Hot & Crusty bakery on 70th & Broadway. Every evening before they closed, they would put out giant contractors'

bags full of discarded baked goods that they hadn't sold that day. It was hilarious to watch all the UWS dowagers in

their fur coats along with the UWS's many filthy bums wait for those bags and then fight, elbow to elbow for all the

day's stale bread. In reality, it would have been hilarious if it weren't so pathetic.

He's lived on a diet made up almost entirely of trash for nine years, hesays, and when he doesn't forage near his home in Hackensack, N.J., thetrash of New York City provides him with more edible food than he can carryhome.Like Weissman, Alexis Cole, a 28-year-old jazz singer from Manhattan, railsagainst what she calls an unjust capitalist society gone mad with greed atthe expense of the environment and other humans less fortunate thanprosperous Americans. "This culture makes me sick," she says.Dressed in a white top and blue cords - all recovered - Cole, who says sheis writing a cookbook called "The Decadent Dumpster," rides her bike tochoice grocery store garbage bins several times a week. On each trip she cancount on filling the two baskets on her 21-speed with bags of lettuce andspinach, bread, bananas, apples, kale, bagels and packaged goods. It's morethan enough for her and her two roommates, who, according to Cole, "havenever eaten so well."Tonight the freegans start at Garden of Eden, a Village health food store,where they find two whole fresh salmon in the trash outside, before headingwest. They visit Century Market, Gristede's, Lifethyme and other food storesalong the way, if the trash looks promising."After I started doing this I gained, like, 60 pounds," Weissman says. Nowhe's more careful about what he eats and bypasses the trash outside Dunkin'Donuts for the healthier bags filled with produce outside Gristede's.He's not worried about the safety of the food; he says stores throw outgoods long before they've gone bad. "When you throw out food from yourrefrigerator, it's at the point where it's gross," Weissman explains."That's not the case with stores."Glynn St. Juste, a manager at a Greenwich Village Gristede's, says thestore throws out only food that is no longer edible. But during one tour,the freegans find still-usable wrapped cheese sticks, sealed cottage cheese,bread, croissants and even peach cobbler outside the supermarket. (Theyargue that food is usually still edible on, or just after, the printedexpiration date.)John Phillips of Manhattan, an 18-year-old freegan, says none of hisfreegan friends have gotten sick from eating food from trash. The onlyhealth problem he says is overindulgence. "People go crazy because they finda 50-pound bag of doughnuts," he says. "Restraint is a problem."

Not all freegans are strict vegans, but most are vegetarian. Freeganmeat-eaters say that as long as an animal is being killed, it's better touse the meat than let it go to waste.Dr. Ruth Kava, director of nutrition at the New York-based American Councilon Science and Health, calls the movement "fascinating" but says it raisesconcerns. If food has been "sitting in a pool of sauce ... anything could beon it," she says. "The quality might be compromised to a point where itcould pose a risk."Brian Halweil, a senior food and agriculture researcher with theWashington, D.C.- based environmental research institute Worldwatch, knowsabout food waste. "It's astonishing how much food at restaurants andsupermarkets is wasted," he says, "often because the food doesn't lookright."Halweil says he's not surprised freeganism is catching on as people becomemore aware of food production. America's obesity problem is a common story;"Fast Food Nation" was a bestseller, and the documentary "Super Size Me" wasa box office hit. "All over the country we're finding people are rebellingagainst mass- produced food," he says.Even so, there's no central freegan organization, and no statistics areavailable on how many people have adopted the practice. Freegans tend tohear about one another through word of mouth, often meeting at environmentalactivist gatherings. (Weissman has started a Web site, Freegan.info.)Some freegans have reasons for feeding themselves from trash that are morepractical than ethical. During one tour, outside the gourmet food store Dean& Deluca on Broadway, Sue Nowaczyk, a home health aide who earns about $650a month, finds wrapped sandwiches that sell for about $6 each. For her,finding free food is a necessity. "It's economical," she says. "I've justgotta be careful about the meat, because it could spoil."Free for the takingWendy Scher, a 25-year-old videographer and musician fromBedford-Stuyvesant, says she gets nearly all of the food she consumes fromtrash. "I don't have to buy food to get food," she says, as she rummagesthrough a bag full of sloppy pizza pies outside of Due Amici, an EastVillage pizza restaurant. "I'd rather take it than waste my money paying forexactly the same stuff I can get right here."The freegan movement is not limited to New York. Luna Tic, the name bywhich he's known in the freegan world, is a 27-year-old entomology studentat Seattle Central Community College and a member of Food Not Bombs, anorganization that feeds people with food that otherwise would be wasted. Hesays one day of "Dumpstering" can yield enough food to feed the six peoplehe lives with for a week. "There's mountains of perfectly good food outthere," he says.The best spots are garbage bins outside upscale grocery stores and fruitstands. His freegan loot includes more than food. Luna Tic recentlyconverted his car to run on the cooking oil discarded by restaurants; he

collects it from vats outside Chinese restaurants. He says he gets 12 milesto the gallon and recently drove from Salem, Ore., to Seattle burningnothing but recovered vegetable oil.

http://gridskipper.com/archives/entries/061/61214.php

good locations

Dumpster diving

Legality

As with most of the US, any dumpstering done from actual dumpsters or bins is considered trespassing

and is thus illegal. The same goes for anything taken from a parking lot or garage/loading dock. In New

York, however, most trash is put out in bags on the sidewalk. It is therefore considered abandoned

property and can be legally taken, under the condition that one is not being a nuisance in doing so, by

making a mess, for instance. It is considered proper etiquette to untie bags, and retie them when finished,

instead of ripping them open.

Places

A complete list of suitable locations is available at Freegan.info, under directories. Map available here.

Manhattan

In Manhattan you can do some great dumpster diving.

The New York freegans keep a pretty up to date dumpster directory on their site-- see [1]for Manhattan.

Upper East Side:

The "Food Emporium" of 83rd Street and 3rd Avenue. You should be there between 21:00 and 22:00.

Gristedes , one at 89th and Lex and one at 86th and 2nd, great anytime after 21:00. You can find

nice bread, lots of fruits and veggies, guaka has found stuff such as olive oil, humus and chocolate

nacho chips.

On 3rd Avenue there are three grocery stores - two "D'Agostinos" and a "Gristedes" - between 25th Street

and 37th Street, which all put out their trash around 9PM. The "Food Emporium" at the corner of 6th Ave

and 12th Street puts out at 11PM every night. The manager has been known to take it back inside if he

sees people dumpstering, however, an employee once warned Timmy Tofu that some of the trash may

have been purposely tampered with.

Another great supermarket selling a high quality of natural and organic products is "Whole Foods Market"

(see their website here). In Lower East Side it can be found on 95 E Houston St corner of 2nd Ave. You

can find many vegetables and fruits over there. The dumpsters are just around the corner at Cherystie

Steet. They take out the trash at around 16:00 everyday. The employees are very friendly and would not

disturb you as you find your treasures.

Typical NYC trash finds.

Not so far from there at "BabyCakes" (http://www.babycakesnyc.com/) 248 Broome Street (Btwn Orchard

& Ludlow) you can find tasty cakes and sweets. BabyCakes offers all natural, organic and delicious

alternatives free from the common allergens: wheat, gluten, dairy, casein andeggs. Their cakes don't

contain white sugar or toxic chemical sweeteners. At Sunday around 18:00 they put out the cakes in back

plastic bags right out side the door.

Plenty of bread in divers forms like ciabatta, whole wheat multigrain bread and baguette can be found in

big amounts at "Aubonpain" (http://www.aubonpain.com/) at 10 Union Square E. On Sunday around

17:00 they through out bread and pastries left over from the weekend in big amounts which can last for

the whole week. When you bring it home put it in the fridge and when you feel like having a sandwich

simply put some water on the bread and put it in the oven. It comes out crispy and tasty.

You can catch a Starbuck's employee taking out their trash around when they are closing, and they will

have a bag separate from the normal trash filled with their sandwiches and wraps. It's a good thing to

pass around to all the people that you see living on the street as well, if you get more than you need for

the night or week depending on how you do your diving. Depending on how health conscious you are,

their stuff is relatively healthy.

Brooklyn

The New York freegans keep a pretty up to date dumpster directory on their site, although not as

extensive for Brooklyn as for Manhattan. Click here for site's info on Brooklyn.

Known actual spots

Check out Sunac at 440 Union Ave. (Last checked: ?)

Key Foods on Prospect Ave Between 10th Ave and 11th Ave. Try around 11pm, dumpster in the back

- easy to reach into. Best nights seems to be Monday, Wednesday, Friday. (Last checked: July 2011)

Trader Joe's (located on the corner of Court and Atlantic) regularly takes out their dumpsters at 11pm

every night, give the workers time to take out the first two dumpsters before rushing to go through the

trash. There are often many divers at this location. (Last checked: ?)

add more?

You can definitely find nice random stuff in the street. guaka found a nice skateboard (in 2006).

http://freegan.info/freegan-directories/dumpster-directory/manhattan/

Hell’s Kitchen

Bread Factory9th Avenue and 43rd StPies and pizza slices, unwrapped, messy. 10:20pm was too early for this place. (updated Jan. 2010)

International Grocery543 9th Ave, at 40th StreetWorth checking if you’re blowing through the Port Authority bus terminal. We found Kabul brand flatbread and some produce, but not a lot. We didn’t find anything of note here on a Monday night. (updated Jan. 2010)

Nice & Natural673 9th Ave, between 46th and 47th StreetsWe found lots of packaged vegan prepared foods. At 10:30pm on a Monday night, we found nothing here. (updated Jan. 2010)

Stiles Market41st Street between 9th and 10th Aves.This is a semi-open-air produce market. The night we went their dumpster didn’t yield a lot of usable produce, but if you’re in the area it’s worth a look.(updated Jan. 2010)

Chelsea

Guy and Gallard29th Street at 7th AveDumpster on 29th Street sideBagels, bread, salads, fruit salads, sandwiches, prepared gourmet meal thingees, fresh squeezed juice, yogurt and granola, etc. Kind of have to really reach in the bags to find good stuff sometimes, but there’s lots of it.

Flower market28th Street between 6th and 7th AvenuesStores throughout the block.The stores all close by 6pm; regulars check early, but there are still flowers and plants for all until late at night.

CVS750 6th Ave at 25th stOn the same block is a Starbucks, on 24th and 6th ave.

A reader told us in October 2011 that both stores throw out massive bags of sandwiches and salads, about 1x per week.Gristedesseveral locations:- 8th Avenue and 26th Street; recessed dumpster is on 26th between 8th and 9th Avenues.- 9th Avenue between 23rd and 24th Streets- “Megastore”, west side of 8th Avenue between 21st and 22nd StreetsA New York City megawaster is up to its usual tricks in Chelsea. The usual assortment of produce, dairy and eggs, bread and prepared foods. On the night freegan.info scouted, all locations had usable food, although at the “Megastore” and 26th Street dumpster it was in messy condition. At the 9th Avenue location a worker said we “couldn’t go through the garbage” (but we did anyway and found produce and boxes of cereal).

Murray’s Bagels249 8th Avenue between 22nd and 23rd StreetsClean bagels, no muss no fuss.

Garden of Eden162 West 23rd StreetYupscale NYC based chain that specializes in produce, prepared foods and luxury products.

Krispy CremeW 23rd Street between 7th and 8th AvenuesDonuts, of course.

Duane Reade8th Ave. between 16th and 17th StreetsThis new store was reported to us in March 2010 as as having “TONS of fabulous food… Gourmet salads, breads, sandwiches and much much more. It’s all packaged, sealed and with today’s expiration date. It’s a brand new store that few people know about yet so there’s a TON of food to go around.” We were there in Aug 2011 and yes, there was some stuff but don’t expect miracles.

Le Pain Quotidien7th Ave. between 17th and 18th Streets; also, 52 9th Avenue between 14th and 15th Streets.Huge rounds of crusty whole grain sourdough bread that stay moist inside for many days after being tossed. Even on days when the whole loaves aren’t there, you’ll find quarter and half loaves. Also some baguettes, croissants, muffins. In July 2011 at the 9th Ave location I found what looked like an unbaked round but turned out to be an entire chocolate mousse cake.Sometimes the stuff at these stores is in bags that had been held for City Harvest– folks

there confirm that if their bags are on the sidewalk with the trash, which they shouldn’t be of course, then City Harvest is definitely NOT picking up the food.

Manhattan Fruit ExchangeSouth side of 16th Street between 9th and 10th Aves. Not for the shy, or for big groups. You need to climb onto the loading dock and root through big dumpsters, but the quantity and quality at this wholesaler make it worthwhile. Workers there are pretty friendly and tolerant, but huge trucks are coming in and out; if you are in the way you will be asked to leave.

Western BeefNorth side of West 16th Street between 9th and 10th ave.A reader wrote us, “I got 6 bags of perfectly good rotisserie chicken and friend chicken in the trash.” We were there in Aug 2011 and found some stuff, mainly dairy and veggies. Messy, in mid-size dumpsters.

AssociatedNorth side of 14th Street between 7th and 8th Aves.Produce and more.

Profiting from the success of the farmers market (which collaborates with City Harvest to find homes for the farm-fresh produce), upscale chains are moving in.

Whole FoodsBack of store: north side of 13th St between University and BroadwayA sneaky one and has sometimes been hostile to dumpster divers, although lately (winter 2011) workers have been sympathetic, even if offering warnings about the unsanitary state of the bins. Their stuff is in compost-type bins just inside the always open loading bays. Worth checking during the day (10am on); bins seem to be emptied in early evening. Mainly it’s fruits and vegetables, sometimes in remarkable quantity and excellent condition; they also dump flowers and bread in these bins.

Trader Joe’sSouth side of 14th Street between 3rd and 4th AvenuesAt its best/worst,  there are mountains of citrus, nut butters, tofu products, dairy, cookies and cereals in perfect condition, cases of prepared foods with one container damaged, dozens of not even “expired” eggs, loads of meats. It’s easiest to wait until after 10 pm, when they roll their mini dumpsters to the curb and employees tend not to hassle dumpster divers. (Although this spot is so well known, please play nice!) It’s possible to do a quick dive at almost any time that one of the containers is on the sidewalk– worth checking in the daytime if you’re in the area. Lately (winter 2012) folks have been reporting finding a lot less stuff. We hope that means more is being donated. There’s also a shift in worker attitude– lately even people foraging in containers next to the building have been told, “you know, I’m supposed to tell you not to do this…”

West Village

Bagelry14th Street and 7th AvePuts out more bagels than Bagel Bob’s, and sometimes Krispy Kreme donuts or salads as well

Food Emporium6th Ave below 12thupscale supermarket chainLatest check (winter 2012) finds this place wasting plenty of produce and other goods, with stuff available– even fairly picked over — by 11pm. Very popular, because of its former hyper-wastefulness, but still seldom gets completely cleaned out, especially if you dig deep in the miscellaneous bags.

Lifethyme Natural Market6th Ave between 8th and 9thLarge health food storeCloses at 10. Not the most wasteful in the neighborhood, but still, they toss some decent stuff.  Their  black bags sometimes yield packs of nuts, vegan baked goods, dried fruit, small amounts of produce, lots of patches of cut live wheatgrass. For the intrepid, dig into the hot food bags– they empty loads of cooked organic food every night, all mixed together in big messy bags. They used to let folks take the hot food before they dumped it, but no more, sad to say.

Citarella6th Ave between 9th and 10thConspicuous upscale marketFor years it was impossible to find the trash. Lately (spring 2012) they’re putting out mountains of plastic bags, like their less chichi competitors. Found gorgeous greens, clean and in bags by themselves, plus assorted produce in mixed mess. There were also lots of stripped fish carcasses– stew for the intrepid pescovore.

GristedesBarrow between 7th Avenue and W. 4th Street.The trash is around the corner from the market itself, next to a parking garage, across from One if By Land (fancy restaurant) and west of the trash for the apartment building. Lotsa stuff, not often seriously dived.

GristedesBank St west of Hudson.Trash also around the corner from the market. The usual Gristedes assortment.

Le Pain Quotidien8th St just west of 5th AveHuge rounds of crusty whole grain sourdough bread, stays moist inside for many days after being tossed. Even on days when the whole loaves aren’t there, you’ll find quarter and half loaves. Also some baguettes and occasionally sweets– muffins, croissants, scones, pain chocolat.

Integral Yoga13th Street between 7th and 8th Avenuessmall health food store; no produce.

Temple in the Village3rd St. east of Thompson, below Washington Sq. Parkvegan restaurantWhole bag of stir-fried Asian food after 10 every night

Jamaican Flavors3rd St. and Sullivan, below Washington Sq. ParkCaribbean restaurantEvery day, throws out a bag of nothing but beans and rice, and another bag of meat and veggie rotis (pouches)

Peanut Butter and Co.3rd St. and Sullivan, below Washington Sq. ParkPeanut butter and banana sandwiches, whole grain bread, celery and carrot sticks, cups of peanut butter

produce market (large, I forget the name)Carmine at Varick St.Several cartons of very good produce

D’Agostino’s, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods — freegans’ most popular dumpster diving sites — donate edible food to agencies that prepare it for the poor, according to their spokespeople. But freegans and food experts say a large amount of edible food still gets thrown away. Smaller businesses don’t always have agreements with food banks, they say, or they have not taken time to donate.

“We have found canned goods, completely wrapped pastas,” said Nelson, who recently salvaged piles of parsley, lettuce, onions and a potted plant from a Whole Foods’ garbage.

Upper East Side

In our experience, the goods get fancier and fresher as you go south.

Dunkin DonutsE 92nd & LexE 86th St near 1st AveReliable source of high-fat, low nutrition calories.

Key Food2nd Avenue and 92nd Street, in the Rupert Towers buildingOn our first foray, we found only some shrink-wrapped produce, plus local street people hanging out seemed hungry. If folks find more another time, please email us.Eli’s Vinegar Factory91st between 1st and YorkIn the past we’ve found this store continuously throwing away recycling dumpsters full of bread every day. At 11pm on Jan 2, 2012, we found nothing.

Patak’s (Gourmet Deli)Madison Avenue between 89th and 90th StreetsLots of black bags, but comparatively little good food. Some pre-made sandwiches and bread.

GristedesLexington Avenue and 89th StreetDairy and eggs galore, a little not-so-great quality produce.

C Town1st Ave between 88th and 89th StAccessible supermarket food (produce, dairy, etc), athough on 1/2/12 we found very little that was useable.

Elm Health & Pharmacy1st Ave at 88th StDeserves more checking; let us know what you find. On a trailblaze in 2011 we found a huge amount of organic packaged goods– but we could have stumbled upon a once-a-quarter shelf emptying. When we came back in early 2012, there was loads of yogurt, including soy and almond milk varieties, but every container had had a hole cut in it and the bags were a complete mess.

Food Emporium87th St near 2nd AvenuePossibly date driven, but we found absurdly abundant quantities of food, from the usual produce and bread to significant amounts of meat and dairy (including undamaged milk and cream), and some packaged goods and flowers. Mostly in bins and on plastic-wrapped pallets on the side of the store (87th St).

Bagel Bob’sYork between 86 and 87Like all Bagel Bob’s, no shortage of bagels of all varieties. Alex was thankful there were no onion bagels stinking up the bag.

Tal Bagels1st Ave near E 86th StHere you will find…bagels!

GristedesE 86th St near 1st Ave, across street from the Dunkin D’sUsual supermarket assortment of average quality produce, packaged goods, dairy, baked goods. On Jan 2, 2012, nothing– possibly because it was a legal (Monday) holiday.

Eli’s3rd Avenue between 80th and 81st Sts.Most of their trash goes through a compactor, but on our first dive we found about five bags of uncompacted food including yogurt, almonds and butter.

Associated1st Avenue between 81st and 82nd Sts.Produce, bread and more.

Gristedes2nd Avenue between 75th & 76thHuge piles of bags on blindingly lit stretch of 2nd Avenue– not for the shy. Similar to what’s found at Gristedes in other parts of town, including produce, bread, dairy and more.

Food Emporium1st Avenue at 71stWe’ve checked this one twice recently (Nov 2010). First time, produce (some of which packaged), some past-date staples. It was on a high trolley that we unpacked and needed to re-pack. Second time, Cindy’s comments: “INSANE amounts of trash – 4 or 5 of those small dumpsters, all piled over head-high.  Tons of bread, still frozen foods, sweets, produce, and more, and I only got through one or two dumpsters.”

Grace’s Market71st and 3rd Avenue: (north east corner)This is a large gourmet supermarket where in the past we’ve found lots of stuff. Most recently (Nov 2010), nothing– but we may have been too late.

Walgreen2nd Ave and 70th St

Our group has found loads of stuff on 2 recent occasions (autumn 2010). Everything from halloween costumes to sodas and bottled water to a surprising amount of deli-type packaged food, as well as some produce.

Gourmet Garage301 E 64th Street between 1st and 2nd AveAt other locations in the city, this retailer has been locking its dumpsters or has “disappeared” them from the street. However, as of April 2010 we have reports that good food is accessible in the morning. A contributor writes: “I pass at 8:00am on weekdays. Two days in a row there has been a clear bag with rolls/bread, and varying packages of ready made salads (some with chicken added, etc).  The expiration date is of the day before.” This is a “mini” Gourmet Garbage; in several passes in 2012, Freegan.info members haven’t found anything in the evening, although morning may still be fine.

Midtown West

Morton Williams917 9th Avenue, between 58th and 59th StreetsProduce, bagels, bread, sweets, packaged goods, clean packaged sandwiches. (updated October 2012).

Morton Williams58th Street just east of Broadway (store entrance is on 57th, but the trash is on 58th)On the messy side, but on a pretty quiet street, so a good place for the shy. In October 2012 we found a bunch of produce and bread, some dairy products and a whole heap of cookies.

Dunkin Donuts54th and 10th AvenueMay vary. In October 2012, no donuts were out, but there was a lot of pumpkin donut mix.

Gristedes8th Avenue and 54th StreetLots  of produce, bread, eggs, and packaged goods here. In the past employees got a bit angry with us, but didn’t try to stop us. (Updated October 2012)

Pick a Bagel53 and 8thcroissants and bagels. Updated October 2012.

Duane Reade53rd and 8th

This chain is becoming one of NYC’s bigger wasters. Here’s a report for this location from October 2012:“One of the largest curbside piles of usable goods I have ever seen! You could have opened up a pop-up store with the finds here! (no exaggeration) bagful of gum!   bagful of cookies, snacks (Pirate’s booty stuff), cans of baked beans, mac and cheese, cologne, chocolate (Hersheys), soap, some pills (prenatal, still not expired!), hair care products, baby care products (soaps, lotions), scar-away (ideal for c-section), many other drugstore-type things…I can’t imagine this was a typical night… I can’t even guess why so much was tossed that night… at least a couple of other passers-by took some.  wild!”

Food EmporiumDumpsters are on 49th Street just east of 8th AvenueLoads of stuff. We found veggies, tofu, bread, dairy, nuts and seeds. It’s a bit overwhelming here, as there is a lot of stuff. (updated Jan. 2010)

Dunkin Donuts9th Avenue between 48th and 49thTypical DD fare! (updated Jan. 2010)

Hale and Hearty Soup42nd between 5th and 6thBread, salads.

Pret A MangerLots of locations, including:135 W.50th Street between 50th and 7th Av.42nd Street between 5th and 6th Aves (north side of Street)As of September 2009, a former employee says they donate all their leftovers. Experienced divers know many stores make this claim; however, the pickings have been slim for a while.

Pax42nd Street between 7th and 8th.Wrap sandwiches, pizza, baked goods.Fairly narrow time window‚ stuff goes out late and is picked up by 1:30 AM or so.

Pax40th Street and 6th AvenueBagels, rolls, variety of other stuff. Less consistent than other Pax stores.

Midtown ComicsW. 40th Street at 7th AvenueComics books, magazines, paperback novels, comic book protective bags and boards.

Check the black bags and the sealed cardboard boxes. With the store to your back (entrance on 40th St, NOT 7th Ave), you will see a street sign right in front of you. Everything to the immediate right of the sign pole is Midtown Comics trash. Everything to the left is their neighbors.

PaxBroadway between W 35th and W 36th StreetsLOTS of really expensive sandwiches, esp. wraps. Muffins, bagels. Very popular, so sometimes stuff is gone by the time you get there.

Hale and Hearty Soup35th and 7th AvenueEntire bag of cut romaine lettuce, prepacked mixed salads in plastic sealed bowls. Soup veggies and beans sometimes.

Midtown East

D’Agostino1st Avenue and 56thBread and good produce in large quantities; recent dives (2011/12) we found plenty of produce plus pies, eggs, soy protein things. Previous finds include fancy items like organic drink mix and olive oil. There are regular neighborhood divers so please share.

Dunkin Donuts1st Avenue and 56thThe normal DD stuff; bags are on 1st Ave side by city trash can.

Cosi56th St between Madison & ParkWe found focaccia bread and fresh unbaked dough, but kind of a “2nd choice” location.

Tal Bagels1st Ave near 54th StVery fresh bagels, not mixed with trash.

Walgreens2nd Ave between 52 and 53Mixed results in the evening– sometimes lots of household goods, packaged sandwiches, salads, canned goods, etc., sometimes nothing.

D’Agostino1st Ave & 53rdMassive amounts of produce in a several mini-dumpsters on the sidewalk.

Food Emporium969 2nd Ave at 51st StWe haven’t been there yet– probably fine!

Pain Quotidien937 Second Avenue  at 50th StHuge rounds of crusty whole grain sourdough bread that stay moist inside for many days after being tossed. Even on days when the whole loaves aren’t there, you’ll find quarter and half loaves and/or sliced bread. Also some baguettes, croissants, muffins. See their store listings and let us know what you find at other locations.Associated2nd Avenue between 48th and 49th.A contributor wrote in Jan 2011: “Every week night around 10:30 the trash hits the curb (clear bags, no dumpsters!).  The garbage truck comes around 11:00. Fresh bagels, rolls, cranberries, grapes, lettuce, tomatoes, apples, bananas, corn….wow!  In all the months I’ve been going there, nobody has joined me yet.  Oh come all ye’ faithful! Freekin’ Freegan Goldmine!”

Café Europa42nd Street between 5th and MadisonPizza, salads, sandwiches

Hell’s Kitchen

Bread Factory9th Avenue and 43rd StPies and pizza slices, unwrapped, messy. 10:20pm was too early for this place. (updated Jan. 2010)

International Grocery543 9th Ave, at 40th StreetWorth checking if you’re blowing through the Port Authority bus terminal. We found Kabul brand flatbread and some produce, but not a lot. We didn’t find anything of note here on a Monday night. (updated Jan. 2010)

Nice & Natural673 9th Ave, between 46th and 47th StreetsWe found lots of packaged vegan prepared foods. At 10:30pm on a Monday night, we found nothing here. (updated Jan. 2010)

Stiles Market41st Street between 9th and 10th Aves.This is a semi-open-air produce market. The night we went their dumpster didn’t yield a

lot of usable produce, but if you’re in the area it’s worth a look.(updated Jan. 2010)

Murray Hill/Kips Bay

As of late 2011 this area became something of a “dumpster desert”, with both D’Ag supermarkets switching to putting trash out in the morning. The Gristedes at 3rd & 32nd had already started locking up trash in the spring of ’11. There are still some resources in the area:

Zaro’s41st between Madison and Lex.Sent to our mailbox: “Friday evenings starting at 6:30 or so, bags and bags and BAGS of bread and bagels are put out. In addition, more bags of raw bread/bagel dough (shaped and portioned already) are also put out… take it home, pop it in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees, and voila – freshly baked breads (and really good!!). Doesn’t get much more freshly made than that. Haven’t tried other days and times – honestly, we get enough on one visit on Fridays that there’s no need to go back. And we take maybe 1/20th of what’s there, so there’s plenty to go around.”

Pain Quotidien40th, just a bit east of 6th Ave, across from Bryant ParkThrows out even on Saturdays (and also Sundays), starting early, around 7:00 or 7:30, with the usual delectable pastries and huge breads and good breadsticks and sliced bread too…. abundant!

Daniel’s Bagels569 3rd Avenue, between 37th & 38th StreetsWhat else? Bagels!

Dunkin Donuts567 3rd Avenue, right next to the bagel placeEnuff donuts to stuff a kop, plus they have…bagels!

Hotel Tuscany,  used to be the W39th St between Park and Lexingtongood for soaps and shampoos, not food

Courtyard Marriott40th St between 5th and Madisonalso for soaps and stuff, not food