13th St.
• Jeffrey Campbell 6″ green suede platform boots with almond toe. Macy’s.
• White bunny rabbit finger puppet quality inspector. Gift from Jill and Mike.

Where We Went

Amy, Phil, and I kept it in the ‘hood and had a yummy post-photoshoot brunch at my favorite local hang, Bar Six. Their crab cakes are the best in the city, and I’ve been obsessed with their new rosé all summer. I’ve dutifully compared by trying the rosé at many other places. Tough job! But I can confirm the Bargemone Provence Rosé they serve is the tops! Kudos to their new chef, who made some slight changes to the menu and took everything up a notch, including the wine list.