Now Open: The 'Burg's Open Air Modern Settles Down

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The Airstream Books outdoor market off the Lorimer L stop in Williamsburg has always been more than just a sidewalk book vendor—owner Matt Singer, a printmaker and sculptor, also sells mid-century furniture under the name Open Air Modern. Given the market's ambitious scope, we weren't surprised to see that it recently morphed into a brick-and-mortar store. The new spot, just off McCarren Park on Manhattan Avenue between Nassau and Driggs, opened a week ago, and Singer plans to spent the next few weeks filling it with more gear before the grand opening party on September 12th.

Now that Singer no longer has to worry about the weather, he's made improvements to his stock, adding nicer books to his collection and beefing up the fiction section, which runs towards classic lit. Open Air is known for its tightly curated section of out-of-print and rare books about art, photography, fashion and design, but, says Singer, if customers are looking for a copy of Emma or Moby Dick, they can find it there too. As for the furniture, it's all either from the 50's to the 80's or in the style of that era, and since it's not heavy on big names, the prices are about equal with West Elm or CB2. (A dresser goes for $500 or $600; couches are $1000.) To check out the stock, head over to the website, where you can also find more pictures.