View from the Recession(viked from Andrew Sullivan)

[mdehners]

Just a little over 12 years ago the Metreon movie and shopping complex opened in downtown San Francisco. It was supposed to be the biggest and best high tech upscale shopping complex for the dot com generation of the Bay Area.

Yesterday my partner and I went to see a movie amid the mostly-empty storefronts. One of the largest empty spaces has been converted into an indoor farmers market. It was surreal to see this places that had until two years ago been selling high tech toys now selling cabbages and corn. It was a very dystopian view, as if we had suddenly walked into Mad Max barter town. Here amid the marble floors and granite top counters small entrepreneurs were selling home made pastries, soul food, lotions, jewelry and other products, while a musician strummed on his guitar asking for tips on a set of stairs leading to another store that had been closed off.

Comments

[weofodthignen]

Weird. Never even saw that. I looked it up to be sure that wasn't what they did with the poor old Embarcadero Y . . . and found a peculiar Wikipedia entry that I'll have to copyedit for all sorts of tense and spelling errors, and that breaks off with plans in the air this spring. Wonder if the farmers' market is mentioned in any newspaper articles . . . there is of course a good range of that stuff in the Ferry Building.

M

[mdehners]

Not surprised the 1st place to go all "Mad Max" would be the City;>
Cheers,
Pat

[weofodthignen]

LOL me either. Actually we could really use that here in Silly Valley. The Mountain View Farmers' Market uses the commuter parking at the rail station and attracts people from as far away as . . . SF . . . but is to be evicted or severely curtailed because the city wants to take part of that lot for below-market-rate housing. I wonder if someone could reuse the Circuit City store on El Cam at Sunnyvale Ave. for an undercover farmers' market? Either it or one of the other components of that shopping center used to be a Nob Hill. Or the unfinished New Downtown in Sunnyvale could be put to use . . .

Anyway, found it. Numerous references to a 24/7 (!) farmers' market opening at the Metreon on May 19th.

[mdehners]

Sounds good. Sadly, our local farmer's market is basically a less attractive version of a common market; pesticides used, common hybrids grown and often not even grown by vendors(some literally go to Sam's Club, buy a case then mark up the produce...). There was one Gay guy who sold stuff that he grew on the family farm AGAINST HIS FAMILY's WISHES that I'd buy Heirlooms and uncommon produce(like yellow carrots or White-fleshed Watermelons)but the others made it not worth the 30 minute round trip worth it...
Cheers,
Pat