Experiencing L.A. at the Grand Central Market

The Grand Central Market downtown has been part of Los Angeles since 1917. With 40 different stalls and food stands, it has something for everyone.

photo credit: blogs.uscannenberg.org

Here's a look at the outside.

It's a HUGE open market occupying the length of a city block, with large entrances at Broadway and at Hill Street.


Yes - it really is a market and - yes - you really can get something to eat there.


It really reminds me of the kind of place my grandmother (born in Warsaw, Poland) would have felt comfortable with. Definitely "old school" - with a vibe and feel reminscent of New York City or Europe.


I ended up trying a pupusa at the Sorita's Salvadorian Food. Mmm, yummy.

On an related note, next week I'll actually be in El Salvador with a group of students from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. As a Christian, I like to think that the years my family and I spent living in Los Angeles gave us all a bit of a "heads up" in terms of interacting and working with other people and cultures.


These photos are from May 2010, when we took a group of ten kids (!) and parents there as part of a tour of downtown Los Angeles.

We were pretty much able to find something for everyone (sorry, no McDonalds - which was a good thing). There is also an ice cream stand near the Hill Street entrance, which - of course - was a huge hit with everyone.


Looking out to Hill Street (yes, there really is a hill) with the office towers of Bunker Hill clearly visible. If you look carefully, you'll also notice one of the bright orange cars from Angels Flight.

Grand Central Market: my wife and kids and I.

Heading out the Hill Street entrance - next stop on our tour, the world-famous Angels Flightfunicular, another downtown treasure. Here's a link to a previous blog post on it.

View Grand Central Market, Los Angeles in a larger map

© 2012 www.experiencingla.com - originally posted 3/13/2011