Explore LA: Smorgasburg
By Sophia Pei ‘22
Every Sunday there is a food festival with hundreds of vendors hosted in Downtown LA and New York City. Smorgasburg in LA is hosted from 10AM to 4PM at 777 S Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90021. This is the perfect place for open-minded people willing to try LA’s signature food fusions as well as a great place to just browse the latest food trends and enjoy aesthetic lifestyle stands (after all, admissions is free!). This Sunday, some friends and I decided to explore. Here are some highlights and breakdown on the biggest open-air food market in America.
First Impression
It’s definitely in an interesting neighborhood. Smorgasburg is nestled in the center of bunch of storehouses with surprisingly upscale boutiques on the first level. Don’t expect a bustling promenade. The food, while delicious and unique, was definitely overpriced. It also operates in the some of the warmest hours and all the concrete definitely doesn’t help.
Navigation
If you’re driving, keep in mind, this is pretty much in the heart of DTLA. Be prepared to sit in a car for 30 minutes, even if you’re only commuting 5 miles. There are a bunch of parking structures near Smorgsburg but to my knowledge, the only free structure is at 6368 Hollywood Blvd Los Angeles. You can park here for 2 hours for free, any day — but be warned: it will be super busy on Sundays when the Smorgsburg takes place and you may not find a spot.
From USC, it’s a very easy metro and bus ride away. You simply would take the Metro Expo line down to 7th Street Metro Center (the end of the line) and take the 60 down to 7th and Alameda. It takes half an hour which is the same amount of time you’d spend driving — plus you save money on gas, are more eco-friendly, and don’t have to worry about finding parking.
Alternatively, you can also call a Lyft/Uber (ranges from $5-$20). Being the attraction that it is, Smorgasburg has its own rideshare pickup/drop-off location.
Food!
Smorgasburg has a huge array of food for any palette. Being situated in LA, it’s only expected that a large majority of the food vendors showcase their unique fusion foods.
Love animals or want to be sustainable? There’s a ton of vegan options!
Free samples for exciting new products
Not food
Smorgasburg features many lifestyle boutiques. Overpriced? Yes. Aesthetic? Very. From cute succulents to handmade soaps to jewelry to books, this is a great place to find LA-specific gifts and souvenirs.
There’s also a bunch of cute props and photo-taking opportunities around the parking lot that has been taken over for the sake of the food festival.
Favorites
Solid Coffee?
*Highly recommend trying the lavender flavored Pocket Latte* Pro tip: take advantage of their buy one get one 40% off deal!
Interesting icecream!
Perfect treat especially with the hot LA weather.
Want to find more unique icecream in LA? Check out my post on my favorite places!
Final Thoughts
Definitely a fun visit and great food. I would probably go before noon in the future in hopes of catching slightly cooler weather and shorter lines.
Want more from Trojans 360?
Visit Trojans 360 on Facebook & Twitter to stay up to date with more student content!
You can also Ask A Trojan an anonymous question, and we’ll try to answer it in a future post!
And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!
Trojans 360 is USC’s official student-run blog. Content created by students, for students.
