For years, when talking about global night markets, the implicit reference was Asia: models like those of Bangkok, Taipei or Singapore, capable of combining street food, tourism and culture. New York, while being one of the most international cities in the world, has remained a little more on the edge, complicit in regulatory limits, high costs and a less rooted tradition of accessible street food. The new classification published in 2026 by Travelbag, however, introduces an element of discontinuity: the Queens Night Market enters the top ten night markets in the world, placing itself in seventh place and becoming one of the only two representatives of the United States.
The ranking – built on indicators such as night security, volume of online searches, presence on social and user reviews – places the Queens market next to more famous realities, such as the Chatuchak Weekend Market, the Ningxia Night Market and the Bugis Street Market. The data partly explains the result: about 74,000 monthly searches, over 1,800 content on TikTok and an average rating of 4.6 stars, which adds a relatively high safety index for urban standards. The comparison is significant, also because the New York market exceeds market rankings with much more experience in the United States as the 626 Night Market, historically considered the main American reference.
Founded in 2015 by John Wang as a community initiative, the Queens Night Market is mainly distinguished by the structure: every Saturday, between 75 and 100 stalls represent over 90 countries: momo tibetani, pupusas salvadoregne or suya nigeriano live in a relatively compact space, but the most important element is the roof at prices, since most products do not exceed $6, with exceptions limited to $10 sellers.
According to the organizers, more than 350 small businesses have passed from the market as the first point of access to the public: in many cases they are immigrant families or homeless cooks, who use the market as tests for products and format. The Queens Night Market also works as an incubator, where the opening costs of a restaurant are a significant barrier.
The 2026 season marks a new phase, with the market reopening in mid-April in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park with two initial weekends with limited and paid admission (5 dollars), to contain the turnout that can reach the 20,000 attendances in the peak evenings. From 2 May the entrance returns free of charge, anticipating the opening time at 4 pm to better distribute flows.
L’articolo Back to the Queens Night Market, this year among the top ten markets in the world proviene da IlNewyorkese.