I'm looking for ideas to help my city improve our public market. I'd be interested to know of other cities which have really vibrant and/or renovated public markets. What makes them tick? Who goes there and when? What else is there to do besides buy produce?

Thanks for your help.

wliwl, just for clarification, do you mean an outdoor farmer's market? I have never hearf of the concept of a public market. Please explain further, thanks!

hearf = heard....I need coffee!

Here's one for DC:

http://www.easternmarket.net

Portland, Maine
http://www.portlandmarket.com/main/home.html

We always take out-of-town visitors to The Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. Visitors love it as much as the locals do:

http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/

~Liz

Our little farmer's market is only open on Saturdays with limited items. Everyone got very excited when they talked about wine and cheese selections coming from the local areas - but really very, very limitied. The one in Portland is fabulous - open everyday and offers more than produce. I would definately want to visit it.

Yes, I mean an outdoor farmer's market. Thanks.

I don't know which city you are in, but even in our small village it was necessary to hire a "manager" for the market. This person opens up the market, tends to the needs/problems of the vendors and works with the village to create community events.

For Portland, ME http://www.portlandmarket.com/main/home.html

Raleigh NC: http://www.ncagr.com/markets/facilit/farmark/raleigh/

Sorry, posted too quickly. Answers to your questions:

The Raleigh market, like Phila's Reading Market and many, many others, has a restaurant (or 2?) on the premises. This seems to be a big draw (after all, looking at all that food makes one hungry). In addition, if there are booths with things like homemade cheeses, preserves, etc. and even homemade (more or less) baked goods on certain days, it's a serious draw.

For slightly more local markets: Since a lot of people like to bring dogs with them to outdoor markets (on leashes, of course), an area devoted to them -- e.g., selling dog-related things like homemade dogbiscuits, etc., and a dog-watering facility, even a "dog-wash", seems to be a good idea.

I've also seen booths/tables with things like trinkets, jewelry, etc. at local markets, but that seems mostly to appeal to younger folk -- a different crowd from those buying produce, cheeses, pies, for their families.

Local musicians playing on Sat. mornings always add a lot to the atmosphere.

San Antonio has a great public produce market downtown. Its is called, or near El Marcado. Cooperation and civic envolvement on every level is the key to success.

As for my hometown we got stuck with a Wal-Mart and not too many people seem to care.

In downtown Buffalo, there is an outdoor farmer's market every Tue & Thu that runs from May - Oct. In addition to produce, there are companies selling flowers/plants, fresh sausage (big Italian population in Buffalo), baked goods, honey etc. One local company, Butterwoods, is a huge favorite and sells whole cakes and tarts.

There is also the Broadway market in Cheektowaga, NY which is an indoor market. It caters to the community with Polish sausage, pierogies and chrusciki, as well as Crystal Beach candy, meats/seafood etc.

We have the French Market all year round, plus the Crescent City Farmers Market which moves daily to places around the area. The CCFM is more produce and food items while the French Market is more touristy-oriented.

http://www.loyno.edu/~ecoinst/ccfm/

More updated website for the New Orleans market:

http://www.crescentcityfarmersmarket.com/

For Los Angeles County:

http://www.lacfb.org/markets.html

The most famous is probably the one in downtown Santa Monica. One of the very best in the country, Wednesdays and Saturdays year-round. Right now the asparagus, artichokes and strawberries are gorgeous.

You asked about what makes a farmer's market tick. The good ones here in California bring together discerning customers and the freshest-possible local produce and foodstuffs available-- often harvested the night before. At 9 AM, you'll find sous-chefs from the top-end restaurants in the area shopping for that evening's specials. By lunchtime, everyone's there-- executives from surrounding office buildings, bodybuilders looking for organic salad fixings, leaflet distributers (Jews for Jesus are a fixture at the Santa Monica market), eccentric hippies, tourists wishing they had one of these in their town all year round, etc., etc., etc. Everyone goes there. And the surrounding restaurants, shops, etc. love the bump in foot traffic they get these days.

We have fish and seafood trucks, cheese, olives, herbs, decorative plants, flowers, knife sharpeners, food kiosks (Border Grill runs one once a month), bakeries, etc.

Given we have a high percentage of days with good weather, our farmer's markets are pleasant places to go year-round. They're outside and you get to walk around in the sun, taking in the produce and the people. It's just really cool. I have the SM Farmer's Market during the week and two markets near my house in Long Beach on the weekends (one in our east Marina), so I can't imagine living somewhere without year-round farmer's markets.

San Luis Obispo has the best in this area of central California. Every Thursday night the downtown streets are blocked off, stores are open extended hours and the freshest produce, flowers and food is sold.

A real treat for tourists and locals alike.

We go fairly regularly and our kids enjoy the musicians and the "dancing in the streets."

Thanks everybody! I have some homework to do now. My city (Rochester NY) has a farmer's market that is very popular, but has some major deficiencies. I have this idea that instead of spending economic development money on some of the stupid things they plan (they are currently getting ready to spend a fortune to build an underground bus station and an underground museum/shopping area - that in a city which has way too much stuff above ground boarded up!) they should build on things that are already working. Thanks again for your ideas. Now I'll try to get them put together and presented.