The Brooklyn Flea 2011

Exterior view of the Brooklyn Flea Market in Williamsburg with a sea of tent and people shopping

The great Brooklyn Flea is now in full effect, all-weekend-every-weekend, Saturdays in Fort Greene, Sundays in Williamsburg, rain or shine, now through mid-November. And judging by our first two visits this season, on the Brooklyn Flea Market's first two weekends, even as it gets bigger, and more popular, it only gets better. 

 

A booth at The Brooklyn Flea Market with vintage toys, figurines, posters, clocks, trading cards pack on a table with shelves

The Brooklyn Flea market is an ingenious, increasingly-copied combination of excellent fresh food, both sweet and savory; antique and vintage and repurposed furniture, clothing, and collectibles of all description; and handmade jewelry, crafts and artworks from an impeccably-curated, rotating roster of local artisans. On any given week you'll find more than 100 different booths at the Brooklyn Flea, and, probably, just about that same amount of things you'll want to eat, or buy, or pick up and fantasize about or laugh over or admire, or chat about with your companion or, even more fun, chat about with one of the warm and welcoming artists or bakers or collectors selling their wares. 

A man with a beard inspects a vintage cowboy hat behind a stack of old suitcases and furniture at the Brooklyn Flea in Williamsburg

We've spent the past two sunny Saturdays wandering the booths of the Fort Greene Brooklyn Flea, and had such a great time doing all of the above. Here's a quick look at some of our favorite things…. 

 

A glass bowl filled with kettle corn on a table with hand packaged pickles, spices, and candies at the Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene

The friendly folks of Liddabit Sweets will be at the Brooklyn Flea all summer, with their usual array of not-to-missed treats such as Caramel Corn, Chocolate Doom bars, and, most spectacularly scrumptious, the Honeycomb Candy, covered in dark chocolate and tasting like a Crunchie from heaven. 

 

A young guy mans his booth full of unusual signs and lamps at the Brooklyn Flea Market

Among the many excellent vintage-y items at Brooklyn Cream's booth were these beautiful (in a rugged way) lamps made by Jon Tannen from old piping and plumbing. 

 

A young woman helps an onlooker at her silver jewelry booth at the Brooklyn Flea

Every time we see Jessica DeCarlo at one of these things we fall in love all over again. Seriously: Jessica's lovely organic designs–whether gold or silver; chunky or feather-light–hit all of our women's-jewelry sweet spots, all at once. Always a pleasure. 

 

A plate filled with a giant taco, meat, lettuce, salsa, sour cream with a fork stuck in it

If you want a full lunch rather than (or in addition to) sweets and snacks, the options are unbelievably good, from the likes of Asia Dog, The Good Fork, Mile End, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Pizza Moto, Porchetta, and, pictured, Calixto Huaraches. 

 

A table at the Brooklyn Flea filled with ceramic nestle bowl, simple round salt and pepper shakers, and geometric vases

Romi Hefetz was at the Brooklyn Flea selling her gorgeous ceramics. We loved everything on her table, but probably those geometric, mix-n-match salt and pepper shakers most of all.  

 

A Brooklyn Flea booth filled with hip t-shirt designs like pacman ghosts, smiling animals, and kissing bunnies

There are several first-rate t-shirt booths at the Brooklyn Flea, including the Brooklyn-centric offerings at Live Poultry (our favorite: the Kentile Floors billboard one) and the cute and fun designs (love the love bunnies) at Gnome Enterprises, pictured.

 

Close-up of a spicy chai sticky bun - looking gooey and delicious at the Brooklyn Flea

Scratch Bread had an incredible assortment of baked goods at their booth: some savory, some sweet, some a mixture of both, like this gooey, spicy Chai Sticky Bun. 

 

A table piled with bright, colorful prints ready to be framed at the Brooklyn Flea

New York City pop- / graffiti- artist Bobby Hill offers up a Brooklyn Flea table filled with insanely bright, insanely awesome prints, in three sizes, priced to move. 

 

A tray filled with cupcakes with frosting and maple bacon pieces on top

Kumquat Cupcakery, by far the best in an increasingly crowded field of New York City miniature cupcake bakers, was on hand with their usual array of inspired flavors, including a superb Coffee Caramel Bourbon and these crowd-pleasing Maple Bacon beauties.  

 

A metal cup filled with Dirt and Worms - the edible version at the Brooklyn Flea

At the Momofuku Milk Bar and Friends booth, it was a lovely and talented pair of said "friends" from Peanut Butter Jellified who gave us a sugar rush with their Chocolate Dirt-n-Worms. There were two other, perhaps slightly more sophisticated varieties wormy dirt as well, but what the heck, IT'S SPRING! Yes, those are gummis; yes it crazy sweet and delicious. 

  

The Brooklyn Flea Details 

The Brooklyn Flea is open every Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., rain or shine, from now through November 20. On Saturdays the Brooklyn Flea is located in Fort Greene, on Lafayette Street between Clermont and Vanderbilt Avenues, right near stops on the 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, B, Q, and G trains. On Sundays the Brooklyn Flea is located in Williamsburg, on North 6th Street between Kent Avenue and the East River, just a few blocks from the Bedford Avenue stop on the L train. For lots more information, including Brooklyn Flea vendor lists and maps, please see the Brooklyn Flea website.  

 

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