Once upon a Brooklyn, the term “flea market” conjured up images of bug-infested antique wares and stained vintage clothing finds from a deceased person’s estate sale. Now, though, BK’s market game is on flea-k. That’s right, I said it. Our flea markets have grown to boast an especial eye for the Hard to Find, the One of a Kind, and the Melt Your Mind.
Because remember, a flea market isn’t just a vintage store with an open door. These places also have food, and feature smaller businesses/indie makers who can’t necessarily afford a brick-and-mortar storefront. They’re a great all-in-one way to spend a day with friends and family, or meeting strangers with similar tastes and interests. Flea markets away! Here are all the ones in the borough to enjoy this summer.
THE BROOKLYN FLEA
176 Lafayette Avenue, Fort Greene
50 Kent Avenue, Williamsburg
180 7th Avenue, Park Slope
The Brooklyn Flea is BK’s most iconic flea market. Now with three locations, this flea market has become almost synonymous with all things handmade, vintage and small-batch in the borough. We’ve had our own fun at the expense of Brooklyn’s artisanship, but this is a great place to spend the weekend and impress your tourist friends! The Williamsburg location is just up the block from a Smorgasburg—but food vendors inside the flea itself are reason enough to stay. There’s Blue Marble, Dough, Brooklyn Soda Works, Porchetta and more. Fort Greene has a slightly little-sister vibe compared to its northern sibling, but still features around the same number of vendors. Smallest of all, the Park Slope location sits outside P.S. 321 on Seventh Avenue, and features about 20 vendors.
The Fort Greene location is open Saturdays 10am-5pm, and the Williamsburg location is open Sundays 10am-5pm. Park Slope is open Saturdays & Sundays, 10am-5pm.
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‘SHWICK [UPDATE: Closed forever]
6 Charles Place, Bushwick
‘Shwick’s name is a bit of a macguffin, since technically the market sits right at the border of Bushwick Bed-Stuy. It’s also at the end of a dead-end street, at Myrtle & Willoughby, which gives it an especially punk rock vibe. They call their vendors “makers”—accurate, sure, but also sounds just the slightest bit sexier. The focus is very much on handmade and not on any particular branding, so ‘Shwick showcases a whole lot of local makers you haven’t heard of. But it also has some you have—like everyone’s favorite bodega ginger ale, Bruce Cost!
Open Saturdays and Sundays, 11am-7pm.
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AKICHI FLEA
1179 Fulton Street, Bed-Stuy
Another fledgling flea, but this one’s on wheels! Akichi is located at Fulton and Spencer. It has only about a dozen vendors, and runs out of a bunch of old-school Airstream trailers. So it evinces a kind of maturity beyond its years. Right now there’s no food to be had, but the flea is working on getting a license to sell produce alongside their selectively-curated vintage wares. Speaking of, those wares include old-timey leather goods, welded jewelry, something called a hatkerchief, and coffee by Daily Press.
Open Saturdays and Sundays, 10am-5pm.
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ARTISTS & FLEAS
70 N. 7th Street, Williamsburg
Artists & Fleas is an indoor flea market. Located in a big warehouse space in North Williamsburg, this ranks among the higher-end of fleas. In other words, don’t come here if you’re trying to pinch pennies. It may be a flea market nominally, but this market places an emphasis on art, fashion and design. Vendors describe designer wares with tags like “luxurious” and “one-of-a-kind,” terms that basically indicate a whole-paycheck market mentality. You can definitely find something unique and lovely, like rare vinyl and 3-d printed jewelry. They also have locations in Manhattan and Los Angeles—further indications that nobody here is scrounging for a buck.
Open Saturdays & Sundays, 10am-7pm.
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THE BUSHWICK FLEA
52 Wyckoff Avenue, Bushwick
The Bushwick flea is still very much in its fledgling stage. It’s currently got about 25 vendors and sits in a small, empty parking lot at Wyckoff and Willoughby. No shade intended, it’ll find its feet soon. For now, this flea is more of a little place to browse retro sunglasses, antique dolls, well-made thrift suitcases and the occasional rack of lacy vintage dresses while you’re waiting for a table at Heavy Woods. You can be in and out of this one—with a cold brew!—in about fifteen minutes.
Open Saturdays and Sundays, 10am-6pm.
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BROOKLYN POP-UP MARKET
143 Waverly Avenue, Clinton Hill
49 Wyckoff Avenue, Bushwick
The Brooklyn Pop-up Market is an especially family-friendly flea, often featuring musical by the young students of Brooklyn Music School. BPM is also unique in that it runs themed weekends where all proceeds go to a given charity, or vendors are encouraged to tailor their selection/booth to the theme. For example, throughout the weekend of August 1 and 2 the market will be celebrating National Ice Cream Sandwich day. We can’t say for sure, but it’s almost guaranteed they’ll have ice cream sandwiches.
Open Saturdays & Sundays in Clinton Hill, and Sundays in Bushwick.
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BAR N’ YARD FLEA
708 5th Avenue, South Slope
The Bar n’ yard Flea (a.k.a. byF) is still on back-order—as in, it hasn’t actually opened yet! We did a post about it back in April, when Mary’s Bar was still sourcing vendors for its backdoor flea-to-be. Now, the bar’s got a pile of funky vendors and an official start date: June 20, which is this Saturday. The byF’s tagline is “love the hustle,” and evokes the sliver of BK creatives who are working tirelessly after hours to make wacky caricatures, or source plus-sized Hollywood-glam vintage. There’s even awesome BBQ. The flea will occupy the vacant lot out back behind Mary’s. No official hours as of yet, but we’re guessing that 10am is a good time to show up this weekend and ask about the future.
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RIIS PARK BAZAAR
Jacob Riis Park, Queens
Okay, it’s not Brooklyn, but it’s run by the Brooklyn Night Bazaar (R.I.P.) and the Beach Bus will bring you right there, so let’s include it. The Riis Park Bazaar gives you everything the BK Night Bazaar once did, a combination of vendors, food and music. The vendors, as you’d expect, lean towards the beach-friendly: a surf shop, sunglasses, vintage that’s light ands summery, and uh, bowls. The food is also full of Brooklyn favorites, with folks like Ample Hills, Brooklyn Star, Court Street Grocers and Fletcher’s making the trip down, and because there’s no combination quite like beers and the beach, there’s a BarZaar offering beer, wine and cocktails. Oh also there are hammocks. Gotta love hammocks.
Open Monday through Friday from noon until dark, Saturdays and Sundays 11am until dark.
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