The other day Mateo asked me why we live in LA. "There are many reasons, my dear," I said, not really knowing where to start. Although I answered with the usual, it's the weather, the ocean, the desert, etc. I figured I'd better start compiling specific answers so my children can get a better sense of why we've chosen to live our lives here.
So! One of them is the Farmer's Market at 3rd and Fairfax. It opened 75 years ago when a few farmers pulled up and started selling out of the backs of their trucks. Now it's an LA landmark that's managed to stay largely unchanged and sheltered from the ridiculously congested shopping mall and condo complexes that encroach on it like a man-eating plant. You've got the mid-century-era diners, ice cream stands, doughnut makers, taffy pullers, nut roasters, all still simply made as they were 50 years ago. Then you've got every conceivable type of food stand imaginable: Brazilian food, Malaysian food, French food, Texan BBQ, Louisiana gumbo, Japanese, Chinese, Greek, and my personal favorite Mexican. (Loteria is the bomb, and if you go, try the cactus tacos.) The Market is one of those places that four people could scatter in four different directions and each come back to the table with something fresh and unique. A shopping mall food court pales in comparison. I wouldn't even put it in the same league. While the prepared food stands now outnumber the farmer stands, you can still buy all the local produce you need. Sweet.
