clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Come Spring, Fort Greene To Be Flea-Ridden

New, 2 comments

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

New York is a rough city for flea markets. The large open spaces that fleas require are hard to find in a town that puts such a premium and a high price on real estate, and cold and rainy fall and winter months kill business for a good part of the year. That's a shame, because flea markets are pretty damn awesome. We're still morning the death of the Chelsea Flea, which has never truly been the same since it was forced to move up to Hell's Kitchen. Jonathan Butler, founder of Brooklyn blog Brownstoner, was also nostalgic for the Chelsea flea —that's why he's decided to launch his own market in Fort Greene. The Brooklyn Eagle recently caught up with Butler, who described how Brooklyn Flea will pan out:

“It’s going to be antique, vintage, and one-of-a-kind type-stuff,” everything from furniture to vinyl to jewelry, said Butler...Food stands could line the bleachers, where patrons would take a break before heading back to the maze of 200 to 300 vendors he expects to cram the yard of Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School, on Lafayette and Clermont avenues. Butler said the market would start in April and run every Sunday, at least until Christmas.
The whole thing sounds amazing, and if Butler can get enough vendors lined up, the flea will most likely draw crowds not only from Brooklyn, but also from the rest of the city. Wonder how Alan Boss feels about all this.
· Brooklyn’s Largest Flea Market Planned for Fort Greene Schoolyard [Brooklyn Eagle]