Grand Central Market

Grand Central Market is LA's oldest and most diverse food hall — a 30,000-square-foot market in a 1917 Beaux-Arts building on Broadway in downtown that has been feeding Angelenos since before the word 'foodie' existed. The market has evolved from a traditional produce market through decades as a primarily Latino grocery and lunch counter (serving the Mexican and Central American communities of downtown LA) into its current incarnation as one of the most exciting food destinations in the city.

The stalls represent the full spectrum of LA's food culture — Sarita's Pupuseria (Salvadoran pupusas), Tacos Tumbras a Tomas (birria tacos), Eggslut (the egg sandwich that launched a global chain), Sticky Rice (Thai), Ramen Hood (vegan ramen), and the fruit juice vendors who've been squeezing oranges here for decades. The combination of legacy Latino vendors and newer artisanal additions creates a market where $3 tacos and $15 artisanal sandwiches coexist at the same counter, which is either gentrification or evolution depending on whom you ask.

The market's Broadway location places it at the centre of LA's ongoing downtown renaissance — the neighbourhood's 1920s movie palaces, Art Deco office buildings, and the growing residential population have transformed Broadway from a neglected commercial strip into one of the most architecturally interesting streets in the city. Angels Flight, the historic funicular railway directly behind the market (connecting Broadway to Bunker Hill), adds a vertical dimension to the neighbourhood exploration.