4 Reasons To Check ‘La Puente Live’
A review of a local night market
Barranca’s Fruit prepares a pineapple yogurt for its customers earlier this year, before the market moved.
There are many great night markets in Southern California but the new and improved “La Puente Live” is especially worth checking out.
The night market recently moved to a new location at Stimson Avenue and Central Avenue — next to city hall, the city library and a county building. It’s a major improvement. Here are four reasons to check the market out.
It’s not as crowded as some other markets. At many markets, folks are crammed like sardines. Even in its old location, people attending “La Puente Live” had trouble getting to the end of the walkway. Trying to get across the walkway was a nightmare; It felt as if you were waiting at an intersection. With the new location, the walkway is extremely spacious and makes it easier to spot people, along with vendors.
There are plenty of options for food and other products. There are now about 150 spots available for vendors and there are some new vendors selling products such as gourmet popcorn, pastries, snow cones and clothes.
The music and seating options are excellent. Unlike at other markets and even the former La Puente market, folks attending no longer have to wait in long lines to sit at a table to eat their food. Several food vendors were able to double the amount of tables in their area for customers. At the new La Puente market, live music area has its own area. When entering the market through Central Avenue, you’ll see that the music area is now at the corner of the market, which not only reduces space, but gives it a cleaner look. Previously, the live music area was in the middle of the market, which caused a lot of traffic. The new location provides a clear distinction between where the vendors are located and the area with music and seating.
There is close, free parking. Although many attendees walk to the market, there are still a handful of people who drive in. Since the market is now right next to the library, people are able to park in the lot. The distance from the lot to the market is short and people do not have to deal with crossing busy streets.
The night market is held Fridays from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Community News reporters are enrolled in JOUR 3910 – University Times. They produce stories about under-covered neighborhoods and small cities on the Eastside and South Los Angeles. Please email feedback, corrections and story tips to [email protected].
