By Barry Divola
Foodies flock to Smorgasburg.Credit: Alamy
SMORGASBURG
The New York Times called it the Woodstock of eating. Every Saturday on the Williamsburg waterfront (and Sundays in Brooklyn Bridge Park) you can wander around and graze on the produce of almost 100 food artisans, munching away as you gaze at the Manhattan skyline across the East River. Most of the vendors specialise in making one thing really well, whether its fried anchovies (Bon Chovie), brisket (Mighty Quinn's), doughnuts (Dough) or icy poles (People's Pops). Get there early or you'll be at the end of a long queue for the popular ramen burger, two compressed noodle buns around a juicy meat patty. This year's food fad is cheese, from the freshly pulled, pesto-infused mozzarella balls of Big Mozz to the beer-battered cheese curds of Curd's the Word. See smorgasburg.com
BROOKLYN FLEA
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Held in a schoolyard amid the leafy streets and brownstones of the Fort Greene neighbourhood, this flea market has been around since 2008. Brooklyn arts-and-crafters sell T-shirts, prints, jewellery and clothing, while you'll also find everything vintage, from furniture to knick-knacks, vinyl records and bicycles. One of my favourite stalls is dAN's Parents' House, run by a guy who appears to have cleared out his mum and dad's basement of every childhood toy he ever owned – dolls, badges, swapcards, TV show memorabilia and more. There are a couple of dozen food stalls at one end of the market, so you can sit on the concrete bleachers, have lunch and people-watch, before diving back into the serious business of shopping. See brooklynflea.com
CHELSEA MARKET
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Taking up an entire city block right by the High Line in the Meatpacking District is this enclosed urban food hall. Chelsea Market retained the weathered steel girders, corrugated-iron roof and exposed piping of this former biscuit factory and transformed it into an inviting place that attracts 6 million visitors a year, who sample gourmet fare of every variety. On my most recent visit I inhaled homemade chicken and vegetable soup from Hale & Hearty, a crusty roll from Amy's Breads, three types of gourmet mini-doughnuts from the Doughnuttery and the best flat white this side of Surry Hills from Ninth Street Espresso. Then I started thinking about dinner. From seafood (Lobster Place) to pies (Tuck Shop) to "Japanese-inspired Mexican" (Takumi Taco), every taste is covered under one industrial-chic roof. See chelseamarket.com
UNION SQUARE GREENMARKET
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It's like a European village square in the middle of Manhattan. Every Monday. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, local farmers, fishermen, butchers, cheese-makers and bakers sell their produce around the perimeter of Union Square. An estimated 60,000 people a day amble from stall to stall, chatting with the producers and sampling what they have to offer. You'll find everyone from home cooks to four-star chefs here, seeking out the best ingredients for their next culinary masterpiece. School groups mill around learning about seasonal produce, sustainable farming and shopping locally and thinking globally, and there are often free cooking demonstrations for the public. See grownyc.org/greenmarket/manhattan-union-square-m
ANNEX MARKETS' CHELSEA FLEA MARKET
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For $1, you get your pick of 130 vendors of antiques and collectables. Set in a car park next to the Cathedral of St Sava in West 25th Street, the Annex features many of the stall-holders from the late, lamented Chelsea Antiques Garage market, which closed in 2014. It's a packed maze of jewellery, furniture, art, pottery, bric-a-brac, records and vintage clothing. The loud opinions and heated haggling are almost as entertaining as what's on offer on all those tables, as New Yorkers pick through the trash to find the treasure to decorate their tiny apartments or add to their coveted collections. A sister Annex market is up on West 39th Street in Hell's Kitchen. Both are open on Saturday and Sunday. See annexmarkets.com/chelsea-flea-market
ROCK N' SHOP
Credit: Barry Divola
Well, what would you expect from a flea market dreamt up by a Brooklyn indie rock band and art collective called the Bushwick Hotel? They call it an "alternative mall". Debuting last year at The Paper Box, one of Bushwick's hippest music venues, Rock n' Shop is true to name. You can check out cool bands playing on the venue's stage each weekend, while flicking through crates of vinyl records and browsing through locally made jewellery, clothing, crafts and art works from 40 different vendors. Neighbourhood pop-up food stalls serve burritos, pizza, coffee and other gourmet delights. And, hey, it's Brooklyn, so it caters to the hipsters. At what other market could you get your beard trimmed and get a tattoo? See rocknshop.nyc
The writer was a guest of United Airlines, McCarren Hotel & Pool, Dream Midtown and NU Hotel.
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