Brooklyn Flea

Just one winner again this week after Saturday's washout.

Emily (left) and Nick (right) are Fort Greene-Clinton Hillsters who made their first trek to the Bridge Flea on Sunday, and walked away lucky! They found the pretty triple-branch necklace at Birdhouse Jewelry, the stalwart weekend home of jewelry-making couple Amy (center) and Alen. Birdhouse is one of the Flea's most popular vendors, because their work is delicate, versatile, beautifully made, and spans an affordable price range. Plus, Amy and Alen are sweet as honey, and they love to chat. So go, gander, and gab. C7/Fort Greene, I-2/Bridge (literally) every week.

Check back at noon Friday for next weekend's items.

Summery, simple, Scavenge, that's this week's mantra. Now go forth and Hunt, paying no mind to this Danny fella!

When you find one of the items above, which can be hidden in any vendor booth, it's yours, absolutely free! Then we post your photo with the generous vendor here on the blog on Monday. Only one winner per calendar month. Items posted every Friday around Noon.

Happy hunting!

From left:

1. Lee Fifth Avenue hard-straw hat with sash on the brim, '30s/'40s. Vintage (Fort Greene/Saturday)

2. Triple branch necklace. New/handmade (Brooklyn Bridge/Sunday)

As usual, you could barely see into the booth of Flux Productions, what with all the shoppers copping their soft and stylish wares. But one emerged from the crowd, looking satisfied as hell, and I thought, he looks like a happy man. And what more do you want for your BFF than happiness? That, and maybe a Flux Productions T-shirt. Meet Tariq.

What do you do, Tariq?

I'm an artist.

What's your medium?

Music. Hip-hop. I also own a clothing store in Massachusetts called B.xclusive.

Is that where you're from?

Yeah, I have a house out there and also in Atlanta, Georgia. But I'm originally from Mass.

So, what are you doing in New York?

I have a music conference at Club Torch.

Are you going to wear your new shirt?

Nah, I'm going to save it for a later date. I love the material.

There you have it people. A man on the move. Thanks Tariq!

Last week Hideya Sagawa was our Vendor of the Week, this week he finds himself on the Times' coolest blog, The Moment. Fancy that.

Melissa Ventosa Martin highlights a few of Hide's (HEE-day) meticulous, chunky turquoise jewelry pieces on the blog, and gets in a little of his back story at What Goes Around Comes Around, where his longtime interest in vintage Western and Native American jewelry began, as well as his upcoming collaboration with Kenji Kawasaki of Amoskeag XX.

Hide is the nicest fella you'll ever meet; he sets up in V12 in Fort Greene and F-8 under the Bridge every week.

Fleasters are ubiquitous even in the blogosphere, where we came across Nathalie of People's Pops' ruminations on The Atlantic site about launching a small business, Flea-style, in the big city. A cool peek behind the scenes at one of our best-loved vendors, where it literally takes a lot of lemons to make lemonade--or organic lemon-basil shaved ice, as it were.

Nathalie's a real journo in her own right, but along with Joel and David they've taken the big leap into full-on popsicledom. If the lines at the Fleas (they do both markets weekly) and the volumes of press they keep getting are any indication, things are heating up, or cooling down--whatever's better for a popsicle basically. So read about the traffic jams, dry-ice mafioso, and leak-inducing potholes that go into that little frozen fruit pop--and then enjoy a "Crazy-Ass Sweet-Cream-Corn + Blackberry" or whatever else they concoct this weekend.

People's power!

Slow news week wha? Fleasters abound in media large and local alike in the last week, all of it well-earned as always. We're proud papas!

The Nightwood gals, Myriah and Nadia (above, left and right), are a Flea success story. They gave their new biz making minimalist craft furniture from reclaimed wood parts (like the cool dresser above) a go at Day One April 2008--they started with an 8x8, but have since moved up to a snazzy front 10x10--and haven't looked back since. (Nadia also makes awesome pillows like the geometric pattern on the chair in the photo, as well as the Zodiac signs.) This week they get a nice look from the Times Local/Fort Greene blog, which recaps their story thus far. We know the gals have big things in store from here on out--get a piece now and say you know 'em when. They're in B9 at Fort Greene right up front every other Saturday, including this week.

We're not sure anyone works harder than Dave (above, right) and his deservedly heralded Pizza Moto oven/booth. Dave is chef at Lunetta on Smith St. by day, then slaves over his hand-built brick oven every weekend, braving the 900-degree peak temperatures (as well as rain and cold) to serve you perfect pies. Pizza guru Adam Kuban of Serious Eats' Slice blog reviews the Moto 'za this week, and you can color him impressed. Dave's back by the Fort Greene bleachers and at the Bridge Flea every damn weekend without fail--thank goodness. (Also join Dave's Facebook group for amusing pre-Flea weekly missives.)

The hits keep comin' for the Brooklyn Brew Shop kids, with a full fawning-over in last week's NY Observer. Brew on!

We love the fashionista blogs, like My Dad's Happier Than Your Dad (?), which reveals the kind of obsessive shopper that keeps the Flea's vintage-clothing vendors in business. Nice pics!

That Budget Travel shout-out was picked up by CNN.com yesterday--let the crowdswell begin!

Although it was wet for about 30 minutes, it was a beautiful Saturday at the Flea. Check out what you missed or find yourself in these pics. See y'all next week!

August Fleaing is for troopers, so we're appreciative of every vendor and shopper who makes the trek. Hopefully the Hunt makes the journey a little easier. Just one winner this week.

On Sunday Diane (right), visiting from San Francisco with her family, found the two-sided glass pendant featuring a tree branch on one panel and the Brooklyn Bridge on the other in Joan's always happenin' Citybitz booth. Diane "read about the Flea somewhere" and knew she wanted to visit on her 9-day NYC visit. All of Joan's glass work grabs "bitz" of our city and transforms them into jewelry, decorative windows, and more that are part art part keepsake. Joan's in W43/Fort Greene, I-26/Bridge most every weekend.

Check back at noon Friday for next weekend's items.

Just one item this week, presumably due to the threat of Monsieur Guillaume L'Hurricane Saturday. To wind and rain we say, like a postman, peshaw! Hardcore Fleasters (and vendors) know the inclemence translates to dollars and cents. (Oy vey.)

When you find one of the items above, which can be hidden in any vendor booth, it's yours, absolutely free! Then we post your photo with the generous vendor here on the blog on Monday. Only one winner per calendar month. Items posted every Friday around Noon.

Happy hunting!

1. Glass pendant features two NYC images--find it to reveal the second image. New/Handmade (Brooklyn Bridge/Sunday)

Hot on the heels of Planet Green's naming The Flea the #1 flea market in the U.S. come more props from Budget Travel: The popular magazine just included the Flea near the top of its list of America's Best Flea Markets. Here's what they had to say: "In less than two years, this sale in a Brooklyn schoolyard has attracted a large enough following to justify a second location and seasonal spin-off events. Shoppers come for the mix of vintage clothing and jewelry, architectural salvage, and decorative objects like modernist table lamps and metal desk fans dating from the early to mid-1900s. Alongside the secondhand-goods sellers, you'll find booths from local designers of reclaimed-wood furniture, handmade shoes, and more. The food stands are just as diverse: Celebrated taco vendors, cheesemongers, and bakers all make weekly appearances."