Flea markets, antique shows, thrift stores, and yard sales are always a great way to stock up on items someone else has been trying to get rid of for the past five years. With a nice summer's day that wouldn't be too hot, Williamsburg - Brooklyn was going to be my destination for a one day flea market bonanza with at least two venues on the menu. The area has turned into a haven for hipsters over the past several years, and the overflowing amount of vintage clothes and random goods for sale plays right into the hands of the natives.
Williamsburg used to be a bonafide Puerto Rican neighborhood, with a healthy mix of drug-dealing motorcycle clubs, but the overflowing population of hipsters and beatniks from Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side of Manhattan who either ran out of room or were being priced out, migrated across the East River to slummier surroundings that accommodated their budget. Over time a culture has developed there and many have flocked to the neighborhood seeking acceptance to an alternative lifestyle. The waterfront section used to feature massive warehouses and factories, but now that the place is hot for the real estate market, those old fixtures were torn down (and set ablaze by their owners), in favor of developing high-rise condominiums with picturesque views of the Manhattan skyline. Williamsburg used to be part of my territory while I was selling copy machines for Konica Minolta during 2004 and 2005, and although the hipster presence was visible, nearly ten years later it has spread considerably, along with newly built luxury quarters to support wealthier inhabitants seeking to buy their way into the scene. I did return a few times to Williamsburg, but those times were quite brief and with use of my car. Now I was going back by train, and was going to pound the pavement to stroll the streets I once had to stroll as a copy machine salesman.
The best train to take there is the L line, although the J, M, or Z can also take you nearby and provide a ride with a great view over the Williamsburg Bridge, but it will require a few extra blocks of walking. A third public transit option is the East River Ferry which leaves from two locations: E. 34th Street and Lower Manhattan. I went with the L train and took it to the Bedford Avenue stop, then found puzzlement when I stepped foot off the train and noticed an empty mega-box of Welch's Fruit Snacks had ended up on the tracks somehow. Once out of the station I was immediately hit with a Thrift Store and the secondhand shopping spree was on!! Most of Bedford Avenue is lined up with street vendors selling all sorts of different goods such as books, movies, toys, comic books, shoes, and alot more. I could never understand why many were selling VHS tapes still, but there were plenty of those going around. The plan was to visit the Brooklyn Flea on the East River Waterfront and another place located on Wythe Ave. Not seeing anything special from the Thrift Store, I headed towards the waterfront down North 7th St. (N 7th St.) and came upon a little gem I had not been expecting; Artists & Fleas. It's a large indoor garage space that had been converted into an inside flea market with dozens of tables. There was even a DJ inside spinning rare hits from old vinyl records. I found most of the items inside to be more interesting to females, such as jewelry, art, and clothing. Featured, but not for sale, was a kid's school chair that belongs in any home setting. The most intriguing attraction overall was from a company called Golly. They had the ingenious idea of creating t-shirts out of cutouts from old bed sheets from the 70's and 80's. I recognized a square of the Ghostbusters bed sheets I used to have immediately. Prices ran from thirty to thirty-five dollars, and even though its a great idea, I wasn't looking to part with any funds for it. Some of the tables accept credit/debit cards, but there is also an ATM on the premises if any cash is needed.
There were a couple coffee and tea stands in front of the market, which is open every Saturday and Sunday, but the stand that caught my eye was the Trop Pops. For four dollars you get a frozen fruit pop bar with pure dark chocolate on the back. The choices of fruit were mango, kiwi, and two others. I went with the mango to accompany me to my next destination; the Brooklyn Flea. Getting closer to the East River, I saw the Manhattan skyline standing in the background, and appreciated more why certain old unused warehouses had been burnt to ashes. The East River Waterfront spot caters to the Brooklyn Flea on Sundays (that has other locations in Fort Greene - Brooklyn as well), and the Smorgaburg on Saturdays (which is basically the same type of affair as the Sundays). There were a couple of ATM machines on site as well, and this outdoor spot had four times as many tables as there was at Artists and Fleas. In addition, this one also had about a dozen different food and snack stands, which overall, made it more worth the trip than the flea market itself. Unfortunately I ate big before leaving, so my stomach wasn't empty enough to sample more of the options. There were sausages, pizzas, tacos, ice cream, malteds, burgers, hotdogs, and more. It was very difficult to hold back, especially when I saw a mini-cupcake cart, charging only a dollar each. I told myself I would only get one if they have red velvet. Of course, upon closer look the indeed had the red velvet so I kept my promise and bought one. I was also getting a little thirsty, plus the sun was beaming down, so I went with a slush from Kelvin Natural Slush. They serve two flavors, ginger or Arnold Palmer, plus after you add a fruit topping. The guy behind the counter told me the Arnold Palmer ice would take about five minutes before it would be ready again, so I took a ginger with white peaches, which was available immediately.
Most of the prices from the vendors were quite steep, and I didn't find much that I really found myself drawn to. The only piece I considered buying was from this guy who had a bunch of old license plates - going back to the 1920's. Those really old ones were more expensive than what I felt like spending, but he did have a 1967 Ontario plate for ten dollars that was very tempting. Most of my time at the Brooklyn Flea was spent deciding whether I should get it or not. I even took to the East River and the ferry loading up passengers to see if could jog an answer in my head, but ultimately I realized I could get something like that off of Ebay anytime, so no need to impulse buy a 1967 Ontario license plate. I walked along the waterfront on my way out of the Brooklyn Flea and looked up at some of the towering glass buildings erected recently that overlook the East River. Walking down Kent Avenue to the next stop on the flea market train, there were a number of unused buildings covered in artistic works, and just plain old graffiti. There was also the old Domino's sugar manufacturing plant which had since shutdown and relocated elsewhere. Once I reached the Wythe Ave. location there was one little problem: It wasn't a flea market spot anymore, it had turned into an outdoor bar. My legs were growing quite tired by this time and the sun's power was more eminent than I predicted earlier in the day, so I figured it was best to walk back towards the train and head on home. I stuck with Bedford Avenue the whole way back and discovered the street vendors and their tables offered more interesting stuff than what was found inside those two markets.
Upon passing one block, I saw a sign of defiance from the dwindling Puerto Rican remnants. It was two clotheslines hung from one apartment building to another across the street, and they supported about fifty Puerto Rican flags flapping in the wind. Some other houses and buildings as well seemed to be going out of their way to display a flag or the image of the Puerto Rican flag, likely as a method to remind the hipsters who was there first and that the gentrification of the neighborhood isn't appreciated. It's not really the hipsters alone that have forced them out, but they sparked business in general that has taken its normal course of action in terms of real estate and the trade-in of bogedas for coffee houses. While I was there I heard several different languages spoken, likely French or German; tourists checking out the area to see what all the hype is about (and likely spending money on the local shops). I do find it somewhat hypocritical that most of the free-spirits there are against eating meat or even an egg hatched from a caged chicken, but have no problem being part of a movement that has forced most of a neighborhood to abandon its roots and seek affordable housing elsewhere.
Soon after, going block by block and passing by a countless number of tables set up on the sidewalks with goods for sale, I came upon one amusing moment when a girl was trying to purchase a Davy Crockett fur cap. The table's owner was asleep inside a shopping cart and it was difficult to tell if he ran the table, or if he was just some junkie or homeless person sleeping in a cart with his feet hanging out the back. The girl had to wake him up, but it took a few pokes from her until he finally came to. When I arrived back at the Bedford Avenue L train entrance I noticed there were hundreds of bikes lined up and locked to the poles, something I didn't realize when I first got there. Just about every street in Williamsburg includes a bike lane to help promote exhaust-free transportation (while turning a blind eye to gentrification). I'm guessing these hundreds of bikes represent people who where going into the city, parked their bike at Bedford Ave., and then will have a ride home once they get back to Brooklyn. It was the most amount of unmanned bikes I ever seen in the confines of New York City out in the open like that. I understand it was daytime and there are tons of people walking around to scare off any would-be bike thief, but its certainly a bold move. It turns out I didn't purchase anything with the two flea markets, Thrift Store, and rows of sidewalk tables, outside the red velvet cupcake and ginger slush, that is.
I would've at least settled for finding out how the Welch's Fruit Snacks wound up on the tracks......
Williamsburg used to be a bonafide Puerto Rican neighborhood, with a healthy mix of drug-dealing motorcycle clubs, but the overflowing population of hipsters and beatniks from Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side of Manhattan who either ran out of room or were being priced out, migrated across the East River to slummier surroundings that accommodated their budget. Over time a culture has developed there and many have flocked to the neighborhood seeking acceptance to an alternative lifestyle. The waterfront section used to feature massive warehouses and factories, but now that the place is hot for the real estate market, those old fixtures were torn down (and set ablaze by their owners), in favor of developing high-rise condominiums with picturesque views of the Manhattan skyline. Williamsburg used to be part of my territory while I was selling copy machines for Konica Minolta during 2004 and 2005, and although the hipster presence was visible, nearly ten years later it has spread considerably, along with newly built luxury quarters to support wealthier inhabitants seeking to buy their way into the scene. I did return a few times to Williamsburg, but those times were quite brief and with use of my car. Now I was going back by train, and was going to pound the pavement to stroll the streets I once had to stroll as a copy machine salesman.
The best train to take there is the L line, although the J, M, or Z can also take you nearby and provide a ride with a great view over the Williamsburg Bridge, but it will require a few extra blocks of walking. A third public transit option is the East River Ferry which leaves from two locations: E. 34th Street and Lower Manhattan. I went with the L train and took it to the Bedford Avenue stop, then found puzzlement when I stepped foot off the train and noticed an empty mega-box of Welch's Fruit Snacks had ended up on the tracks somehow. Once out of the station I was immediately hit with a Thrift Store and the secondhand shopping spree was on!! Most of Bedford Avenue is lined up with street vendors selling all sorts of different goods such as books, movies, toys, comic books, shoes, and alot more. I could never understand why many were selling VHS tapes still, but there were plenty of those going around. The plan was to visit the Brooklyn Flea on the East River Waterfront and another place located on Wythe Ave. Not seeing anything special from the Thrift Store, I headed towards the waterfront down North 7th St. (N 7th St.) and came upon a little gem I had not been expecting; Artists & Fleas. It's a large indoor garage space that had been converted into an inside flea market with dozens of tables. There was even a DJ inside spinning rare hits from old vinyl records. I found most of the items inside to be more interesting to females, such as jewelry, art, and clothing. Featured, but not for sale, was a kid's school chair that belongs in any home setting. The most intriguing attraction overall was from a company called Golly. They had the ingenious idea of creating t-shirts out of cutouts from old bed sheets from the 70's and 80's. I recognized a square of the Ghostbusters bed sheets I used to have immediately. Prices ran from thirty to thirty-five dollars, and even though its a great idea, I wasn't looking to part with any funds for it. Some of the tables accept credit/debit cards, but there is also an ATM on the premises if any cash is needed.
There were a couple coffee and tea stands in front of the market, which is open every Saturday and Sunday, but the stand that caught my eye was the Trop Pops. For four dollars you get a frozen fruit pop bar with pure dark chocolate on the back. The choices of fruit were mango, kiwi, and two others. I went with the mango to accompany me to my next destination; the Brooklyn Flea. Getting closer to the East River, I saw the Manhattan skyline standing in the background, and appreciated more why certain old unused warehouses had been burnt to ashes. The East River Waterfront spot caters to the Brooklyn Flea on Sundays (that has other locations in Fort Greene - Brooklyn as well), and the Smorgaburg on Saturdays (which is basically the same type of affair as the Sundays). There were a couple of ATM machines on site as well, and this outdoor spot had four times as many tables as there was at Artists and Fleas. In addition, this one also had about a dozen different food and snack stands, which overall, made it more worth the trip than the flea market itself. Unfortunately I ate big before leaving, so my stomach wasn't empty enough to sample more of the options. There were sausages, pizzas, tacos, ice cream, malteds, burgers, hotdogs, and more. It was very difficult to hold back, especially when I saw a mini-cupcake cart, charging only a dollar each. I told myself I would only get one if they have red velvet. Of course, upon closer look the indeed had the red velvet so I kept my promise and bought one. I was also getting a little thirsty, plus the sun was beaming down, so I went with a slush from Kelvin Natural Slush. They serve two flavors, ginger or Arnold Palmer, plus after you add a fruit topping. The guy behind the counter told me the Arnold Palmer ice would take about five minutes before it would be ready again, so I took a ginger with white peaches, which was available immediately.
Most of the prices from the vendors were quite steep, and I didn't find much that I really found myself drawn to. The only piece I considered buying was from this guy who had a bunch of old license plates - going back to the 1920's. Those really old ones were more expensive than what I felt like spending, but he did have a 1967 Ontario plate for ten dollars that was very tempting. Most of my time at the Brooklyn Flea was spent deciding whether I should get it or not. I even took to the East River and the ferry loading up passengers to see if could jog an answer in my head, but ultimately I realized I could get something like that off of Ebay anytime, so no need to impulse buy a 1967 Ontario license plate. I walked along the waterfront on my way out of the Brooklyn Flea and looked up at some of the towering glass buildings erected recently that overlook the East River. Walking down Kent Avenue to the next stop on the flea market train, there were a number of unused buildings covered in artistic works, and just plain old graffiti. There was also the old Domino's sugar manufacturing plant which had since shutdown and relocated elsewhere. Once I reached the Wythe Ave. location there was one little problem: It wasn't a flea market spot anymore, it had turned into an outdoor bar. My legs were growing quite tired by this time and the sun's power was more eminent than I predicted earlier in the day, so I figured it was best to walk back towards the train and head on home. I stuck with Bedford Avenue the whole way back and discovered the street vendors and their tables offered more interesting stuff than what was found inside those two markets.
Upon passing one block, I saw a sign of defiance from the dwindling Puerto Rican remnants. It was two clotheslines hung from one apartment building to another across the street, and they supported about fifty Puerto Rican flags flapping in the wind. Some other houses and buildings as well seemed to be going out of their way to display a flag or the image of the Puerto Rican flag, likely as a method to remind the hipsters who was there first and that the gentrification of the neighborhood isn't appreciated. It's not really the hipsters alone that have forced them out, but they sparked business in general that has taken its normal course of action in terms of real estate and the trade-in of bogedas for coffee houses. While I was there I heard several different languages spoken, likely French or German; tourists checking out the area to see what all the hype is about (and likely spending money on the local shops). I do find it somewhat hypocritical that most of the free-spirits there are against eating meat or even an egg hatched from a caged chicken, but have no problem being part of a movement that has forced most of a neighborhood to abandon its roots and seek affordable housing elsewhere.
Soon after, going block by block and passing by a countless number of tables set up on the sidewalks with goods for sale, I came upon one amusing moment when a girl was trying to purchase a Davy Crockett fur cap. The table's owner was asleep inside a shopping cart and it was difficult to tell if he ran the table, or if he was just some junkie or homeless person sleeping in a cart with his feet hanging out the back. The girl had to wake him up, but it took a few pokes from her until he finally came to. When I arrived back at the Bedford Avenue L train entrance I noticed there were hundreds of bikes lined up and locked to the poles, something I didn't realize when I first got there. Just about every street in Williamsburg includes a bike lane to help promote exhaust-free transportation (while turning a blind eye to gentrification). I'm guessing these hundreds of bikes represent people who where going into the city, parked their bike at Bedford Ave., and then will have a ride home once they get back to Brooklyn. It was the most amount of unmanned bikes I ever seen in the confines of New York City out in the open like that. I understand it was daytime and there are tons of people walking around to scare off any would-be bike thief, but its certainly a bold move. It turns out I didn't purchase anything with the two flea markets, Thrift Store, and rows of sidewalk tables, outside the red velvet cupcake and ginger slush, that is.
I would've at least settled for finding out how the Welch's Fruit Snacks wound up on the tracks......
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