Public Market Tour

I recently attended a weekday outing hosted by Voices for Waterfront Vitality, a community group focused on helping the Redondo Beach waterfront redevelopment move forward.

The purpose of this field trip was to visit a couple of Southern California public markets and experience first-hand, how and what a public market space contributes to the community and the effect it has on the local economy.

The organizers arranged private tours at two unique markets – the Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles and the Original Farmers’ Market at 3rd and Fairfax next to the Grove. Twenty to twenty-five Redondo Beach residents and business owners signed up for the bus tour.

I’m a huge fan of public/farmers’ markets and have been to several across the globe – last year I visited the Viktualienmarkt in Munich – and unlike most of the people on the tour, I’d been to both of these markets very recently. (Yes, I’ve been known to occasionally leave the South Bay bubble!)

The Grand Central Market has had its ups and downs over the decades but has managed to stay open continually since 1917. The latest reincarnation took place in 2013, piggy-backing on the burgeoning revitalization of the entire downtown district.

Centrally located in the heart of Downtown LA on Grand Street, we arrived at 11:30 for our market tour. As we made our way through the ground floor space, we noted construction underway for new vendor ‘stalls’ and our tour guide pointed out a few of the celebrity chef-driven enterprises that call Grand Central Market home. We learned that expensive, white tablecloth dining is currently out of vogue – chefs want to bring their food to the masses, and having a counter space in a public market, they can offer it at a reasonable price point.

Our tour ended just as the lunch crowd showed up. The market was busy when we arrived, now it was packed with lines snaking around every vendor stall – from the coffee counter and the meat case to the produce and prepared food vendors – the space was overflowing with office and factory workers, families, youth groups, civil servants, seniors, tourists and hipsters. The line for Egg Slut was so impressive; I had to get in it. Our group split up, going our separate ways in search of lunch and eventually regrouped at a couple of tables.

What we all enjoyed most about the Grand Central Market, aside from the unbelievable variety and quality of the food, was that you could buy lunch from one vendor, a drink from a different vendor, dessert from yet another vendor and then mosey around the Market for an available table. This was a terrific convenience, especially for those ordering a gourmet coffee, craft beer or glass of wine to go with their meal.

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After lunch, it was time to get back on the bus – next stop, Third and Fairfax, for the Original Farmers’ Market. When I first moved to Los Angeles, this was one of the very first places I visited and with good reason – it’s a world-famous landmark.

Opened in 1934, the Original Farmers’ Market is still owned by the Gilmore Family. It offers a collection of prepared food vendors, sit-down restaurants, green grocers and specialty shops. Unlike the economic inconsistencies of the Grand Central Market, Third and Fairfax has unfailingly been one of the busiest intersections in the Mid-City, and with the addition of The Grove, it is more popular than ever.

This Market also served a vast cross-section of guests but had a more established feel. You could tell the group of older gentlemen at this table and the family at that table, had been coming to the Market for decades. Customers knew each other and I overheard several vendors refer to them by name. The Original Farmers’ Market is such a vital piece of the fabric of that community.

As mentioned earlier, I’ve been to numerous public markets – Pike Place in Seattle, Chelsea and Union Square in Manhattan, Ferry Plaza in San Francisco, one in Austin and another in Santa Fe (I can’t remember the names) and more. A few of these markets had been established decades ago, but many of them are recent additions and I’m always amazed at how quickly they become such an essential part of a community.

A public market at the Redondo Beach Marina would serve not only the residents of Redondo but the greater South Bay area – and as a traveler, I know it would be a must-see destination on any visitor’s itinerary.

Permanent public markets are a great community amenity and personally speaking, I’d love to see one established in our special corner of Santa Monica Bay.

I want to thank Voices for Waterfront Vitality for inviting me on the tour!

If you would like to learn more about the grassroots group, Voices for Waterfront Vitality, visit the website athttp://www.voices4rb.org.

For additional information on Cental Cal’s plans, visit http://thewaterfrontredondo.com/

http://www.southbaybyjackie.com/public-market-tour