Strolling to the market

Last weekend, I walked down to the Italian Market via South Street. Most people think of this street as it is on the eastern end of it--an alternative, edgy bordering on scuzzy, street lined with bars. But the middle section of the street seems to be in transition. There are cute cafes and boarded up houses, ethnic restaurants and outsider art. The art scene--and an agent of that transition--on the street is dominated by an abandoned lot that has been turned into a bricolage of ceramics, glass, iron, and mirrors. I use the word "bricolage" here because it's how the artist, Isaiah Zagar, positions himself; he got the idea to do this sort of art when he saw similar work sharing walls at MoMA with Picasso and Gaudi.

Zagar began transforming empty lots and walls with his inventive work in the late 1960s, when South Street was slated to be ripped out to build an expressway. After that idea was scrapped and the real estate became more valuable, Zagar had to launch a campaign to save his grandest creation, the magic garden (the site refers to gardens, but there's one main garden, which is where my photos are from). It was closed when I walked by, but this creation is an entire three-dimensional wonderland of his mosaic work. His work is scattered through-out the neighborhood, and while it may not end up in a museum, it definitely causes people to stop, look, and marvel--as all great art should.

It was a nicer walk than I expected down to the market, and the first task there was to get lunch. I had an unbelievable panini at Di Bruno brothers and split a risotto ball (arancini) with Anne (the pic is her artistry; check out her photos).

We were so full it we passed by a gelato cart and continued shopping. We found a great pasta factory where we both bought ravioli and fresh-cut pasta. And then, for a finale, we discovered Isgro's pastries. It was pretty tough deciding between the cookies, tarts, cupcakes, and other pastries, but we both settled on cannoli. It's usually not my favorite, but this was good enough to make me want to go back for more.