The Grove is a commercial and entertainment complex in Los Angeles, located in a part of the historic Farmers Market. The fully outdoor and street-level complex occupies the space that used to house an orchard and a nursery, the last remnants of a dairy farm owned by A. F. Gilmore in the late 19th century. Developers began demolishing an antique alley and other old buildings on Third Street behind the CBS Television City, laying the first stone of the new shopping center in 1999. There was some controversy – when ‘The Grove’ opened in 2002, there was some controversy about the potential increase in traffic in a bustling neighborhood of Los Angeles that already offered several other shopping venues, like the Beverly Center.
The history behind the development of A.F. Gilmore’s property that eventually became The Grove was not without controversy. In 1984, A.F. Gilmore and the nearby CBS Television City hired Olympia & York California Equities Corp. to explore the possibility of creating a large business and entertainment complex that would have been twice the size of Universal City but would have required the demolition of all existing structures in both the Farmers Market and CBS. That plan was not well-received by the City of Los Angeles or its neighbors, and the plan was later shelved. Two years later, A.F. Gilmore and CBS hired Urban Investment & Development Co. from Chicago to create another development plan. Thus, in 1989, A.F. Gilmore announced that they would build a $300 million shopping center adjacent to the current Farmers Market, and the new project would be managed by JMB/Urban Development from Chicago.
A.F. Gilmore announced in 1998 a new large-scale plan with Caruso Affiliated as the new development partner for a new proposal that eventually became The Grove at Farmers Market, a $100 million project on 25 acres. Nordstrom signed in 2001 to build a 122,000-square-foot store. In early 2001, toy retailer FAO Schwarz also signed for 25,000 square feet along with Banana Republic, Gap, Barnes & Noble, J. Crew, Italian restaurant Maggiano’s, and a 14-screen cinema complex to be the initial stores for the new project. After many delays, the shopping center finally opened in March 2002.
The 53,400 sq m outdoor market is located in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles. The initial architectural design was done by David Williams of Caruso Affiliated Holdings and KMD Architects from San Francisco. Caruso Affiliated claims to have modeled its architectural designs on buildings native to Los Angeles, influenced by classical historic districts, with commercial alleys, wide plazas, and private courtyards. The design features a series of faux Art Deco facades, with square interiors similar to those found in other contemporary stores.
The Grove has a large central park with a lively fountain designed by the company WET. The water choreography is reminiscent of the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas, also designed by WET but on a much smaller scale.
Fountains at ‘The Grove’
The property also has a statue, The Spirit of Los Angeles. Live shows are often held there, in the lawn area next to the fountains. An internal transit system uses electric trams to connect The Grove and the Farmers Market, which is right next door.
The flagship stores at The Grove are Nordstrom, the bookstore Barnes & Noble, Apple, and Nike. Other stores in the center include Michael Kors, Gap, MAC Cosmetics, Barneys New York, Zara, and American Girl Place.
The many restaurants at The Grove include chains like Maggiano’s Little Italy and The Cheesecake Factory, as well as smaller local restaurants like Wood Ranch BBQ and Grill, 189 by Dominique Ansel, The Whisper Lounge, and La Piazza. The adjacent Original Farmers Market features numerous independent restaurants that have been there for decades. The main entertainment venue is a spectacular 14-screen cinema complex owned by Pacific Theatres.
It’s also worth enjoying the popular Christmas Tree at The Grove, which is displayed starting mid-November and lights up every night, beginning with the annual tree-lighting ceremony. The tree stays lit every night throughout the Christmas season. Standing at a height of 30 meters, it is one of the tallest Christmas trees in the Los Angeles area. In recent years, The Grove also transforms into a “winter wonderland” where artificial snow falls every evening at 7 and 8 pm, until Christmas Eve.
Since November 2015, The Grove has also served as the celebration venue for the season finale of the TV show ‘Dancing with the Stars‘.
