Dekalb Market update

There are some updates this morning on the Dekalb Market, one of Brooklyn's many new markets.

The container-based market will open on July 23, and feature many food and crafts people.

On the food front, there's special menus from Maharlika, Pasticcio, Nile Valley Juice & Salads, Cheeky Sandwiches (pictured), Joe coffee, Cuzin's Duzin donuts, Robicelli's Cupcakes, Mazie's Bites, Tea by Tiffany, Sourpuss Pickles, and more.

Full-time retailers include hand-screened shirts by Brooklyn Rock, children's wear and activities from Little Poco and Hank & Jojo, art from Kudu-lah, products from 3rd Ward and Pratt, antiques from Daga, woman's apparel & accessories from Harriet's by Hekima, vintage eye wear from Yak Blak, custom-made apparel and interiors by B66.

And, in extracurriculars, there will be Brooklyn Grange and Malcolm X and Atom's Eco farm plots, and music from Brooklyn Bodega and BBox Radio.

The weekend market will take place Downtown at CityPoint, where the Albee Square shopping center used to be, on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am-7 pm through December.

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Artist and Fleas on the move

If you're heading to Artist and Fleas this weekend, make sure you head to its new location.

It's still in Williamsburg, but the market can now be found on N. Seventh Street between Wythe and Kent avenues -  not too far from its old location on N. Sixth Street.

And you can still expect a lot of artist-made, designer-created, vintage-based stuff.

It's open from noon-8 pm, Saturday and Sunday.

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Lord of the fleas

By Meredith Deliso

Last week, we introduced our new column, Market Watch. This week, we continue it!

Here’s a look at what’s on our watch this week:

ArtMart 11225

Head to Prospect Lefferts Gardens for a community arts and crafts market that’s not as cheesy as that sounds. On Oct. 2, Lincoln Road will be taken over with handmade jewelry, including Lingua Nigra’s alluring gold bangles, knitwear, clothing, pottery, and even instruments. More than just artisanal arts are on display: there will also be affordable pieces from area photographers, lithographers and painters; live music; and ethnic food from Enduro and Meytex Lounge that will make the trip to the 11225 worth sticking around for a while.

ArtMart 11225: A Community Arts and Crafts Market (Lincoln Road between Ocean and Flatbush avenues in Prospect Lefferts Gardens), Oct. 2, 10 am-5 pm. For info, visit www.plgarts.org.

  

Loom First Friday

Every first Friday of the month, the Loom, a Bushwick mini-mall featuring 15 independent retailers, offers discounts, deals, art and special performances for an evening of truly diverse experiences. For October, for instance, you can stock up on knitting supplies and treats at Brooklyn Yarn Cafe; comb through handmade designs at the Better Than Jam co-op; buy a moped at The Orphanage; take yoga at The Loom Studios; or get your nails done by Miss Fleury Rose at Tomahawk Salon. And that’s only a fraction of the retailers that call the Loom home. 

First Friday at the Loom [1095 Flushing Ave. at Porter Avenue in Bushwick, (631) 377-2500], Oct. 1, 7-10 pm. For info, visit www.shopsattheloom.com.

Artisan Market

After a brief summer hiatus, the Artisan Market has reclaimed its sidewalk adjacent to the Fort Greene GreenMarket, highlighting the neighborhood’s art and design. This fall season, running now through the end of the month, has an extra special treat: Kevin Barry, designer for Prada and Betsy Johnson, is selling his unique creations, from coats to dresses to bags and hats fit for a runway, but without the runway prices.

Artisan-Market [Washington Park and DeKalb Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 855-8175], Saturdays, 9 am-6 pm through Oct. 30. For info, visit www.artisan-market.org.

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Flea bitten? Not any more

By Meredith Deliso

This market watch has nothing to do with stocks.

This week, we’re adding a vital new feature to our entertainment and arts lineup — a column that will highlight the best shopping of the weekend.

Now through the holiday season, we’ll hit the streets to direct you to the best flea markets, craft centers, artists’ lofts and sample sales to help you get the right present for everyone on your list, the naughty and the nice.

Here’s a look at what’s on our watch this week:

Stoopendous community-wide stoop sale

It’s no secret that Brooklyn’s stoops are goldmines for finding books, clothes and knickknacks on the cheap – or even free. On Sept. 26, the Brooklyn Heights Association capitalizes on that concept with its Stoopendous Community-Wide Stoop Sale, an effort to turn an entire neighborhood into a one giant yard sale. It coincides with the Atlantic Antic, giving you a way to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city’s biggest street fair and stroll through the quiet Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. You’ll never know what you may find unless you look.

The Brooklyn Heights Association’s Stoopendous Community-Wide Stoop Sale, Sept. 26 from 10 am-6 pm. For info, visit www.thebha.org.com.

  

Salon at Metropolitan Green

Jewelry meets fine art at this museum-exhibit-style pop-up sale. From Oct. 1-8, Salon at Metropolitan Green in Williamsburg will feature seven avant-garde jewelry designers and their unique accessories, crafted from zippers, plastic and precious metals. Art-jeweler Mia Hebib curates the show, which features her own handcrafted, cascading metal pieces, as well as works by six other art jewelers. Prices start at $200.

Salon at Metropolitan Green [439 Metropolitan Ave., near Marcy Avenue in Williamsburg, (347) 678-2030],
Oct. 1–8. For info, visit www.salon-nyc.com.

(Makers) Market

After a summer hiatus, the (Makers) Market at the Old American Can Factory in Gowanus is back. The indoor artisan market features a diverse array of jewelry makers, organic soap producers, and pastry chefs united by their use of high-quality materials with an emphasis on design. Now through Nov. 21, the market also presents “Minds over Matter,” a series of curated, materials-based shows where each week, a new material is highlighted, with wares made from it displayed and workshops demonstrating how it can be used to, well, make things. Next up is botanicals on Sept. 26.

(Makers) Market at the Old American Can Factory [232 Third St. at Third Avenue in Gowanus, (718) 237-4335], Sundays from 11 am-5 pm. For info, visit xoprojects.com/market.html.

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Catch this flea

By Aaron Short

Want to find a good deal in Greenpoint? Go to church.

After two postponements, the long-awaited Greenpoint Flea Market Bazaar opened on June 11 at the Greenpoint Reformed Church on Milton Street.

The market, open on Fridays, is the brainchild of Natasha Ryan and has received much encouragement from neighborhood organizations and blogs.

Crowds trickled in throughout the afternoon. For eight hours, customers browsed wares ranging from $1 vinyl jazz records to $300 Nepalese singing bowls, both of which had the purpose of soothing its owner’s soul.

Perhaps the best deals of the season were cotton sundresses of all shapes and straw hats, both for $5, from vintage dealer Jelly Roll Vintage. Meanwhile, DJ Bryant K sold classic LPs and spun Kool and the Gang’s “Jungle Boogie” and songs from the Jackson Five album “Maybe Tomorrow.”

“It’s the anniversary of his death,” said K.

The steal of the market may be the conversations with vendors who are longtime Greenpoint residents, including a man named Wilfredo, who said he was in a gang when he was younger and met his Polish wife when she used to be in a gang, too! They’ve been married over a decade.

His key to marital bliss? Mix up your dates a bit to keep the relationship fresh.

“Even if you’re going out, don’t go to the same place,” said Wilfredo. “Go some place new.”

Also, you can pick up a vintage Hamilton Beach milkshake mixer from Wilfredo for only $5 to make tasty strawberry smoothies for the next morning.

Tempting.

Greenpoint Flea Market Bazaar at the Greenpoint Reformed Church [138 Milton St. between Manhattan Avenue and Franklin Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383-5941], Fridays, noon-8 pm.

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Crafts go renegade

By Michèle De Meglio

The renegades are coming — and they’re bringing crafts!

The Renegade Craft Fair will rock McCarren Park on June 5 and 6, when 300 artists display and sell their handmade unique designs.

“There’s something for everybody,” said Sue Daly, the event’s organizer. “You’ll find a lot of housewares, clothing and ceramics. A lot of the stuff is one of a kind.”

That’s a great way to describe Greenpoint resident Daina Platais’ ceramics collection. Her “bread and butter” piece is a set of salt and pepper shakers shaped like an avocado.

“Everybody loves them,” Platais said. “I’ve been making them for three years now and they’re really a hit.”

Speaking of best-selling designs, Tamara Stoddard’s Brooklyn Craft line is giving a fresh look to classic sock monkey dolls.

“They’re a new take on the old sock monkeys with the red mouth,” she said. “I’ve made an albino sock monkey, a skeleton with felt bones, and a pirate with a peg leg and eyepatch.”

Stoddard will share her booth at the Fair with Jill Davis, whose J Davis Studio produces delicate jewelry featuring tiny homes and trees.

“I love miniatures,” said Davis, a Clinton Hill resident. “I grew up in a house in Ohio and then I moved to New York where no one has a house, so this is my way of bringing a home with me.”

Renegade Craft Fair at McCarren Park [Bedford Avenue between N. 12th and Lorimer streets in Greenpoint, (773) 227-2707], June 5-6, 11 am–7 pm. For info, visit www.renegadecraft.com.

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Let's get ready to jumble

By Elizabeth Dana

Brooklyn is a borough of cyclists. Lucky for you, recession-friendly transportation is about to get a discount at a bicycle-themed flea market.

Used cycles will be rolling into Park Slope’s Washington Park on May 16 for the second annual Brooklyn Bike Jumble.

A “flea market for bicycles,” the Jumble will feature used bikes, parts and accessories as a one-stop shop for the borough’s cyclophiles.

Harry Schwartzman organized the event last year after realizing that bike-happy Brooklyn didn’t have a marketplace for two-wheelers.

“People need bikes, and people want to get rid of stuff, so we bring them together,” said Schwartzman.

The merchandise comes from East Coast retailers who restore bicycles to working condition, as well as people just looking to part with a used two-wheeler. The cycles usually run from $50 to about $200.

After last year’s inaugural event drew over 700 people, Schwartzman is expanding the jumble to include new vendors, a show of vintage bikes and an exhibit at the Old Stone House about the Coney Island Velodrome — a track that brought the thrills of bike racing to Brooklyn in the 1930s.

See, Brooklynites were hip to cycling even then.

Brooklyn Bike Jumble at Washington Park [Third Street at Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, (718) 768-3195], May 16 from 10 am-4 pm. For info, visit www.nybikejumble.com.

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