The Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market has been doing some exciting things up in Midtown. Known for its classic flea market vendors selling vintage clothing, antique furniture, and other fascinating objects, the flea market is now home to the periodic Food Truck Bazaar. The food is delicious, and who doesn’t love to eat food from a truck? And now you don’t have to track down your favorite trucks all over town. You can go the Bazaar and find many of them in one spot. The food trucks that participated in the most recent event included:
And now the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market also features fantastic local handmade Etsy artisans! The {NewNew} Artisans Group opened up their tents at the flea market in early April. Frankly, I was a curious as to how well the handmade products would mesh with the vintage and antique products at this well-established market. I’m happy to report that the artisans add a lovely new dimension to the shopping experience. Some fine examples of the variety of handmade products on their debut weekend included:
So head over to the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market on West 39 St. between 10th & 11th Avenue Saturdays and Sundays to check out all the amazing treasures there. The next Food Truck Bazaar is scheduled for Sunday, May 8th! Do we really have to wait that long?
Paperelle is all sorts of wonderful ideas rolled into one: origami, upcycling, decoupage, design, handcrafting, and whimsy. Talented artisan Lauren Donnelly creates colorful, paper jewelry and other objets, such as this lovely lightbulb full of tiny, plump origami stars, each one made carefully by hand. She also makes bangles and other pieces of jewelry using bits of paper that she carefully selects: Japanese Manga, an upcycled physics textbook, or a map of the State of New York. She even puts junk mail to good use. Paperelle pieces are all one-of-a-kind, dainty, and sweet. And if a lightbulb full of stars doesn’t inspire you to dream, well, we need to talk.
She sells her work on Etsy.com, and she is a member of The {NewNew} Artisan Group, selling her pieces at markets in New York City.
As we all know, markets of any kind can be scrappy affairs, with crowds of people carrying unwieldy bags filled with bulky purchases, having a nosh, pushing strollers, leading dogs, and generally making their way through the market vendors. I buy my eggs at the very end of my trips to the Abingdon Square market because it’s a bit of a gauntlet to get them all home in one piece.
The Spring Bust Craftacular in May was just such a vibrant scene, made even more so by a DJ spinning thumping tunes. So when I came across the incredibly delicate work by glass artisan Kiva Ford, I was amazed by what I saw.
Ford is a professional scientific glassblower by day. In his free time, he applies his technical skills to his passion for glass art and design. At the Craftacular, his table was filled with the teensiest of fine glass vases. The one pictured is actually about the size of a quarter. Each one is colorful, unique and perfect. His portfolio extends well beyond miniatures to elaborate goblets, the likes of which you would expect to have seen on a banquet table at Versaille, and brilliant lampwork glass sculptures. Ford’s prices range from $20 for a tiny vase to thousands for a set of handmade dragon goblets. The very idea that you can find craftsmanship of this type and quality in this day and age is nothing short of astounding.
Ford sells his wares from time to time at the craft markets in New York and New Jersey, and this week he launched Kiva Glass on Etsy.com with his sister, Andrea Ford Quinones, who is the creative force behind their jewelry collection. Check out their fine pieces and start planning your next elaborate dinner party!
It’s going to be a scorcher this weekend! So grab your nalgene water bottle, your sunblock, and your market tote, and head straight out to these market events:
- Kidding Around: The Brooklyn Indie Market and The {NewNew} are teaming up for “Kidding Around,” another Sustainable Living event this Saturday. Bring your kids or come out and pick up some wonderful handmade clothing and toys for them, as well as some pretty baubles for yourself! Saturday, July 17, 11AM – 7PM under the red and white striped tent on Smith and Union Street, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
- Ft. Greene Artisan Market and Greenmarket: Spend Saturday in Ft. Greene Park, designed by Olmsted and Vaux and one of New York City’s fairly unsung green glories. Start off by strolling through the delightful Ft. Greene Artisan Market, featuring talented local artisans and designers, and then onto the Greenmarket right up the sidewalk. Pick up some cheese, bread, and a couple of perfect peaches, and head into the park for a picnic. (NB: Once you’re finished napping in the shade of a black walnut tree, the beloved Brooklyn Flea is a short walk from the park.)
- Summer Camp Craft Session with Etsy and The {NewNew} on Governor’s Island: Who says kids have all the fun? Join in on Governor’s Island this weekend for Summer Camp Craft Session and learn some crafty techniques from the experts of Etsy and The {NewNew} Artisan Group. After you’ve made something endearing for your mom at camp, swing by The {NewNew}’s pop-up shop on the island for something really great for yourself. With over 200 amazing and diverse artisan members, The {NewNew} is everywhere we want to be this summer! Craft Camp – Saturday, July 17, 2 – 5PM, Parade Grounds on Governor’s Island
- Go see the “New Lenses” Art Exhibit at the Fulton Stall Market: The weekly Fulton Stall Market at the Seaport commissioned six talented artists to create works specifically for the market. The works are hung each weekend behind the market vendors, making this already picturesque produce, food and craft market even more so. Saturday and Sunday, 11AM – 6PM on South Street between Fulton and Beekman
- Cold Summer Soups at Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket and the Park Slope Flea Market: The Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket holds delicious food demonstrations, as do many of the the greenmarkets around town. This weekend is no exception when Ronna from Park Slope’s Purple Kale will teach how to make delicious cold summer soups. Free samples for all! After you’ve filled your tote with produce, it’s a short walk over to the Park Slope Flea Market for some additional treasures to bring home. Food Demo – Saturday, 10am – noon. Flea Market – Saturdays and Sundays on 7th Avenue between 1st & 2nd Street at PS 321 in Brooklyn.
Here are some words of advice about market shopping in this week’s Time Out New York! Have a great weekend and don’t forget to put sunblock on your ears!
This Just In:
This weekend marks the official opening of The {NewNew}’s Treasure Chest Boutique, their summer outpost on historic Governor’s Island. The {NewNew} is a group of New York area artisans who all sell their handmade items on Etsy.com, the world’s most vibrant online handmade marketplace.
Over 30 artists, designers, makers, and crafters have created a boutique that evokes the perfect seaside home filled with beautiful handmade wares, with attention to every corner and detail. It is the kind of place that will make you want to look at every detail and linger on the porch for a chat. You will find fashion designs, jewelry, ceramics, home decor, toys, stationery, and much more. I guarantee you will not leave without a treasure of your own, or the perfect gift for someone special.
It is a short and beautiful ride just across the harbor. Governors Island was a US Army and Coast Guard military base that was closed down in 1996. After years of consideration, the island is now a public space, managed by the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation and the National Park Service. There are concerts on the island, a huge picnic ground, bike rentals, and Water Taxi Beach.
This weekend, in addition to The {NewNew} Boutique, the 3-acre organic farm run by Added Value opens on Saturday, June 5. This farm is a wonderful education initiative and a great opportunity to volunteer and get your hands dirty.
You get to Governor’s Island via a free ferry from the Battery Maritime building at 10 South Street, leaving every 30 minutes on Fridays through Sundays. You can find The {NewNew} Treasure Chest Boutique bringing new life to Historic Home 6B in the heart of Nolan Park, a 5 minute walk from the ferry landing.
The {NewNew} knows how to throw a market! They are an extremely talented and dynamic group of artists and craftspeople from the New York area. Their springtime event, Crafts in Chelsea, is this Saturday, May 8, from 10AM – 5PM on 21st Street between 8th & 9th Avenue. There will be over 100 vendors, all selling unique and beautiful handmade items, many of which you may have seen on this blog – I’m a huge fan of the {NewNew} artisans.
Crafts in Chelsea is also a benefit for to support the arts programming at PS 11.
They all have their online shops on Etsy.com, so if you can’t make it to Chelsea, you can still enjoy and purchase their creations online.
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