Flea Markets We Love in New York City

These days Flea Markets are most everyone’s favorite shopping destination and afternoon jaunt for unique, one-of-a-kind, and locally made treats and experiences. What with the economy where it is and the explosion of DIY, handmade and culinary pursuits (raise your hands if you’re a “foodie”), it makes sense that flea markets are a perfect pleasure for city-dwellers and country denizens alike. In New York City alone, where there are dozens of markets from small to large, commercial to rogue, regular to pop-up, it’s become an extravaganza of commerce that harks back to yesteryear.

Karen Seiger, the author of Markets of New York City: A Guide to the Best Artisan, Farmer, Food, and Flea Markets and the blog, Markets of New York City aims to help New Yorkers and visitors find and enjoy the city’s markets as much as she does. Karen has this to say about the proliferation of flea markets in New York City:

“There are at least three major factors behind the resurgence of flea markets.
For starters, ‘Flea Markets 2.0′ like the Brooklyn Flea and the Hell’s Kitchen Flea have become incubators for design, style, and food innovation. They are the birthplace for national and international trends. Secondly, due to the protracted economic situation, more people are selling in the markets to earn income and shopping there to save money yet still have style. And third, the Internet now allows markets and vendors to promote their events and merchandise much more effectively and less expensively than ever before.  It’s a perfect storm of technology, economics, innovation — and fleas.”

With the spread of Facebook, Twitter and Krrb, flea market sellers are finding it much easier to post their wares online for potential shoppers to find them offline, thus increasing their presence digitally and physically.

We at Krrb headquarters welcome every single market and vendor into our lives for a better way to not only buy, but to interact with our fair city. So we’ve have started a list—that we fully acknowledge is by no means complete—of some of the City’s best markets. We’ll soon be expanding the list to cover the best of national and international flea markets, but here is our modest start.

Here goes!

Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market

The deal: Antique and handmade vendors populate this staple in NYC. In addition to the standard flea, they gather the best of New York City’s food trucks on certain weekends. Check out the full schedule on their site.

39th St between Ninth and Tenth Avenues,
Hells Kitchen, New York City
hellskitchenfleamarket.com
Saturday and Sunday, 9am–6pm

The Antiques Garage

The deal: Also part of the Hell’s Kitchen group, The Garage (as it’s known to the regulars) is a huge indoors market with tons of old school vendors hocking their vintage and antique decorative, eclectic, collectibles and apparel. This market is less for hipsters and more for people looking to get some shopping done.

112 W 25th St between Sixth and Seventh Avenues,
Chelsea, New York City
hellskitchenfleamarket.com
Saturday and Sunday, 9am–5pm

Brooklyn Flea

The deal: Brooklyn Flea is a trendy hotspot for 200-ish vendors with handmade and vintage clothes, design, jewelry, art, and furniture, as well as artisinal food to bring home or eat on the spot. They are now in several locations with a market in Fort Green and Williamsburg, a new all food market also in Williamsburg, and as the concession stands at Central Park’s Summer Stage concert series.

brooklynflea.com

Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School
Lafayette Ave between Clermont and Vanderbilt Avenuess,
Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Saturday and Sunday, 10am–5pm

North 7th St between Kent and the water,
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Saturday is Smorgasbord, 10am-5pm
Sunday is the Flea, 10am-5pm

P.S. 321 Flea Market

The deal: For many years, the front yard of the school which opens up onto the busy 7th Ave on Park Slope has been the weekend home to a selection of 40-ish vintage and antique vendors with crowded tables of jewelry, clothes, furniture and knick-knacks. 
Being so close to the park and the center of the Slope, it’s an easy jaunt to incorporate into your weekend.

180 Seventh Ave between 1st and 2nd Streets,
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718-421-6763
Saturday and Sunday, 10am-5pm

The Green Flea

The deal: Touted as the oldest Flea in New York City, the Green Flea is owned in part by The Parents Associations of PS 87, the Computer School and MS 44, and the proceeds provide enrichment opportunities for the students of those schools. Since 1985, they have raised $4,000,000 in additional funds. So by getting your vintage and handmade goods here, you are supporting the vendors that support the kids, and that sounds good, doesn’t it.?

Columbus Avenue between West 76th & 77th Streets,
Upper West Side, New York City
greenfleamarkets.com
10am-5:30pm (November-March) and 10am-6pm (April-October)

The Meeker Avenue Flea Market

The deal: The Meeker Avenue Flea Market is 2 floors and 80,000 square feet of vintage consignment and antique furnishings. Outfit your entire house without having to step into Ikea once.

391 Leonard St. off Richardson St,
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
meekeravenuefleamarket.com
Sunday – Thursday, 11am-7pm, Friday & Sat, 11am-9pm

Artists and Fleas

The vibe: The first flea market in Brooklyn having roots since 2003, has about 40 vendors in their indoor spot. Mostly vintage clothes and jewelry, there are also handmade accessories and art. They have a small food area to pick up some tacos, coffee and burgers. It’s so close to the train, it’s hard to come up with an excuse not to go.

North 7th St between Kent and Wythe,
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
artistandfleas.com
Saturday and Sunday, 10am-7pm

Hester Street Fair

The deal: A group of about 100 vendors working vintage, antique, culinary and handmade magic. Clothes, furniture, jewelry, craft and some delicious food vendors to keep you nourished are great gets for the trendy and the regular folks, alike. Since you’re probably walking through Downtown Manhattan at some point over the weekend, you might as well hit up the market for some shopping and some eating.

Hester Street at Essex St,
Chinatown, New York City
hesterstreetfair.com
Saturday and Sunday, 10am-6pm