UN Plaza Farmer's Market

One of the pleasures of working in the Tenderloin is Wednesday's Farmer's Market in the United Nations Plaza. With the backdrop of San Francisco's splendidly restored City Hall, you can stroll through and find just about any possible kind of fruit or vegetable from violet eggplants to brilliant red chiles and tomatoes. The colors alone are worth the visit.

There are often musicians playing in the BART station below so you hear the music floating up - one week, it will be the plaintive voice of the diminutive Mexican guitarist in his ten gallon hat; another week, the tuneless scraping of the homeless guy who "plays" a violin without music or, apparently, talent but with a concentrated verve and a secret inner smile that never fades. I have enjoyed everything from classical cornet to gospel hymns to the banjo player who, when I dropped a little money in his open case, changed seamlessly from his original tune to "You are my sunshine" to send me up the escalator with a smile on my face.

The fresh fish, tamale and rotisserie chicken booths always have a long line but the longest of all is one that I have to admit to carefully avoiding - the live chicken truck. Listening to the worried mutterings of the hens inside hurts my heart, even though I know that what comes from the Roli Roti truck was like that just hours before. The shining eyes of the iced fish don't affect me in the same way - I guess I'm just a wimp for warm-blooded animals.

So, on Wednesdays when I emerge from the BART station into the lively bustle of the market, I buy a cup of coffee from the ladies in the coffee booth on the Market Street side and walk away from the chicken truck toward the spectacle of the City Hall, admiring the colorful beauty of the fresh produce and flowers.