 |
July 2010« June 2010 - August 2010 »July 30, 2010Scavenger Hunt Items—July 31+Aug. 1
Summer 2010=Summer of Love? Note: The Fort Greene outdoor market happens every Saturday; One Hanson is on Sundays indoors. Both 10am-5pm. 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. From left (click to enlarge): 2. Sunday: Sack cloth and wool embroided hippie bag, '70s. Vintage
July 29, 2010Back to the Vault
One Hanson has been kicking ass lately, so in turn we're kickin' it old-school (like, Winter 2010 yo) and adding more vendors in the vault and lower level starting this Sunday. No food like in the winter, but lots of antiques, furniture, clothing—ya know, Flea stuff, but with room for folks to spread out and display larger pieces, which can be tough on the ground floor and mezzanine. The vault's gotten a makeover since you last saw it, check it out. The arched and gilded foyer at the bottom of the stairs is worth the trip alone, and Olde Good Things will be taking it over with their amazing architectural salvage, mirrors, and hog oilers. More new folks coming next Sunday too.
Stuff+Things—Bobby Hill's Original Art
What: Bobby Hill's brilliantly colored artwork is created in three layers: first it's hand-painted, then screen-printed, then spray-painted, to create a unique or limited-edition piece of art. Themes of New York locals and iconic figures like Dylan and Gillespie tend to be his hottest commodity at the Flea.
July 28, 2010Jess Bites Flea—Liddabit's Breakfast of Heroes
What: Bourbon-Coffee Caramel Corn with Candied Bacon. It's deliciously decadent (obv!), crunchy, sweet, and salty with a grown-up punch. Not necessarily recommended with milk in the morning, but perfect at your next cocktail party!
Finders/Keepers—July 24+25
Stunned that no one found/wanted the stripey disco top. But a smart Singaporean found the label maker. Check back at noon Friday for this week's items. (Click to enlarge) She's with Donna, who's half of Brady & Kowalski, the "writing machine" dynamic duo. They've got everything from powder-blue Italian '60s early electric typewriters to antique-style manual models to pretty writing paper and more. Their booth is always decked to the nines too. Donna adds her Re-Surface design line at One Hanson, which features funky stuff like microphone hanging lights and table lampshades made from Brooklyn graffiti photos. Super cool stuff. Donna will be sharing a portion of her massive Dymo stash at a "Community Collections" exhibit in September at the venerable and worthy City Reliquary on Metropolitan Avenue in Williamsburg. Find her and Ms. Kowalski every Saturday in Fort Greene (W37) and every Sunday at One Hanson (#66).
July 27, 2010Book Drive=Success
The book drive for the New Orleans middle school rebuilt after Katrina was a smash last Saturday, so we thank everyone for their donations on behalf of ReadThis, who organized the project. The 270 books donated or bought surpassed expectations, and the students of Andrew Jackson Middle School in St. Bernards Parish are grateful. Kudos also to Greenlight Bookstore for providing the books for sale and help with staff. Go team! Flea Love Everywhere
A bonanza of bonafide ink, virtual and actual, hits the stands this week. A true coup, The New Yorker's opening photo this week is from the Fort Greene Flea. Yola Monakhov took it, and you can see the pic in the slideshow on their website. Longtime New Yorker devotees, we're excited about this one. New York's Adam Platt sampled 8 new artisanal locally made sodas, and selected Flea newcomer and instant hit Brooklyn Soda Works as the vinner. Congrats to Caroline and Tony, whose red currant-cardamom flavor was loved up in its debut Saturday. Sounds like they'll be available at Bierkraft soon too! The Daily News ran a cute 50 Things that Make New Yorkers Smile roundup today, and the Flea made it in at a respectable #49. (Seeing Van Gogh's "Starry Night" is #25, so we don't feel slighted.) The August issue of Delta's Sky in-flight magazine lists the Flea in the same top-five breath as global bedrocks such as London's Portobello Market, Brimfield, and the Rose Bowl—serious brethren! Plus, Marky Mark's on the cover. National shelter mag Traditional Home has a big Brooklyn travel feature this month that includes some nice Flea shout-outs. Worth a read for their well-researched designer coverage and cool hand-drawn map (above). Map image courtesy Traditional Home.
July 26, 2010BFFs of the WeekAnother beautiful and bountiful weekend at ze Flea!
July 23, 2010Scavenger Hunt Items—July 24+25
Hot hot hot! Note: The Fort Greene outdoor market happens every Saturday; One Hanson is on Sundays indoors. Both 10am-5pm. 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. From left (click to enlarge): 2. Sunday: Blue Dymo LabelWriter. Vintage
Stuff+Things—Jaybird Antiques
What: Circa 1940 Drafting Table. Jaybird is sweetheart Joe Heidecker's longtime antiques biz—he defected from the Garage for Day One, been back every week ever since. Nicest guy you'll ever meet, treks in from Suffolk County with his funky take on mid-century vintage: furniture, housewares, lots of glass, bright colors, great prices.
July 21, 2010NOLA Book Drive This Sat.
This Saturday the Flea is proudly hosting a book drive to stock the library of a New Orleans public school, Andrew Jackson Middle School, that was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina (above) and has been rebuilt and is set to reopen August 11. The ReadThis non-profit is operating the drive, and they'll have a couple of tables at the Lafayette Ave. entrance on Saturday. Andrew Jackson MS is in St. Bernards Parish, which was among the areas hit hardest by Katrina, and now the BP oil spill is adding to the community's woes. We want to help. ReadThis is an awesome all-volunteer non-profit that promotes access to books (public schools without libraries, troops overseas, hospital pediatric wards, homeless shelters); we heard about them and the NOLA drive through our pal author Jeffrey Rotter (The Unknown Knowns). Here's how you can help: Thanks!
July 20, 2010Jess Bites Flea—Asia Dog's Limeade Soda
What: Mel and Steve's Fresh Squeezed Limeade Soda: a delightfully sharp and tangy thirst-quencher, modeled on the Vietnamese lime/lemon "squash" sold alongside street food.
Finders/Keepers—July 17+18
Finally, winners both days! It was hot, but the Hunters kept their cool. They also got in early to beat the heat—and all you late-sleeping Scavengers. Check back at noon Friday for this week's items. From left (click to enlarge): Tessa is next to Travis Sylvester (second from left—she also dragged a couple of her friends into the photo at the last minute), who is a staple of the Flea's mens-vintage suite. Check tall Travis for blazers, trousers, vests, shoes, and of course his nice rack of meticulously arranged ties, which has been photographed a million times. Travis is less trendy, more affordable and utilitarian, giving the people what they need, which is why he's popular week in-week out. He's also not afraid to rock lime-green pants with a pink oxford, yellow tie, and red cap. Where's Travis? He's in W39 every single Saturday. Sunday: Ariel (right) says she Fleas all the time, which is easy for her since she lives a block from the Fort Greene market. She ventured further afoot Sunday to One Hanson, and found the leather wrap bracelet before 11am. Here's what we know about Ariel: her birthday was last Friday (woot!) and she plays the Japanese drums. She's probably a pretty cool person based on that. She's alongside the lovely (seriously) Holland, who works jewelry designer Elma Blint's booth at the Flea. Elma's been at the markets since Day One, and her elegant but affordable necklaces, rings, and bracelets are always at the cutting edge of Brooklyn style. She's got quite the following, and even opened her own little sliver of a shop, Baubles + Thorn, down the block from the Fort Greene market, at 111 Lafayette Ave., near S. Oxford St. Find Elma (and Holland) in Fort Greene (B2) and One Hanson (#50) every darn weekend.
July 19, 2010BFFs of the WeekFor those who missed ze Flea this week, we bring the people-watching to you. Check it.
July 16, 2010Scavenger Hunt Items—July 17+18
A midsummer Hunt's scheme: Style on Saturday, sass on Sunday. Note: The Fort Greene outdoor market happens every Saturday; One Hanson is on Sundays indoors. Both 10am-5pm. 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. From left (click to enlarge): 2. Sunday: Multi-wrap leather bracelet with hammered gold balls. Handmade
July 15, 2010What's New?
Summer is a good time to revisit the Flea, because when regular vendors go on vacay, fresh faces take their place. Here are some of the many newbies aboard the Good Ship. Christine is a friend of Flea faves City Owl, and her industrial/modern/repurposed metal type-letters, oil tinkers, and the like (above) land in the wheelhouse of marketgoers. She calls her biz The Gifted Putterer, and by day she's an event and interior designer as Stromer and Sass. Maps, industrial gears, antique crates and boxes, vintage fans and prints—all the right stuff. FG/Sat, E32
Rachel recently inherited a household of antiques and has to clean out ye olde storage space. She's got: small dropleaf tables, a Victorian gaming table, spindleback chairs, gilded mirrors, silver, China, boxes of hardcover books, plus some old photos and linens. She's a librarian by trade, vintage buyer by passion, newby Fleaster on Saturday. Rachel's dubbed her nascent biz Cat + Fox. FG/Sat, E24 It's possible that first-timer Joshua Friedman may be selling a bit of literally everything this weekend. Onetime Maine boat-builder, longtime cabinet-maker, restorer extraordinaire, and now Flea vendor, Joshua has accumulated a lot of things over the years. Among those he mentioned to us in his application: slab boards, glass shelves, carpenters tools, wooden bowls, tweed coats, rooster ties, maps, etchings, paintings (of architecture, cities, dogs, boats, the outdoors, among others), and "veneers burled and figured." Whew! He'll also be offering free advice to all buyers of his goods, based on three decades of experience. Help make Joshua a regular! FG/Sat, W38; 1H/Sun, #24
Tanesha is a Bluefly.com (designers!) stylist by day, mini-terrarium maker by hobby. (She's also a Most Stylish New Yorker in Time Out this week.) Her Small World Terrariums helped spur the Times' terrarium craze feature last month, and she's essentially debuting them at the Flea on Saturday. Tanesha is sharing a booth with Christina, whose new Craven Home biz focuses on fun and functional vessels for the home, including some hosting Tanesha's botanic beauties. FG/Sat, W46 Catherine and Tara are new to the market biz, having tried out a couple of area sales in City Island and a Jersey JCC. They're called Maddie's Yard, and their all-vintage collection is modest but meticulous: a bit of clothing, pottery, jewelry, leather boots, belts, art, lighting (right)—archetypal bric-a-brac. Check 'em out, see what fits. FG/Sat, E23 Food Zone: Rob and co. run Brooklyn Salsa Co., an upstart local brand that's already in 15 NYC stores and growing fast. Each of their 5 varieties is named for a New York borough—the "Brooklyn" is the hottest, with a tinge of mango—and they're all organic too. Take a dip. FG/Sat, E5 They won't be at the Flea this Saturday, but we hear that The Good Fork started serving manchego cheese fritters in addition to their scrumptious dumplings and mini-meatloaf sandwiches. See you on line next week.
July 14, 2010Stuff+Things—Alphaville
What: Alphavillers Steve and Gary's Original and Unused Vintage Sunglasses. Shady in the best way.
July 13, 2010Jess Bites Flea—Vaqueros' Fruit
What: Cayenne-dusted mixed fruit at the Vaquero Family stand, of the Red Hook Food Vendors. Generous hunks of fresh, sweet mango, watermelon, papaya, a grape or two, and salt if you desire. A healthful and thirst-quenching snack on a hot summer day.
Finders/Keepers—July 10+11
Flea fought off the rain (yet again) this weekend, and both markets thrived, with a slight tailoff Sunday due to some soccer match. No one found the awesome artist lithograph then either! But we did have our first child Hunt winner. Saturday: Young Matt (right) was visiting from Massachusetts (go Sox!), already had his Brooklyn T-shirt on. He found the small cactus inside the vintage Colt 45 can pretty early on—it was pretty distinctive, after all. We have no idea what he'll do with it, but the Flea did make the executive decision to allow Matt to win the Hunt as a minor, despite the item's earlier incarnation as an alcoholic beverage. It was prickly there for a minute though! Matt's alongside Brittany, half of the Welles + Graham duo, who pop up at the Flea from time to time, going back to last year's Gifted holiday market. They repurpose found Pop vintage items like oil cans and bug killer into cute clocks, flasks, and other affordable take-home items. It's a fun project, and their stuff has a rustic feel at home in your typical Brooklyn pad. Say hi to Kristen and Brittany next time they're at the Flea.
July 12, 2010BFFs of the WeekDid you know that hangin' at ze Flea at One Hanson is a great way to stay cool during the heat? These folks do—look how cool they are!
Olde Times
The Times ran a cool photo-based profile of five Flea vendors in the Metropolitan section of yesterday's paper, titled "They Have Just the Parrot Lamp for You" (!). The Times snapped candid photos of and divined vendor wisdom from: Phil Lanigan (Addicted to Vintage), Al Williams (Antiquinaires), Fred Shapiro and Camille Gibeau (Silver Fox Vintage), Aissatou Minthe (Tessan Boutique), Bob Johnston (Olde Good Things), and Gerri Riedman (Baglady). We hear so much about the food at the Flea, but these folks are the (often unsung) backbone of the markets, unearthing treasures across the country, carting them long distances, then loading and unloading them for your perusal (and purchase, now and then) every week. Vintage vendor, we [heart] you.
July 9, 2010Scavenger Hunt Items—July 10+11
Creativity is this week's theme at the Hunt: an innovative item for Saturday, and an inspired one for Sunday. Note: The Fort Greene outdoor market happens every Saturday; One Hanson is on Sundays indoors. Both 10am-5pm. 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. From left (click to enlarge): 2. Sunday: Lithograph, artist proof, 2009. 11-1/4" x 15-1/4". Handmade
July 8, 2010Jess Bites Flea—Porchetta's Roasted Broccoli
What: Char-roasted broccoli with a tangy lime and yogurt sauce. Porchetta's sides change by the week, but this lil' number is usually on the shortlist. Might just be the healthiest snack in the yard.
July 7, 2010Stuff+Things—Anthony Franck's Rugs
What: Rug slinger Anthony Franck's 60-year-old Persian Hamadan Rug—it really ties the room together.
July 6, 2010BFFs of the WeekBarbecues and fireworks aren't the only way to celebrate the 4th. These hotties and many more found themselves at the Flea, supporting our independent designers, artists, chefs, curators and entrepreneurs.
Finders/Keepers—July 3+4 (+June 26)
Fleas turned out fine over the holiday, thanks for comin' out. What could be more American than Hunting around for something free? We're also including the June 26 winner here, sorry for our tardiness. Clockwise from top left: Andre van Hoek (left) is a recent star addition to the market, and rarely has a newbie fit in so smoothly. He's got the spirit of the Flea down in his bones: "Somehow in the mix of our setup of displays there is camaraderie and support of other vendors who provide a network of social support," Andre says. "This I find significant because without this mutual support network, you can easily feel like a leafcutting ant carrying loads too burdensome for ordinary humans. I am appreciative to share and learn from other vendors' personal stories." Andre's biz is Retrogreen, which he dubs "a counterpoint to today's throwaway culture." He repurposes midcentury, industrial, and distressed artifacts, and has a stupendous eye for the "Brooklyn moment" we're in. (Resto owner/designers, be warned!) Check his website to learn about the historic general store he renovated and his amazing project updating and zesting up motorhomes and trailers. Facebook page too, and here's a cool NY Times story on him from 2002. Check the vendor layout (posted here on Fridays and at the entrance too) to find Andre's Saturday/Fort Greene spot. Saturday (July 3): Speaking of the real deal, Val (right) is our hero. She started out at the Flea on Day One selling her dead-stock enamel jewelry and Alf and Michael Jackson playing cards as Blue Canary Vintage, and has missed a market only for the lame excuse of getting hitched. She's since reinvented her biz as Kings County Salvage, nailing the average Fleaster's taste with well-worn affordable industrial stuff plucked across the USA. And yeah, that's her with the big blue and white letters by the Sand Pit every Saturday. Val's with Angel, a Fort Greene regular, which helps explain how she found the baby paper cutter at 10:05am. Nice sleuthing! We don't know much about Angel, but we want to. Either way, congrats! Sunday (July 4): Lisa (left) wandered into the Mix Gallery booth around 10:25am, didn't see the red, white, and blue scarf. Five minutes later her beau, dapper Damian (right), circled the booth holding it, and asked the vendor if he had "the free scarf." Andy of Mix Gallery replied, "Are you a Scavenger?" "Yes," said Damian. He's the finder, but Lisa will be the keeper. They live on 89th St. in Brooklyn, come to One Hanson all the time. (We've seen them before!) Andy and Chery of Mix Gallery joined the Flea when we started at One Hanson over the winter. Their mix of midcentury modern furnishings is classic market stuff: quirky and interesting, each item has a story to tell, and they have a sharp eye that's discernible the moment you see their booth. Lamps, couches, dining tables, all the good stuff you crave. W30 in Fort Greene, #23 at One Hanson, every week.
July 2, 2010Scavenger Hunt Items—July 3+4
We love our freedom and think the 4th ranks up there with Halloween and Thanksgiving as the best of celebrations. In our own modest way, here's how we're commemorating America's b'day. Let Fleadom ring! Note: The Fort Greene outdoor market happens every Saturday; One Hanson is on Sundays indoors. Both 10am-5pm. 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. From left (click to enlarge): 2. Sunday: Red, white, and blue silk twill scarf, 16"x66". Made in France by Bianchini Ferier, late '60s/early '70s. Vintage
July 1, 2010Say Uncle
The wacky kids at Elastic City who do the art walks every month are doing a photo booth this Saturday where you get a patriotic pic taken and they post it on their blog. Judging by their Wonder Woman-Uncle Sam mashup flyer, we have a strong feeling about the freedom quotient for this one. Booth B7.
Nenenn on HLNLionel and Constant, the Haitian brothers of Nenenn155 working on the social-enterprise clothing line for their people back home, had their story picked up by Joy Behar of HLN, the cable news network (ch. 58/758 on Time Warner). The segment is scheduled to run on her show this Friday evening, which starts at 9pm (the Nenenn piece should air around 9:50pm). Go team go! Framed
Borah's Fort project launched at the Flea last month and it's a big hit. We loved the pics of wood-frame sunglasses in her vendor application, and she's finally got 'em finished for this Saturday. (Took her a bit to get the hinges right—now they're made of wood too.) Made from certified sustainable wood, with each style named for a revolutionary bespectacled innovator (Ginsberg, Dylan, etc.), each frame is handmade in Brooklyn. That means they're won't be many to go around, and with so much sun in our town, it'll likely be shoulda, wooda, coulda. Find them near B10 in Fort Greene on Saturday.
|
