Neighborhood Icon Honored in Street Designation

If you live in Fox Point, chances are you know of Manuel Pedroso, owner of the Friends Market specialty shop on Sheldon Street and pillar of the Portuguese-American community. In late 2020, when Pedroso celebrated his 101th birthday, neighbors celebrated with a festive car parade. This year, as he nears 103, the city has awarded him an honorary street name, Pedroso Way, located on Sheldon Street at Brook Street, adjacent to the market.

On a sunny Saturday in late September, City Councilor John Goncalves hosted the unveiling, a street party with more than 200 people in attendance. "It was an honor to join the Pedroso Family and well-wishers to unveil Pedroso Way,” Goncalves said. “Manuel Pedroso and his wife Maria have owned Friends Market for 70 years and have been a staple in our community. We are deeply grateful for their unmatched contributions to the Fox Point neighborhood."

Pedroso’s granddaughter, Diana Afonso, reflected on the role her grandparents have played in the neighborhood, which in decade’s past, functioned as “the mecca,” she said, for the Portuguese-American community. “It was so much more than a store,” she said. “It was about family, community, and a sense of home.” FPNA is delighted to see the family—and community—honored in this way.

Image, courtesy Diana Afonso