Best Big Crowds Lately

Summertime is a great time to find yourself in a crowd. Here are three crowds I was in recently.

Crowd #1: Smorgasburg

A few weeks ago I went to Smorgasburg for the first time and boy, was it crowded! 

Crowds, for me, always equal getting separated from my friends.

Everywhere you look at Smorgasburg there's another stand selling some particular ethnic or specialty food, almost always with a punny name (like I saw a place called "Bon Chovie" that was like a rock n roll anchovie sandwich stand) Or rhymey (as seen below. I had the Persian nachos, they were delicious. Next time I'll try Siamese.):

Trust the guy with California tattooed on his face to make your taco.

Fancy Williamsburg living.

Waterfront and poor framing.

I found my people standing in line for the famous Ramen Burger. There are two big lines at Smorgasburg: for the Ramen Burger and for Mighty Quinn's BBQ.

Lyndi shared fries to help us get through the wait. I stood and waited in that line with everyone for fun because I knew I wasn't going to get a Ramen Burger. Has never appealed to me, not even on a curiosity level. I don't know why it gets treated like the Cronut of burgers. 

Although Sara Beth and others assured me I was foolish in my stance.

Crowd #2: Big Apple Barbecue Block Party

And then a week or two after that I went by myself to have a look at the famous Big Apple BBQ, this even where dozens of barbecue places from around the country come to Madison Square Park to sell their slow cooked meats.

I got there in the middle of the afternoon when each establishment had an outrageous line, so I mostly just looked at pork being pulled and ribs being grilled.

And pitmasters being interviewed.

See? Crowds.

See? Ribs?

Have you seen those new mobile planters Fiat invented?

Crowd #3: Beirut at the Northside Festival

And then two Saturdays ago I went over to Williamsburg to see Beirut perform at the Northside Festival. I'm not positive what the Northside festival is, except it seems to have been happening on the north side of Williamsburg for a few years and there was a fake lawn up and down Bedford, with art and performers on it.

Something you could say to other people in Brooklyn that afternoon was "Did you see the finger guy?" Because they would answer "Yeah! I saw the finger guy!"

I went to the show with Rachel and Alpha. At first there was not a crowd. 

Except for a little one at the TGIFridays food truck. Because it was giving away food.

But by the time the openers Rat King started it was looking crowded. 

And once it was time for Beirut it was full-on crowded.

The band played their gypsy music from dusk 

To dark

And then it was back on the streets with us and the Williamsburg crowds (here looking a little dispersed).