September » 2011 » Markets of New York

Weekend Market Picks – October 1-2, 2011 + Over the Moon Jewel

We are headed into a wonderful weekend full of fantastic market events! Several annual events are going on this weekend and some into next week. Hopefully we’ll get some crisp autumn air this weekend and less hair-frizzing humidity!

I am very happy to feature a wonderful jewelry designer, Barbara Wilkinson of Over the Moon Jewel! Barbara has a true eye for color and composition, and her background in art is evident in her designs. She creates pieces for a diverse array of styles and tastes, using brightly colored semi-precious stones and delicate pearls, happy hoop earrings and yoga-inspired charms, sterling silver and gold tones. She also makes sexy jewelry for men. Barbara will be at the week-long ID Pop Shop III, which runs Monday, October 3 – Sunday, October 10th inside Chelsea Market. Definitely go meet her in person and check out her beautiful designs!

Saturday and Sunday

URGENT – GrowNYC Hurricane Donation Collection: GrowNYC is working in all boroughs with City Harvest, Regional Food Bank, and Move for Hunger this weekend and next to collect basic food and products for communities affected by Hurricane Irene. 10% of the Greenmarket system’s farmers have lost all of their crops for the seasaon, and they and their communities need our help. Go to GrowNYC.org to see which markets have collection sites and the basic food and personal products needed.

Crafts on Columbus: This is the second weekend of Crafts on Columbus, which takes place next to the Natural History Museum. The this semi-annual craft market is a great way to get a jump start on your holiday market shopping because there is such a rich variety of handmade crafts here. The market skips next weekend and then runs for one more weekend on October 15th and 16th. (Columbus Avenue between 77th and 81st Street)

Madison Square Eats: This pop-up food market is filled with delicious local food purveyors and Flatiron neighborhood restaurants serving up pizza, tacos, crepes, chocolate, cupcakes, beers, and more! Madison Square Eats runs through October 21. Bring your friends! (West side of Madison Square Park between Fifth Avenue and Broadway, and 24th and 25th Streets)

Pompeii Flea and Craft Market on Bleecker Street: This market started right after 9/11 as a tribute by local artists and neighbors in the Village to the spirit of New York City. Now it is a staple of Bleecker Street on the weekends. Stop and browse through vintage bakelite jewelry, dichroic glass and crocheted metal jewelry, and much more! (Bleecker Street between Carmine and Leroy next to Our Lady of Pompeii Church).

Sunday:

Atlantic Antic - This New York Street Fair sets the gold standard for New York street fairs. Far from the affairs that block traffic and annoy the natives, the Atlantic Antic incorporates the local businesses in four Brooklyn Neighborhoods and provides literally blocks and blocks of food, music, and shopping from unique local crafters and designers, and lots of things for kids (pony rides!!!). Bring your appetite, your friends, and your walking shoes to this annual event.

Starting Monday through Sunday, October 10:

ID Pop Shop III: This is the third event for this new group of independent designers. This week-long market features some of New York’s most innovative and talented designers in fashion and lingerie, jewelry and accessories, body products, and more. It is located inside Chelsea Market, so go do your shopping at the ID Pop Shop and then grab a delicious bite to eat from the shops throughout the food market. (Chelsea Market on 9th Ave and 15th Street)

YOU ARE INVITED! Please come to Chelsea Market Baskets on Saturday afternoon from 3-7PM! I will be doing a book signing and enjoying the Food Network’s Food and Wine Festival in the neighborhood!

And to my friends in Washington, DC: Do not miss Crafty Bastards on Saturday! And let me know what treasures you find!

Photos of the Day – September 26, 2011: Broadway Flea Market

This Sunday was the 25th Annual Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Flea Market! Fortunately the predicted rain never showed up, and we even spotted some patches of blue skiy.

This flea market is one of my favorite events of the year because it can only happen in New York City. Broadway theaters open up their closets and bring their memorabilia, costumes, props, playbills, and much more to 44th Street and Shubert Alley. There are plenty of bake sales too; a cookie from the Lion King table and a cupcake from the Broadway Workshop tided us over as we strolled up and down the block.

During the day, Broadway stars were out signing autographs, including Sutton Foster, Joel Grey, Bobby Cannavale, Ana Gasteyer, Josh Gad, Joyce Dewitt, and many more.

The auction of Broadway tickets, experiences, and memorabilia took place in Times Square itself. You could bid on some incredible opportunities, like conducting the Overture of the Phantom of the Opera; an onstage appearance at Lion King, Mamma Mia, Chicago and several other shows: an evening with Spiderman; and many more truly unique and remarkable only-on-Broadway, only-in–New York experiences.

We enjoyed watching everyone from the shows and in the crowds. My favorites were the fellow trying on the size 13, baby pink, satin pumps, and also meeting the charming young actors from Mary Poppins who play Jane and Michael Banks, Kara Oates and David Gabriel Lerner. I kept my eye peeled for Daniel Radcliffe, but no luck. I did, however, see his likeness as a How To Succeed in Business Broadway Bear (the blue one pictured below).

As we looked through stacks of playbills, waved at one of the Billies (three actors play the lead roll in Billy Elliot at any given time), and snapped photos, we remembered that this event has raised millions of dollars over the years to fight AIDS. So a huge thanks to everyone who organized and participated in this event, and to fans and shoppers who came to find treasures from their favorite Broadway shows!

Weekend Market Picks – September 24-25, 2011 + Bar Suzette

Nutella Banana Crepe from Bar Suzette at Madison Square Eats

This weekend is jam-packed with exciting market events! The annual London Terrace Street Fair is on Saturday, and I am positively GIDDY about the 25th Annual Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Flea Market and Grand Auction on Sunday I’ve been waiting an entire year for both events!

The mouthwatering image is a nutella and banana crepe from Bar Suzette at Madison Square Eats. This month-long local food market in the Flatiron District is back today, September 23 with more delicious, local savory and sweet treats. Plus beer!

Saturday and Sunday, September 24-25

Crafts on Columbus: This outdoor craft market features fine local and regional artisans on the sidewalk of Columbus Avenue from 77th to 812st Street along side of the Natural History Museum. It also runs October 1-2, and then again on October 15-16.

Saturday Only, September 24

London Terrace Street Fair: It’s time again for the fabulous, annual London Terrace Street fair on West 24th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues in Chelsea. Imagine hundreds of people in the historic London Terrace building emptying out their closets, and there you have an incredible yard sale. Local artisans and food vendors are in the street as well.

Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket: This large GrowNYC farmers market is holding a Pickle Party with Rick’s Picks on Saturday! Meet pickling master Rick Field in the info tent at 11 am as he shows how how to make his famous Smokra, pickled paprika okra!

Agora LIC Market: This Long Island City market is holding its fourth event of the year, featuring crafts, food, family fun, in St. Mary’s Lot, 10-31 49th Avenue, between Vernon Blvd. and Jackson Avenue. I haven’t been able to make it to this market yet, so I’m aiming to check it out this weekend!

Sunday, September 25

Astoria Market: This indoor craft market in Queens is back on Sunday at Bohemian Hall. Stroll among the tables filled with handmade jewerly, t-shirts, toys, and fine arts, and you’ll definitely find a treasure to take home with you!

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Flea Market and Grand Auction: Hooray!!! Broadway turns out her closets onto the Shubert Alley and West 44th Street! You may find props, costumes, souvenirs, and playbills galore. And bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences in the live and silent auctions, including a chance to conduct the orchestra for Phantom, an onstage appearance in Mama Mia, and a pre-show “flight call” of Spiderman. Check out all the auction items! Giddy, I tell you! And proceeds go to fight AIDS.

Fairway Market and 92nd Street Y Street Fair: A shout out to my friend Strongman Steve Weiner, who will be doing a strength performance at this family event on Lexington Avenue between 90th and 91st Streets. Steve is seriously strong. He can roll up frying pans, twist horse shoes into hearts, and rip phonebooks vertically with his bare hands. Oh – and combo lift 1000 lbs.

And one more shout out to market veterans Nina Valenti of Nature vs. Future fashion design and Jason Laurits of Paste Graphic T-Shirts, who are hosting an Open Studio sale of their unique, lovely products during the DUMBO Arts Festival on Saturday and Sunday starting at noon at 10 Jay Street, #500 in DUMBO.

Have a great weekend and wish for dry weather! A few clouds are good, but no more rain for a while!

Photo of the Day – September 22, 2011: Rockin’ Legwear from Box 185

I spotted a striking woman with extremely groovy boots at the Hester Street Fair last weekend. The woman is Sara Keiser of fashion design company Box 185. And sure enough, they were not boots at all, but rock-n-roll leg warmers!

We’re not talking 80’s Flash Dance leg warmers either. We’re talking 2011 spandex, feathers, fur, ribbons, and sparkles. The unique styles can be worn up to the knee or thigh. You can twist them around the leg so the adornments swirl like a barber shop pole. They also have an opening for the heel of your pump to slip through so the leg warmer can fit snugly around your arch.

It you are in a rock band, or aspire to be one day, you absolutely must stop by and see Sara’s creations. She also has a remarkable, full fashion line of dresses, skirts, pants, vests, and accessories, although these words feel completely inadequate to describe the collection. Sara also creates equally fantastic feather jewelry. You really have to see everything to understand just how chic and wild these designs are.

You can find Sara this weekend only at the Young Designers Market at 328 West 14th Street in the Meatpacking District. She is usually at the Young Designers’ Nolita location at 268 Mulberry Street (Note: that location is closed this weekend). She may be back at Hester Street soon as well.

Check her website to see amazing photography; read her fun, beautiful, and inspirational blog; and make an appointment to meet Sara in person at her studio on the Lower East Side.

Rock on!

Photo of the Day – September 20, 2011: Antique Locomotive Smoking Caddy ca. 1860

On weekdays, the cafeteria tables and benches at PS 87 are filled with kids eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. But on Sundays, when the Greenflea pitches its tents outside, the cafeteria tables become an antiques market, laden with vintage treasures.

Glittering in a corner of the cafeteria in aisle 4 is the antique silver collection from Slope Antiques. Proprietors Susan and Richard Kurtzman lay out a fine collection of urns, trays, serving items, baby items, and other objects. I first met them while writing Markets of New York City; a photo of a Gorham and Co. mesh bag is on page 47. Their collection of vintage Tiffany silver makes me quiver. And I am in love with their sugar spoons and tea service items.

This past Sunday, Mr. Kurtzman showed me one of his personal favorite pieces, a silver locomotive smoking caddy. Handmade in Germany circa 1860, this detailed, lovely piece has both artistic and practical and features. If you look at the photo, the little rings around the outside hold up to a dozen cigarettes for your guests to select from. The two larger pots in the center of the locomotive hold wooden matches, which can be lit by striking them along the wheels at the back. Alternatively, right in front of the miniature engineer is a tiny lamp with a wick that can be lit to fire up a cigarette, or even for ambiance. Mr. Kurtzman believes there used to be a blue glass plume of smoke coming out of the chimney, but it probably came off as this amazing piece of art and craftsmanship traveled through the past 150 years.

You really must go see this piece for yourself, including the tiny rivets, the axles, and the engineer at the back, with his jaunty hat and mustache. Slope Antiques is at the Greenflea every Sunday. Let me know if you would like to contact them directly, and I will make the introduction.

Weekend Market Picks – September 17 & 18, 2011 + Comfort Food Kitchen!

Anzac Biscuits from Comfort Food Kitchen

… And then Fall arrived on Thursday night at 7.25PM! Wasn’t that crazy?! Fall makes me super nostalgic for school days, cozy sweatshirts, holding hands, and cookies. So it is perfect timing to go see chef and baker Suzanne Michaud of Comfort Food Kitchen this Sunday at the Hester Street Fair!

The Comfort Food Kitchen features cookies made from historic and heirloom recipes. In fact, Suzanne told me her first memory is of eating chocolate chip cookies that her neighbor made especially for her. Her Florentine Biscotti recipe was brought to the US from the Old World over 100 years ago by a friend’s grandmother. The delicious, chewy Anzac Biscuits are made from a recipe given to Suzanne by the lovely father of a dear friend. Anzac Biscuits are the national cookie of Australia They were made by women to send to their men in the armed services during WWI (Anzac stands for Australia New Zealand Army Corps). The biscuits are made with old fashioned golden cane sugar syrup, which helped them stay chewy and moist as they reached loved ones.

Suzanne promised me she’d be bringing the biscotti and Anzac biscuits to the Hester Street Fair this Sunday, as well as some other tasty treats to make the shopping even sweeter!

And now for the Market Picks!

Saturday & Sunday, September 17 & 18

Artists & Fleas: Drop by Williamsburg and visit this run, vibrant indoor market! It is loaded with talented fashion and accessories designers, as well as vintage collections. Delicious food too, with short lines! And congratulations to founder Amy Abraham and her business partner Adelaide Lancaster on their awesome new book, The Big Enough Company!

Hester Street Fair: Do not miss the second annual Stylist Tent Event on Sunday! Sponsored by Uniqlo, this event features clothing and accessories contributed by fashion industry insiders. They tag their items and bring them to Hester Street. And you and I get to pick through these gems and take home something fabulous for next year’s Fashion’s Night Out! The market is also open on Saturday!

Saturday Only, September 17

East 67th Street Market: This Saturday Flea Market has vendors in the schoolyard of PS 183 on East 66th and East 67th Streets between 1st and York Avenues. There are also some phenomenal, must-see vintage vendors inside the halls and cafeteria. Stop by for vintage decorative items, jewelry, and more, including cashmere sweaters!

Morningside Park Farmers’ Market: This market is run by Community Markets and sponsored by the Friends of Morningside Park at 110th Street and Manhattan Avenue. Come find farmers and food purveyors, and join in the yoga class with Lara from Land Yoga at 4PM!

Sunday, September 18

79th Street Greenmarket: Open on Sundays on the Upper West Side, this market is one of the larger Greenmarkets in the city. Right now it stretches from 77th – 80th Street alongside the Natural History Museum. So it is a scenic, beautiful market filled with 32 vendors during growing season. It is also right across Columbus Avenue from the weekly Greenflea on Sundays.

Grab your coziest sweatshirt and meet me at the markets! It’s going to be chilly and beautiful – perfect for shopping!

Photo of the Day – September 14, 2011: Caramel Chai Sauce from Herbin’ Spoonful

I am always thrilled to find new and wonderful things to eat in the markets. Walking through the Hester Street Fair recently, I came across Herbin’ Spoonful Caramel Sauce. And boy am I glad I stopped for a taste (as if not stopping was even an option).

This Brooklyn-based company currently sells three kinds of caramel sauce: Lavender, Chai, and Habanero. I love how they span the spectrum from gentle lavender, to the stronger spices in chai, and onto the pow of hot pepper. Each one is distinct, gooey, and delicious.

Last weekend at our Sunday Family Dinner, we made David Lebovitz’ vanilla ice cream with a vanilla pod we got at the beautiful Sullivan Street Tea and Spice Company. We drizzled the chai caramel sauce over the top of the each scoop. Our guests actually purred. And there were no leftovers.

These caramel sauces are made with high quality organic ingredients. You can even pair them with savory dishes as glazes. But really all you need is a spoon.

Come try Herbin’ Spoonful’s caramel sauces weekends at the Hester Street Fair. Check the website for exact dates

Hester Street Fair + Henri Bendel = A Rockin’ Fashion’s Night Out

Last Thursday was Fashion’s Night Out in New York City. This is the first year I have participated because a) I had the makeover, b) I had the perfect Little Black Dress and jewelry, and c) Hester Street Fair was shaking up 5th Avenue!

I started out my day with my friend Angelo Guglielmo at Lincoln Center for the BCBG Max Azria runway show at 10:30 in the morning. We enjoyed the entire venue. And I know I posted that Black is the New Black, but I have a feeling that this crowd knows that black has always been the only color worth bothering with.

That night, I went to Fashion’s Night Out with the Hester Street Fair at Henri Bendel on 5th Avenue. What a crowd! It was a market with in an iconic space featuring amazing handmade, artisanal goods. It had the loud music, the fun crowds, and atmosphere of a club. And most of all, it was a really great meeting of Uptown and Downtown, where the commonalities were design, quality, craftsmanship, and a really great time with some amazing people! Check out all the photos, including:

I wrapped up the evening at opening of the solo show of fine artist Amarillis Kroon at the Red Market Salon in the Meatpacking District. Ami is an extremely talented artist, whose paintings of Nouveau Art Deco Women are extraordinary. Her artwork is up until the end of this month, so definitely go check it out.

And now, about my outfit. My dress is an amazing work of design, craftsmanship, and eco-fabric by the talented Nina Valenti of Nature vs. Future of the Independent Designers Pop Shop at Chelsea Market. My jewelry was a chic, gold, hand-hammered ensemble by Shaya Mehubad of ShayaNYC of the Nolita Market. And my perfume, as ever, was a hand blended potion by Megan Brame of Metropolis Soap Company of various markets around town. I am thrilled to report that I got stopped by no fewer than a dozen strangers throughout the day asking me where I got my dress and my baubles. It was a really great Fashion’s Night Out for this blogger.

Fashion Week with Angelo Guglielmo and Mercedes Benz (photo from Angelo Guglielmo)

Check Out My New Threads on the Nate Berkus Show!

My Fashion Makeover on the Nate Berkus Show airs today on the season premier at 2PM on NBC in New York! For listings in other cities, check here! No photo – I don’t want to ruin the surprise!

I lost 25 lbs. over the last two year with the help and support of my husband and my sister-in-law, the amazing Marcy Green, and Weight Watchers! But none of my clothes fit, and I have been pretty much lost for a strategy as to what to wear for the last two years as the founder of Sirene MediaWorks.

The interesting thing is that I lost the weight while I was researching for Markets of New York City, eating every last farm fresh veggie and fruit, taco, pupusa, oven-fired pizza, cheese, handmade chocolate, apple cider donut, cupcake, pie, and bacon product I found in the markets. The reason I didn’t turn into Violet Beauregarde (warning: Oompa Loompas scare the c**p out of me to this day) is the fact that everything was so delicious and made with such high quality ingredients. My cakehole was happy, and my belly got everything my body needed to be healthy and satisfied. Michael Pollan is right: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” I’d just like to add: Don’t be scared to add a small taste of chocolate covered bacon here and there.

But back to Nate Berkus. We all loved his visit to the Brookyn Flea. So when his staff called to let me know I was a go for the makeover, I was thrilled. It was a great experience from start to finish!!! And that’s all I can say until it airs!!

Thank you to Nate and his kind and kickass team, to amazing stylist Mary Alice Stephensen and her crew for making me feel so amazing, and to the Ted Gibson Salon for the princess treatment! And Talbots for the really beautiful, flattering clothes and accessories (and those shoes)! And thank you to my darling, brilliant, hysterically funny sister-in-law Marcy Green, who made this experience even more fun!

OK – it just aired, so here’s the photo!