Mountain View, one of the nation’s most diverse neighborhoods, has a long-standing image problem. But one Anchorage organization and a group of local vendors are trying to change that through a new farmers market.
A group of three young women are visiting the community for the first time, waiting for their friend to play music. They’ve stopped by a couple of places on the edge of the community, like PetCo and the Bass Pro Shop, but not much beyond.
Brooklyn Alvarado, Ashley Toolson, and Hannah Pryce all grew up in different parts of Anchorage. They all say they were told not to go to the area. Alvaro explains:
“My mom’s a police officer, so it’s kind of not a fair assessment,” Alvaro explains. She’s always heard “negative things [about Mountain View], I guess, because of my mom.”
But those who live in the community, like Umal Samatar, doesn’t see it that way. “It’s beautiful. And it’s not a bad area, as people think.”
She feels safe enough to send her three-year-old daughter to go buy ice cream by herself, across the path at the market. Samatar is trying to focus on the small booth were she’s selling shirts, soaps, and other items from her shop in Mountain View. She and her husband have lived and owned a business in the community for five years – and she loves it there.
That’s what the market organizers from the Anchorage Community Land Trust are hoping people will see – the beauty of the area, its rich foods, and its varied businesses.
Farmers Market Coordinator Caitlin Taylor says she knows they have hurdles to overcome. She used to hold the same negative ideas about the neighborhood.
“After working here for two summers, everything, every preconception you can have about this place is flipped on its head. It’s a place where families are trying to grow. It’s incredible diversity. It’s a wonderful place and I really encourage people to come and test out their preconceptions here.”
So has the market changed what the young women think?
“It’s been nice. It’s been unexpected,” says Alvaro, who grew up in South Anchorage. “I grew up with kind of a negative view, and it doesn’t seem so bad.”
But for her friend, Ashley Toolson from Eagle River, she still doesn’t feel safe there. When asked if she would feel comfortable walking around the streets, she was direct.
“No.”
The Mountain View Farmers Market runs from 3 to 7 pm every Thursday this summer. They’ll have 14 stalls this week including ice cream, hot food, crafts and produce.
Anne Hillman is the healthy communities editor at Alaska Public Media and a host of Hometown, Alaska. Reach her atahillman@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Annehere.
