Blame cheesy ramen burgers and renegade barbecue lines: State officials are poised to renew Smorgasburg’s weekend place in the East River State Park for another year, but some locals have reportedly had enough of the artisanal food market taking over the public park every weekend. Some residents expressed displeasure at the prospect of Eric Demby and Jonathan Butler’s market at a Friends of East River State Park meeting on Tuesday, citing crowds, noise, and litter, according to the Real Deal. “All we are saying is scale it back a little,” said one neighbor. “People are getting tired of all this.” Demby and Butler say they pay for cleanup along Kent Avenue out of pocket, however, and others argued that Smorgasburg’s economic might enables Park officials to add other kinds of programming. But not everyone wants jerky and ramen al fresco, all weekend long. “We do want to allow the park to be a park some of the time,” said state assemblyman Joseph Lentol. [The Real Deal, Related]
