As recently as 3 years ago I stopped by the Grand Central Market in downtown L.A. to take some photos. The scene was so depressing. I saw mostly empty vendor stalls and empty tables waiting for nonexistent customers in the almost 100 year old marketplace.
Only the produce section and one taco joint seemed busy, so I decided not to publish anything about it on my Downtown L.A. Art Tour website.
Well, how things have changed!
The produce area and the taco stand, Tacos by Tomas–where goat meat is available–are still busy. And the old time beans and dried chiles stall is still overflowing with these basics for Mexican and many Asian cuisines.
Joining them now are a half a dozen new places to eat and a new very upscale meat market. No longer does the butcher stand sell hog feet at $1.69 a pound. The new meat market sells steaks at $28.99 a pound. Obviously, they have a different customer base!
Berlin Currywurst has a counter. Want a beer with your scrambled eggs for lunch? Just join the long line at Eggslut and place your order. Or maybe you have a yen for some deli soul food or a cuppa java at an indie coffee house–no Starbucks here. Yet. And, of course, there is a pizza place, Olios. You can even get Thai Street Food at one counter.
The re-booming of downtown Los Angeles is clearly the source of all this activity. According to one current report, there are fewer than ten condos for sale in the entire downtown area. Old office buildings are being converted as quickly as possible into new upscale rental units as more young people move into the historic city core. The revitalized Grand Central is clearly targeting that young, affluent demographic.
Okay, here are two more photos of what I saw:
This taco place is always always busy! It is one of the old time vendors at the Grand Central Market. Decades ago we would stop for lunch occasionally in Grand Central, but I don’t remember if this was where we got our food. It probably was because it has been around forever! [Originally published 2014]
