The Original Farmers’ Market

Los Angeles, California‘s Original Farmers Market is located at the intersection of Fairfax Avenue and Third Street, and features a wide variety of food sellers, including both stand-alone eateries and restaurants that serve a full meal, as well as produce markets. It has been open to the public since July 1934, making it a significant landmark and tourist destination in Los Angeles.

Located immediately to the south of Television City, the Original Farmers Market is home to more than a hundred different vendors selling anything from prepared dishes and groceries to souvenirs and knickknacks. The Original Farmers’ Market of Los Angeles is unlike other farmers’ markets in that it is permanently installed and is open every day of the week. There is a wide variety of food available from the various vendors, including traditional American fare from nearby farms as well as dishes from the many different immigrant cultures that have settled in Los Angeles.

It may be found in the heart of Los Angeles’s Fairfax neighborhood at the intersection of Third Street and Fairfax Avenue. A battery-operated tram connects the area to the nearby outdoor shopping center The Grove. Foodies flock to the market for its assortment of international dishes, gourmet shops, and freshly made snacks. Meet Me at Third and Fairfax” is written on a sign that hangs outside The Original Farmers Market.

The market began in 1880, when Illinois native Arthur Fremont Gilmore and his business partner purchased two dairy farms in the Los Angeles area. Gilmore purchased the property now known as The Original Farmers Market, and his business partner purchased the area now known as The Grove. Ten years later, the partners decided to divide their assets, and Gilmore assumed leadership of the sprawling 256-acre ranch, its dairy herd, and farmhands at what is now the world-famous Original Farmers Market and Grove. Dozens of farmers from the surrounding area began setting up shop in a field to sell their wares to the locals. Daily rent was a dollar and fifty cents.

The Original Farmers Market served as a handy spot to eat and buy for the people who worked at or visited Television City, which had opened next door in 1952. In the 1970s, Jack and Eileen Smith established a successful restaurant called The Country Kitchen, which was located next to the still-open Du- par’s. Occasionally, Mickey Rooney might be spotted manning the register. Koning Eizenberg Architecture, Inc. designed a comprehensive update, expansion, and master plan for the Market in the early 1990s. This project was started to improve the historic site by adding new commercial and service areas, as well as improving traffic flow and parking.

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