The pLAces you’ll go: Silver Lake Farmers Market

There are more than 500 square miles of city surrounding UCLA’s campus, which takes up a minuscule fraction of that mileage. For such a big place, Los Angeles at times seems impossible to navigate. But don’t let size steer you away from your sense of adventure and curiosity. For the last time this quarter, follow columnist Maryrose Kulick as she takes you to a new and affordable L.A. destination to help you explore the city you call home.

Motivated by the sound of a beating drum and my eager taste buds, my feet took me on a cadenced journey through white tents, colorful fresh produce and an array of fashionable accessories.

The Silver Lake Farmers Market is deceptively small. There were only four rows of tents to explore, but with each turn of my head, there was always something new and different to see or taste.

Throughout the market, tents were set up as if it were a festival. People lounged by the fountain or in the grass eating freshly made pupusas and playing music. After hopping off the bus on Sunset Boulevard with my friend and roommate, it was hard to know where to begin.

Our dilemma was solved for us when a friendly vendor offered us samples of his tangerines – and they were delicious.

From then on, even though I wasn’t hungry in the slightest, the farmers market consistently had my mouth watering. By far, the free samples were my favorite part.

I felt like a food critic, tasting the difference between orange blossom and wildflower honey. We were also able to sample a variety of fruits from persimmons to blackberries, but we were not limited to just that. Local vendors also brought assorted selections of vegetables, mushrooms, bread and coffee. Some items I had never even heard of, like citron, or Buddha’s hand, an odd fruit similar to a lemon that somewhat resembles an octopus.

There’s something for everyone food-wise, much of which is organically grown. But there is so much more this market has to offer, including candles, clothes and household plants – all of which provoked my curiosity.

Across the aisle from our first tangerine taste test, a gentleman was selling an assortment of mini-succulents. After giving us his speech on the ins and outs of succulent caregiving, my roommate and I were sold. We chose our succulent and to our surprise, the man informed us that it had a name. Lola now sits happily by our dorm window.

In an atmosphere full of friendly and trendy shoppers, it made sense that the fashion for sale was just as hip.

The clothing consisted of stylish hand-me-downs ranging from sweaters to flannels to overalls. In one area, the vendor showed me his hand-crocheted scarves and baby sweaters. Jewelry vendors sold everything from minimalistic to more flamboyant styles. One had boxes full of pair-less earring studs perfect for mixing and matching.

The market also includes fresh flowers, books and vinyl records, completing a shopping experience unlike any you’d find in an average shopping mall.

Open on Tuesdays and Saturdays, the Silver Lake Farmers Market is both artsy and fun to explore – a fine alternative to mundane grocery shopping in Westwood.

By the end of our day at the farmers market, our hands were full of our purchases – blackberries, tangerines, a bottle of honey, a button-down shirt and Lola – and our lips curled upward. It had proven to be a day not just full of shopping, but also full of opportunities to escape our dorm room and explore a new avenue of consumerism. And we will surely be back.

For now though, I am sad to say that this is the last of “The pLAces you’ll go” for the quarter. I hope my journeys have been an inspiration to those adventurous spirits out there looking to make the most of their time at UCLA.

Los Angeles is a place full of so many wonderful little places that are truly worth taking advantage of while we are in such close proximity. I’ve had so much fun exploring the sights and sounds of Los Angeles and experiencing things I might not have otherwise. Thank you to all those who accompanied me on my excursions, and thank you, readers, for allowing me to share my stories with you. Until next time – happy traveling.