Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
The Post Discovers Freegans, Blames Brooklyn Hipsters
By
Garth Johnston
Published Oct 31, 2011
Modified Oct 31, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Garth Johnston
Published Oct 31, 2011
Modified Oct 31, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Freegans, those who find their sustenance in the food left in dumpsters by restaurants and grocery stores around the city, have been in the news regularly for years now—but don't tell that to the New York Post. The Murdoch tabloid today has a story on the "trend," which they blame on "Brooklyn hipsters." Can you believe that people use any means necessary to feed themselves in New York City during a time of record poverty and seemingly hopeless economic inequality? Oh look: a slideshow with Heidi Klum AND Amanda Kerr!
The freegans the Post finds live in Brooklyn (which isn't even news) don't really add much you didn't already know. For various reasons, grocery stores throw out a whole lot of packaged foods that are totally safe to eat—and some clever scavengers have gotten quite good at sniffing them out. After all, a saran-wrapped sandwich is a saran-wrapped sandwich. But amazingly, they aren't all writhing in the street, groaning from tapeworms. Can you imagine that "while the average New Yorker might shell out $7 for a large salad at Starbucks during the day, just hours later...a growing population of educated and working hipsters are getting the same, although leftover, salads for free."
Still, don't call them (all) freegans! "I’m not a freegan," the Post's guide to the city's dining underbelly tells them. "It’s just a really easy way to save money on groceries. All that money is going into my pocket, and I’m actually eating pretty well. This generation isn’t homeless, filthy or even impoverished—just thrifty with an iron stomach."
Anyway, if you want free food that doesn't come from a dumpster, just take the NYPD's friendly advice and head on down to Zuccotti Park!
Tagged
brooklyn
free food
freegan
freegans
Garth Johnston
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .