Brooklyn Flea is a company based in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York. Founded in 2008 by Jonathan Butler, creator of Brownstoner Magazine, and Eric Demby, the former communications director for Brooklyn Borough President

Marty Markowitz Martin Markowitz (born February 14, 1945) is an American politician who served as the borough president of Brooklyn, New York City. He was first elected in 2001 after serving 23 years as a New York State Senator. His third and final term ended ...

, Brooklyn Flea runs several of the largest

flea market A flea market (or swap meet) is a type of street market that provides space for vendors to sell previously owned (secondhand) goods. This type of market is often seasonal. However, in recent years there has been the development of 'formal' ...

s on the East Coast of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Description

Featuring hundreds of vendors of antique and repurposed furniture, vintage clothing, collectibles and antiques, the flea also offers new jewelry, art, crafts, and apparel by local artisans and designers, as well as local food. From early April until late November, the flea markets are located at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Fort Greene on Saturdays and at the Williamsburg waterfront on Sundays. During the winter months, the Flea moves indoors to a space in Industry City. Average daily attendance for each market is four to five thousand people. In July 2015, Smorgasburg Queens launched an outdoor lot and indoor building location with hours every Saturday in Long Island City. Brooklyn Flea also operates and curates the food and beverage concessions at Central Park SummerStage. In August 2015 an expansion to Breeze Hill in Prospect Park was announced.

Honors

In 2009, the Flea received a Certificate of Merit from the Municipal Art Society for making an “exceptional contribution to the life of New York City,” and for “providing an alternative to big-box retail that embodies a private sector spirit while yielding generous public benefits." In 2010, the Citizens Union honored the Flea with its Community Leadership Award for “creativity in building forums for exchange—both physical and virtual—that are strengthening New Yorkers’ spirit of community." In 2011, Brooklyn Flea opened "Smorgasburg," an all-food market on Saturdays at their Williamsburg waterfront location focusing on local and artisanal fare. Smorgasburg features around seventy vendors of locally produced food and cooking accessories. It is now also held in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Dumbo on Sundays. Although Brooklyn Flea food vendors change on a week to week basis, they often included approximately 20 recurring, longtime vendorsMonk's Meats, El Jefe's Nachoria, Bamboo Bites, Blue Marble, Lonestar Empire, Handsome Hank's, Cemitas El Tigre, Sunny Bang Private Label Probiotics Hot Sauce, Brooklyn Sesame, Dos Royale, Brooklyn Roasting Company, Takumi Taco, Dough, Sunday Gravy, Vaquero Elotes, Solber Pupusas, People's Pops, Milk Truck, Whimsy & Spice, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Porchetta, Brooklyn Soda Works, Asia Dog until March 2014. These regulars, who had been participants since the beginning in 2008, were purged from the Fort Greene market. Citing a "move back toward a more traditional flea market, with vintage/antiques, furniture and collectibles at its core," the vendors, who had been contractually restricted by Brooklyn Flea from participating in other markets, were notified less than three weeks before start of the 2014 season.

Gallery

File:Vendor display at Brooklyn Flea.jpg, Vendor display at the Brooklyn Flea in DUMBO archway File:Jewelry display at Brooklyn Flea.jpg, Jewelry display at Brooklyn Flea File:Screen printed wood at Brooklyn Flea.jpg, Screen printed designs on reclaimed barn wood File:Baseballs for sale at Brooklyn Flea.jpg, Baseball items for sale at Brooklyn Flea File:Thea Grant at Brooklyn Flea.jpg, Custom engraved jewelry for sale at Brooklyn Flea File:Vintage cameras for sale at Brooklyn Flea.jpg, Vintage cameras for sale at Brooklyn Flea File:Secondhand items for sale at Brooklyn Flea.jpg, Secondhand items for sale at Brooklyn Flea in DUMBO File:Brooklyn Flea Skylight One Hanson.jpg, The Brooklyn Flea at Skylight One Hanson. File:The Brooklyn Flea at Williamsburg.jpg, The Brooklyn Flea on the Williamsburg waterfront. File:Smorgasburg in Dumbo.jpg, Smorgasburg in on the Dumbo waterfront.

References

External links

{{commons category, Brooklyn Flea
Critique of management practices by vendor of several years

Best 130+ flea markets in America (USA)
Companies based in Brooklyn Flea markets