The Big Apple hypnotizes every traveler who visits it and, in some way, captivates everyone who walks through its streets, almost as if forcing them to return as many times as necessary to finish falling in love. Markets, for their part, create a kind of loop where the most diverse authenticity is noticed and one as a traveler can feel like a true New Yorker. Outdoors, roofed, to visit in the winter, during a hot summer afternoon, seasonally, during the weekends and in each of the neighborhoods that make up the magnificent city of New York, there are markets that reflect the most characteristic of each of them.
In this post we will list 15 of the must-see markets in New York, developed at different times of the year so that, regardless of the month you visit the city, you can enjoy some of them.
Which New York market to visit?
When we talk about markets, we can be talking about endless varieties: food, antiques, handicrafts, used products, mass-produced products and those that have the art of haggling. The Big Apple demonstrates all its diversity, free from prejudice and as varied as it alone, also through its wide range of markets that emerge year after year.
Of course, all New York markets are regulated and have their own space in which to develop and, depending on the neighborhood in which they are located and the sector where they are located, they may appear in different parts of the year, providing “something else to do” for busy tourists.
Knowing which markets in New York to visit can be a long and even stressful task, since its variety is so wide that, as travelers (really travelers) surely no one wants to miss any. The best recommendation is to investigate, depending on what time of year the city is visited, which market develops first in Manhattan (the district of New York that is definitely going to be visited) and then to As the New York neighborhoods to be visited are decided, discover which markets are available in each of them.
Now, without further ado, let’s find out which are the 15 best markets in New York (best? Most visited).
1. Chelsea Market
And if we are talking about New York markets, then we must start, without a doubt, with the best market in the whole city: Chelsea Market, located, as its name says, in the Chelsea neighborhood.
Chelsea Market is a great market to visit during the winter in New York (although, to tell the truth, throughout the year) since it is covered, so it is heated when it is cold and conditioned when it is heat (which in New York, everything is extreme).
With underground streets and super instagrammable decorations, Chelsea Market becomes one of the markets in New York, ideal for eating, buying authentic souvenirs and enjoying New York good taste.
- Fun fact: it is located in what used to be a former cookie factory of the Nabisco company, the brand that makes Oreo, Chips Ahoy and Ritz cookies.
2. Artists and Fleas
If someone searches the internet for the Artists and Fleas marketplace, several little red dots will surely appear on a map. And, surely, in a Hollywood movie, more than one will have heard of a “flea market”, places where you can buy used items at very low prices. Well, in New York there are hundreds and, joining the list of the best markets in New York, many of them are also combined with products created by artists such as works of art, even clothing.
Some of the most recommended Artists and Fleas are in the Chelsea, Soho and Williamsburg neighborhoods, in other words, the most bohemian and hipster neighborhoods in the entire city.
3. Canal Street Market
One of the must-see places to visit in the city is its fantastic Chinatown, or New York’s Chinatown, a neighborhood literally populated by descendants of the Chinese community in the United States or even the immigrants themselves who arrived from the country Asian looking for new opportunities.
In addition to restaurants and shops, Chinatown has its own New York market, known as Canal Street Market, a place where you can buy “what you didn’t think you needed” and practice the beautiful bargaining to “negotiate” the price with the seller.
4. Mad.Sq.Eats
Can you imagine a market where you can taste the most famous dishes from the most famous restaurants in New York ? Only twice a year, next to Madison Square, this curious market takes place where you can taste what you want, buy at one of the take-away stalls and enjoy an afternoon of spring in New York (or maybe during the coloring autumn in the city).
- The market is located during the months of May and June and September and October.
5. Smorgasburg, Prospect Park
Surely whoever has investigated what to do in Brooklyn you may have heard about its urban park: Prospect Park and on a summer Sunday in the city, visiting the Smorgasburg market is a great alternative. Like Mad.Sq.Eats, this market specializes in food and different types of stalls where you can buy and enjoy it by having a picnic in the city’s giant park.
- Travel fact: there is also a Smorgasburg in Williamsburg, one of the best things to do in this neighborhood on Saturdays (starting in April).
6. Queens Night Market
Surely Joey at Friends has made us wonder about this New York neighborhood and, one of the best things what to do in Queens (during the summer) is visit one of the most original markets in New York: Queens Night Market which, as its name suggests, opens from afternoon to midnight.
Es una gran opción que cenar en Nueva York, degustando platos de distintas partes del mundo, comprando artesanías y disfrutando de los músicos callejeros que se presentan en sus alrededores.
7. LIC Flea and Food
Flea and Food se traduce como “pulgas y comidas” pero no te preocupes, no hay insectos en los puestos de comida… sino que hablamos de uno de los mejores mercados al aire libre que visitar en Nueva York, donde se combinan platillos, cervezas artesanales, artesanías y hasta objetos retro que se pueden comprar.
- The best: it is located near the Gantry Plaza State Park, one of the best places to photograph the Manhattan skyline from Queens.
8. Nolita Market
Strolling around the Nolita Market is a great alternative to do during Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays almost all year round in New York (being an open-air market, it is closed during the winter ). In addition to the classic shops and restaurants, in Nolita Market you will find street artists demonstrating their skills, especially on the sidewalks.
Did you know that Nolita is the acronym for North of Little Italy? Another of the great neighborhoods to visit in New York.
9. Farmers Market Union Square
The Farmers Markets are markets for producers of fruits and vegetables, ideal places to shop if you are staying in self-catering accommodation such as apartments or hostels to take advantage of low prices and high quality. Several neighborhoods in New York have Farmers Market but Union Square is definitely one of the most visited.
At Farmers Market Union Square you can buy fruits, vegetables, cheeses and meats, breads, sweets and even plants.
10. Gansevoort Market
Do you remember Chelsea Market? Well, in the same visit it is advisable to walk a few more meters to visit its “younger brother”: Gansevoort Market. This New York market has food stalls where you can taste “something of each nationality”, much quieter and smaller than the Chelsea Market but with a super pleasant atmosphere where you can have lunch.
- Travel tip: right on the corner is the Starbucks Reserve Roastery, a place much more luxurious than the typical chain of coffee shops, where in its 3 floors decorated in wood and copper, you can taste different varieties of coffee and even cocktails.
11. DeKalb Market Hall
They tell you one of the hidden gems of Brooklyn because few travelers know about it. It is a super curious place to visit for lunch (since it closes at 9 pm) made up of different restaurants all decorated with neon lights that recreate an extremely curious, different and clear atmosphere, super instagrameable.
It is located on the avenue of the same name, in Brookyln, and is accessible by subway from Manhattan, using lines B, D, Q and R, with drop off at the station, Guess?, DeKalb Avenue.
12. Grand Central Market
If we talk about emblematic buildings to visit in New York (and super moviegoers), then the famous Grand Central Station is one of those places that you have to visit.
Here, in addition to photographing its famous clock, it is advisable to visit the Grand Central Market, a market with good food, aromas and colors where you can taste and buy whatever you can think of, in a different and mega New York environment.
13. Grand Bazaar
Of course we are not talking about Grand Bazaar of Istanbul (although if there is an opportunity, it is a great destination to visit) but we are talking about a famous market of New York what to visit during the summer : the Grand Bazaar. Its main peculiarity is that it is located in the courtyard of a school (with its own entrance, of course) and the proceeds from the rents of the stalls are donated to the city’s schools. Products such as handicrafts, clothing, jewelry and bijouterie are sold in the market.
- Traveler information: on their website, they inform the hours and special dates (open only on Sundays).
14. Little Spain Market
In New York one can find, literally, “everything” and with the multiculturalism that characterizes the city, how could there not be a market honoring delicious Spanish gastronomy.
This is where Little Spain is located, a large covered market where you can taste paellas, tapas and sangrías every day between 11 in the morning and 9 at night.
15. Fulton Stall Market
Located in Lower Manhattan and seeking donations to help growers and farmers, the Fulton Stall Market is a great place to buy fresh produce, collaborate with the cause and buy the best quality meats, fruits and vegetables. The atmosphere is super nice and different to visit, especially when visiting southern Manhattan where, moreover, can be visited both inside and outside, during the summer months.
What market to know? Where to eat? What to do in…? They are all questions with the same answer: the markets of New York, those that take us to visit the most authentic corners of a wonderful city.
