Why the Grand Central Market is not so grand

Empty stalls. Fewer customers. Tacky merchandise.  These are some of the problems facing the beloved L.A. landmark, says the Downtown News' Kathryn Maese. Perhaps most disturbing is the fact that the Grand Central Market is down to only four stalls selling fresh produce (and two of these are owned by the same vendor). And, as Maese and anyone who has recently shopped at Grand Central knows, the fresh food is not necessarily all that fresh:

"...some vendors stock their shelves with poor quality fruits and vegetables, which can be overripe or on the verge of going bad. Once I bought a box of avocados only to find that every one was rotted."

The owners of the approximately 90-year-old market blame the soft economy and years-long shut down of Angels Flight, the funicular railway that once brought down hordes of Bunker Hill office workers to the market between Hill and Broadway. While the owners have recruited new vendors, turnover has been high and few of them actually sell fresh food. As Maese points out, without fresh produce, Grand Central is nothing more than a "glorified food court."

-- Jesus Sanchez

Photo: Los Angeles Times