grand central market: 90 years in downtown
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When was the last time you visited Grand Central Market? It’s one of Downtown’s most celebrated junctions, not just a shortcut between Hill Street and Broadway!
The open-air market is a favorite among tourists, Broadway shoppers, longtime Downtown residents and lunchtime office crowds. It’s surprising that more of the recent Downtown arrivals have yet to try it.
It’s been 90 years since the market opened, and the venue still evokes the feel of another time and place. Trampled sawdust on the floors and neon signage on almost vendor stalls lend to the electric atmosphere of the busy space.
There can’t possibly be any other place in the city where you can order carne asada, falafel, tacos, seafood, burgers, teriyaki, pupusas and pad thai all under one roof. This is the perfect place to take out-of-town guests for a fun Downtown lunch experience.
Now, if they would only extend their hours of operation past 6:00 p.m., it may grab more of the hungry Downtown residential market.
Grand Central Market
317 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Open Monday-Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
www.grandcentralsquare.com
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4 comments
Grand Central Market was a regular drinking spot for the pressmen from the Los Angeles Times, where else could you drink a cold beer outside while watching the interesting people walk by? I still remember the gordidas (sic), they were the best I have ever eaten.
Thanks for bringing back some fond memories.
“The open-air market…” has a big ol’ ceiling above it.
Does open air only travel down from the top? It’s still “open air” in the sense there are no doors or artificially regulated temperatures.
I really love this space. I remember when I first moved to L.A. I had a job at an ad agency. They sent me downtown to do some creative research at the Central Library which was temporarily housed on Spring Street(!). (The internet didn’t exist then. You had to look stuff up in books.) I remember wandering over to the entrance of the market on Broadway and grabbing a bite to eat. Yeah, it made an impression.
When the office building above the market was redeveloped as residential in the mid-90s, I considered moving in. I always regreted not doing so. However, a few years later when I moved downtown, I did end up here.
The residential units in the Grand Central Market Apartments are small. But, I must say they are very efficient. The kitchens and bathrooms are designed for wheelchair access. So everything has an extra 18 inches. It really makes a difference in a small space. I’d also say, the units all come with tons of storage space. So you never felt cramped. I also really enjoyed how the architect (the esteemed Brenda Levin) converted the building from its original commercial use to residential. Architecture is about where to draw the lines and I continually marvelled at her decisions. My only quibble was in the tower. I would have put all the units on the Broadway side and put the hallway on the Hill street side instead of down the middle of the building. I also have to say, I hated the carpet in the units. But, the aesthetics which prevailed at the time were very different.
One of the great pleasures of living above the market was sitting in the patio on the Hill Street side. This was built in the late 90’s. It is a gorgeous space first thing in the morning. I recall saying to a friend after living in L.A. for a few years that I hadn’t found anywhere that I was at ease. Well, I found it here. On the weekends, I’d read the paper and have some caffeine. If I was hungry, pupusas were the way to go. As I’d sit, the birds would swoop about and Angel’s Flight would roll up and down Bunker Hill. Wonderful.
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