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Culture and Art and... Food?

It's not the first time I've been to the West Side Market. I was here three years ago on a field trip, and the experience was admittedly hazy at best. I only remembered the noises of downtown Cleveland, chilly autumn winds, and well-worn beige brick walls. I had a general impression of the place, but it never left a lasting imprint on my memory. This time, the visit is different.

Out of the three locations we've chosen, I'm looking forward to the West Side Market the least. I wasn't totally convinced by the idea that cuisines can also be a valid part of our project about art and architecture, but out of pure curiosity, I decided to give it a try.

My first thought when entering one of the many side doors is that, wow, this place is smaller than I expected. But after walking between the tightly packed stalls for several minutes, I realized that the building is large enough to be divided into three sections, and it was only the busy visuals that obscured its real size. 

Unlike my previous field trip, this time around, I was well-prepared before and was aiming to observe intentionally with our final project in mind. The West Side Market was the third of three public spaces designed for shopping aside from Broadway Market and Central market. Its construction finished in 1912, the West Side Market was the only one standing now. The entire structure reminds me of a train station with its domed ceilings and columns sectioning the open space inside, and it was indeed a train station in some way, carrying passengers through time and centuries. The brick walls are still how I remembered them, maple red fading into dull oranges, each line carving its story and history. And despite how cramped it is on the ground, the market never felt suffocating. Maybe it's the windows high up providing natural light, or maybe it's the brilliantly designed ceiling, making the place a smaller universe shielded from the outside world.

The vendors are different than how I remembered them. They were only foggy impressions of colors and sound from my previous visit, so I paid special attention to each stand this time. The diversity of the kinds of foods that were being sold surprised me - there were authentic Mexican tamales, Asian spices, Cambodian Chicken Pad Thai, and every sort of Ravioli you can think of. People share their culture in special cuisines in this place that holds 100 years of Cleveland history, all descendants of immigrants. It's truly a beautiful thing, among this conglomeration of people that are more than just fleeting beings inhabiting the city, coming together in the form of a gigantic communion. 

We went to the second-floor balcony afterward. From a bird's-eye view, I can see the vendors, the lights, and the shoppers, all gently swirling around in this train station of the time. We are all passengers on this invisible train, forever moving forward. But sometimes it's nice to let it slow down and make a temporary stop in the present - to just experience the atmosphere, the food, and the people around us, and not worry about what the next destination may bring.

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