Sunday at the Brentwood Farmers Market, with three kids and one plan
The Brentwood Farmers Market runs every Sunday morning on Gretna Green Way, just south of San Vicente, from 9 to 2. We have gone almost every week since we moved back. It is the one errand my kids volunteer for, which tells you something about either the strawberries or the kettle corn.
The plan
Get there before 10. By 10:30 the stroller traffic on the main aisle moves at the speed of a grocery line, and the good peaches are gone. Park on the side streets north of San Vicente and walk over; the lot fills early and the walk is part of the morning anyway.
Each kid gets a small amount of cash and one job. One is in charge of fruit, one of flowers, one of bread. It sounds precious. It is actually crowd control. A child with a job walks with purpose; a child without one stands in front of the honey stand asking questions.
We do one lap before buying anything. Prices and quality vary stall to stall, and the kids have learned to compare. I did not plan that lesson, but I will take it.
What we actually buy
Stone fruit from June through September, citrus and avocados most of the year, strawberries whenever they look right, eggs, a loaf of something, and flowers for the kitchen table because a house with fresh flowers in it is a house people want to be in. That last one is a real estate habit I have never been able to turn off.
There is coffee at the market, and there is a second coffee afterward at Caffe Luxxe on San Vicente if the morning has earned it.
Why I bring clients here
If you are thinking about buying in Brentwood and you want to understand the neighborhood in one hour, this is the hour. You will see the mix of people who live here, how far they walked or drove to get here, and what a Sunday looks like when nobody is performing for a listing photo. I have met clients at the market more than once, and I have watched more than one couple decide on a neighborhood between the tomato stand and the flower stand.
The rules we have learned the hard way
- Bring a bag per kid. Shared bags end in negotiation.
- Samples are not lunch, though my kids will argue the point.
- Flowers go in the stroller cup holder, stems down, or they do not survive the walk to the car.
- Check the market's own site for holiday schedules before you go. Hours do change.
Questions about a street, a house or a number? Text or call me at 310.498.1415, or email cwgrazianorealty@gmail.com.
Christina Woodward Graziano is a California real estate licensee (DRE #02072713) with Keller Williams Beverly Hills, 439 N. Canon Drive, Penthouse, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Each Keller Williams office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. This post is general information from one agent, not legal, tax, insurance or financial advice; talk to your own professionals before you act on it. Business mentions are personal opinion. Nobody paid to be in this post.