Imagine the best food in New York City conveniently in one place. It seems too good to be true, but it can be found at Smorgasburg– the seasonal, open air, food market in Brooklyn. I have seen the mouth-watering pictures all over Instagram, so I knew this was an essential stop when I learned I would be spending my summer in NYC. If you ever find yourself in New York, check out Smorgasburg– but not without these essential tips.
1. Get there early
Smorgasburg is from 11am-6pm and just gets busier as the day goes on. In order to avoid waiting in lines, I recommend going right at 11am. Another benefit of going earlier– more time to eat.
2. Bring Cash
A lot of the venders are cash only so I recommend bringing lots of cash. There are ATMs there, but that means another line so maybe hit the ATM en route and you will be ready to eat right when you arrive.
3. Don't Forget a Water Bottle
Between standing in the sun and (most likely) lots of salty food, you will be needing some water. There are water stations, but again, that's another line. Bring a water bottle to make sure you can stay hydrated without the wait.
#SpoonTip: Sunscreen also is a good idea.
4. Do a lap first
Smorgasburg is packed with instagramable and mouthwatering food, but if you just dive right in, you might be too full by the time you reach what you wanted to try. I suggest doing a quick lap when you first arrive and make a mental (or physical) list of the places you want to make sure to go to.
5. Bring a friend to share with
The best way to try as many foods as possible? Bring someone to share with. This way, you can try twice as many foods.
6. Get your Camera ready
All the food at Smorgasburg looks just as good as it tastes so get your phone ready. You wont have to worry about trying to be subtle about snapping that pic because it's what everyone else is doing. Nothing like a mouthwatering pics to make your friends super jealous.
7. Make a Day of it
If you're going from Manhattan to Brooklyn it can sometimes feel like a trek. If you're over in Brooklyn, you might as well make a day of it. A personal favorite of mine is Dream Machine but you can also just spend your day walking around (helping digest all that food) and exploring all that Brooklyn has to offer.
8. Enjoy :)
Most importantly, enjoy! I was lucky enough to enjoy Smorgasburg with beautiful weather, great friends and of course, delicious food.
After three hours of delicious food and amazing pictures I left Smorgasburg full, sunburned and well equipped for my next trip there. If you are in New York for a short trip, the summer or even if you are from the city, I would recommend Smorgasburg to anyone with taste buds.
Where to find Smorgasburg
Every Saturday (April-October): East River State Park, Williamsburg
Every Sunday (April-October): Prospect Park- Breeze Hill