BLVD Market reinvents ECB with fresh eats

Once infamous for its streetwalkers and illegal street car races, El Cajon Boulevard is further reinventing itself by debuting San Diego’s first popup outdoor prepared foods market. The BLVD Market will be held every third Friday at the recently remodeled Boulevard Center on Utah and ECB.

“From what I understand, the property owner uncovered some crummy ‘80s exterior and revived its midcentury streamline façade,” says Beryl Forman, marketing manager for the El Cajon Boulevard Business Improvement Association. “He branded the building based on our iconic Boulevard sign and has worked diligently on attracting local businesses to the space.”

The L-shaped strip mall is now home to Heart & Trotter whole-animal butchery, Pop Physique fitness center, Bluxom Salon, a juice shop, and an unannounced restaurant. Cafe Madeline from South Park will be opening a second location across the street from the Center. The parking lot just received a new “pavements to parks” mural painted by SDSU art students to accompany benches and planters installed by students at High Tech High.

Forman says it’s all an example of placemaking, or the creative use of landscaping and urban design to attract people to the Center while showcasing the potential for the re-imagination of small strip malls, which are ubiquitous on the historic Boulevard.

The prepared-foods-only concept was inspired by the success of Shmorgasburg in Brooklyn and coincides with the advent of ECB’s new bus rapid transit system.

The BLVD Market premieres on Friday, October 17 from 6 to 10 p.m. and features 11 vendors including Tribute Pizza, Spanglish Eats, Barn Brew (a brewery coming soon to ECB), and Anthem Vegan.