Brownstoner to Launch Weekly Flea Market Next Spring
Back in the mid-90s, we were completely addicted to the 26th Street flea markets in Manhattan. As they were gradually displaced, lot by lot, by the high-rises that now line Sixth Avenue in Chelsea, one of the most interesting slices of city life died. Now, Manhattan is too expensive and, frankly, soulless to recreate anything…
Back in the mid-90s, we were completely addicted to the 26th Street flea markets in Manhattan. As they were gradually displaced, lot by lot, by the high-rises that now line Sixth Avenue in Chelsea, one of the most interesting slices of city life died. Now, Manhattan is too expensive and, frankly, soulless to recreate anything like that. Brooklyn, in contrast, is the ideal place, in our opinion, to nurture such a scene. With no disrespect meant to the flea market on 7th Avenue in Park Slope, however, there’s certainly nothing currently in the borough that comes close to what 26th Street used to be in either scale or vibrancy. So we’re going to try to create it.
With the great help of Council Member Tish James, we’ve worked out an arrangement with the head of the Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Fort Greene to use its gigantic schoolyard on Sundays starting next spring to host a weekly flea market. (We’re talking about 40,000 square feet of space—check out the photo on the jump.) The lot itself is located on Lafayette Avenue between Clermont and Vanderbilt, walking distance from Boerum Hill, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights and Bed Stuy and just a short bike ride away from Williamsburg, Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights. (Sorry if we left your ‘hood out, but you get the idea.) We also like the fact that it’s just a block up from the flourishing restaurant scene on Dekalb, making for a nice destination outing for folks from farther afield.
Although the flea market won’t open until early April, we’ve set up a web site at BrooklynFlea.com where vendors can indicate preliminary interest (update: the registration is working now) and anyone can send in questions and comments. We’ve got plenty of time to plan things, so we’re hoping for lots of reader input. One thing we’re considering, for example, is having some kind of local and organic food court in addition to the antiques, vintage watch and vinyl record dealers. So let us know what you’d like to see by emailing us at flea@brownstoner.com—and please pass this along to anyone you know who might be a potential vendor. We’ve got booths of all shapes and sizes to accommodate everything from the person who knits hats as a hobby to a large architectural salvage dealer.
Thanks and look forward to your input.
Mr. B
Dear Mr. Brownstoner,
I am seller of tube socks. I have great interest in renting booth for flea market. Where to can I apply?
Sincerely,
Yuri
I got kicked off the registration site too. Mr.B, please check. It lets you fill out the registration, but when you submit, there is a long error message.
This flea market will be worthless once AY is built.
Love the idea. LOVE IT. I’m looking forward to opening day!
-The Changeling
Yeah, more artwork, just what the world needs.
Flea markets used to be places where you could get the odd, the old, and sometimes, the valuable. I think this is a wonderful idea, and I hope it’s a rousing success.
I agree with Brenda – no tube socks, or any other vendors selling cheap junk such as cell phone holders, sunglasses, generic tee shirts and bootleg cd’s and dvd’s. That stuff is available anywhere. Many of the late, lamented craft shows in the city used to be juried – a vendor would have to submit photos and descriptions of their wares in order to be accepted. That would be much harder with salvage and tchockes, but it will only be successful if there is quality, variety, and a wide price range.
Also a couple of bathrooms.
Would be great! BTW, most of the Manhattan outdoor flea markets HAVE been displaced by the building of residential towers on the former parking lots in the high 20s. Same thing happened to the one in Soho. Although there still is one in Hells Kitchen and the schoolyard on the UWS. I suppose you could argue about the “soulless” comment, but the reality is that there is very little space left for this kind of thing in Manhattan.
I hope you get some interesting artwork from the students at Pratt who are so close by!
Oh, so you mean French colonial-vibe.