gifts » Markets of New York

Weekend Market Picks, October 8-9, 2011 and Metropolis Soap Company on Kickstarter!

This weekend weather is going to be gorgeous, which is lucky because there are many wonderful fall events going on in the city’s artisan, farmer, food and flea markets!

And let’s support our awesome friends at Metropolis Soap Company! They only have a couple more days to meet their goals for their Kickstarter Project! I love their vegan soaps because they smell wonderful, they come in such a great variety of scents, and my skin loves them. And I love this project because it a true market-based story. Not only do the markets of New York and around the world offer a wealth of experiences and products for us shoppers, they are are also tremendous incubators for new businesses. Metropolis is raising funds to cover the fees for the world-renowned New York Gift Fair early next year, which could really take their business to the next level. It is an important project and an inspiration to other aspiring artisan businesses! So please make a contribution share the link, and show some soapy love!

Saturday and Sunday, October 8-9, 2011

ID Pop Shop: As I’ve said before, this group of independent designers have come together for a full week at Chelsea Market to offer their fine work to smart pre-holiday shoppers! Come for design, come for gifts, come for inspiration. You’ll be glad you did! The market runs through Monday, October 11.

Park Slope Flea Market at PS 321: Enhance your visit to 7th Ave. and the Greenmarket by popping over to this quiet, lovely flea market between 1st and 2nd Streets. It is a long-established market, so if you are neighbor passing by every weekend, take some time to stop in and browse the tables. I’ve found some great clothing, vintage laces, old books and ephemera, and so much more!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket: I love this market because it is so full of energy, community, families, and nice dogs. And awesome famers too! And today, the Edible Brooklyn editors will be at the info tent signing copies of their gorgeous new Edible Brooklyn: The Cookbook, featuring recipes from local restaurants and a delicious food demo.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Astoria Market: The Astoria Market is well into its second year, featuring emerging artisans and designers from Queens. I always meet inspiring people making amazing things at this market. It also has a relaxed vibe, which is great for looking carefully at the items on each table. This Sunday is Oktoberfest at the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden too! Crafts and Beer? Yes, please!

Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market Food Truck: Fleas and Food! Now we’re talking! Sunday is the October Gourmet Food Truck Bazaar at the Hell’s Kitchen Flea (on 39th St. at 9th Ave.) These food truck gatherings are great for trying some of New York’s most innovative food on wheels, all in one place! This weekend’s event features Rickshaw Dumpling Truck, Kimchi Taco Truck, Gorilla Cheese Truck, Two Pitas in a Pod, and Kelvin Natural Slush.

Brooklyn Night Bazaar: A night market comes to NYC! Finally! The Brooklyn Night Bazaar will take place at the Dekalb Market on Sunday from 5PM till midnight. It will feature over 70 independent merchants and food vendors, music, art, a beer garden, and even petanque (the French love child of bowling, shuffleboard, and horse shoes). The weather is supposed to be great, so bring a big sweater and a cozy friend, and step into the Night Bazaar!

Photo of the Day – July 10, 2010: Hobbit Rare Books and Prints

Beautiful Prints from Hobbit Rare Books and Prints at the Antiques Garage

Looking for prints of ducks or quail to decorate your Hamptons library? Or Victorian images of palm trees to enhance the walls of your tiny apartment in the city? You need only go up to the second floor of the Antiques Garage to find multiple tables strewn with hundreds of old prints and books from Hobbit Rare Books and Prints. The subject matter is practically infinite, from birds and animals, to plants and palm trees, to architecture and history. Proprietor Arby Rolband is extremely knowledgeable about his collection, and he can help you find exactly what you seek. On occasion, he will bring a collection of rare artworks to the Garage, complete with history and provenance. He is also a font of stories about this particular market and the cast of characters that have wander through over the years.

Come and explore this wonderful antiques and flea market today — it is the perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon. I will be signing books here today from 12 -3 at West 25th Street between Broadway and 6th Ave.

Fun Valentine’s Day Events at the Markets this Weekend!

Whether love is in the air for you or not, there are some great artisan and food events planned for this weekend. Clearly Brooklyn “hearts” Valentine’s Day! (Check the Markets of New York City Facebook Page for updates!)

Greenpoint Food Market: A Food Affair
Saturday February 13^th, Noon – 5:00 PM
Church Of Messiah
129 Russell St., Greenpoint, Brooklyn
http://www.greenpointfoodmarket.wordpress.com/

Greenpoint Food Market is a monthly event people who are “inspired by all foods fresh and local, artisanal and handmade.” This weekend’s Valentine’s event, “A Food Affair” is a mix of innovative foods and food-related items. (Personally, I’m kind of excited about the Kissing Booth!)

“The day will feature a cascade of lovely treats: from aphrodisiac inspired recipes to heart shaped cookies, a photo kissing booth courtesy fellow Greenpointers Color Me Katie and Hyla Skopitz, a secret foodmirer bulletin board to share your food crushes and indulgences, and a heart-hunt: find the heart, win a GFM goodie bag. We are also very pleased to present music by DJ Jimmy T and a performance by Rifle Recoil @ 3pm. We are also grateful to add to a growing list of food-related artworks by artists Jessie Oleson and Jesse Kuhn who will share a few prints on food and love!”

Valentine Fling – Brooklyn Indie and The NewNew
Saturday February 13
11:00 AM – 6:00 PM at Starting Artists
211 Smith Street (at Starting Artists), Brooklyn
Brooklyn Indie Market
The NewNew

The Brooklyn Indie Market is partnering this weekend with the NewNew Artisans for a Valentine’s Day Art Bazaar:

“Valentine’s Day can strike dread in the heart of the hardiest New Yorker: If you’re coupled, there’s the delicate dance of aligning your own celebratory expectations with those of your beloved; if you’re unhappily single, all the emphasis on romance can be special kind of torture. In response to this, Brooklyn Indie Market and The {NewNew} are joining forces to present A Valentine Fling: A day of fun, flirting, and handmade shopping on Smith Street.”

Park Slope/Gowanus Market and the Makers Market at the Old American Can Factory
Sunday 11 AM – 5:00PM
232 3^rd Street at 3^rd Ave, Gowanus/Park Slope Brooklyn
Community Markets
The Makers Market

The partnership between the Makers Market Artisans and Community Market’s local farmers continues this weekend. You will definitely get all your Valentine’s Day shopping done here: top quality handmade gifts, dinner ingredients, and wine included!

“Kiernan Farm Grass Fed Beef is joining the market. Along with their fabulous grass fed beef meat, they’ll offer honey, maple syrup and Sprout Creek Cheese! Manhattan Milk is selling farm fresh products including cream-top grass-fed yogurt, yogurt smoothies, milk and eggs! Adair Vineyard is offering their array of Hudson Valley wines and Made by Molly is featuring chocolate chubbies with roasted, salted almonds!”

Artists and Fleas: Valentine’s Day with a Twist
Saturday and Sunday, February 13-14, 2010 at 12:00pm – 8:00pm
Artists & Fleas: Indoor Artist & Designer Market
129 N 6th St Between Bedford and Berry in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
www.artistsandfleas.com,
Facebook Event Invitation

Artists and Fleas in Williamsburg has great handmade and vintage items every weekend, but this weekend’s special “Un-Valentine’s Day” is bound to have something special for everyone!

“Artists & Fleas kicks off another year of de-cupid-ifying events. Want to shop for those you love or those you no longer love? Get on your spite with some of the delicious delinquency that the folks behind Dirty Bandits have cooked up. They know that life can sometimes throw you a curveball and the only way to live is to play.”

Pop-Up Shop: Liddabit Sweets & Kumquat Cupcakery
Open now through Sunday February 14, 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Kill Devil Hill, 170 Franklin St (between Java and Kent Sts), Brooklyn, NY
Time Out New York Announcement
Kill Devil Hill Blog
Kumquat Cupcakery
Liddabit Sweets

Two sweethearts of New York’s artisanal food world, Liddabit Sweets and Kumquat Cupakery, are teaming up this weekend to open a Pop-Up Shop at Kill Devil Hill in Brooklyn. Their Valentine’s Day specials include 1 or 2 dozen rose and gem min-cupcakes or a box of handmade chocolates and candies. They’ll also have their most popular items to satisfy even the bitterest sweet tooth!

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone from Markets of New York City! ♥

There’s A Giant Pink Squid Under the Christmas Tree

What happens when artisans sell their creations at the markets or pack them up and ship them to all corners of the world for the holidays? They never get to see where their handiwork ends up or who opened the packages on Christmas morning. After talking to artisans at the holiday markets recently about this subject, I decided to show them where the gifts I bought ended up.

We spend the holidays with my husband James’ family, and I can honestly say that every single gift from a New York City market was received with much happiness. One particularly special piece was placed at the top of the tree.

I picked out Squidfire’s hot pink giant squid T-shirt for myself, and James wrapped it up for me. I loved the way it glowered up from underneath the tree. Dainty earrings made by Martin Lopez at AdornmentsNYC from vintage beads and findings got placed immediately in my sister-in-law Judy’s ears. They make a faint hypnotic jingle for her ears only. She also adored the tiny sandalwood candle in a gold pressed glass vase from Lovely Day Designs.

For my nephew, I chose one of my favorite T-shirts to add it to his growing collection of Gnome Enterprises designs. It’s the one where the tree gets its revenge on the lumberjack. My lucky husband got the fluffy black sweatshirt from Fleisher’s Grassfed Organic Meats that says, “Bacon: The Gateway Meat.” It’s a classic.

James made all the holiday cookies this year. (Tip: He added bergamot oil to the icing – amazing!) Anyway, he burned his hand several times taking them out of the oven using our pitiful oven mitts. So I gave him a gorgeous handmade oven rack pull from Meb’s Kitchenwares. It’s in the shape of a fish, and it was a bit of a mystery to everyone until I explained what it was. They all agreed it was brilliant.

Speaking of brilliant, the crayon apron from Pickleboots was the runaway winner with my two-year-old niece, although the pink handbag with a furry mouse in the pocket got a lot of love too.

And finally, there were two piéces de resistance for my brother-in-law Thom. The four of us recently went on vacation to Paris. All Thom wanted was unusual French salts, but he didn’t get any. So when we saw this beautiful collection of salts from Gneiss Spices at the Brooklyn Lyceum, we thought of him. The cute jars are magnetic, and you can store the salts (3 of which are French, and 2 of which are pink) on your fridge.

We also gave Thom a beautiful sign from Yee Haw Industries that says, “Carve that Possum.” He placed it at the top of the tree. We’ll frame it for his workshop after the holidays.

This New Year’s Eve brings us a full moon, a blue moon, a partial lunar eclipse! A lot of great things are going to happen with the Markets of New York blog in the new year, and I am already excited about the book’s release in June. Visit often!

Have a safe and happy new year. And don’t forget to look up!

Brooklyn Lyceum Holiday Craft Market – A Procrastinator’s Paradise

Yes, I left some of my shopping until this weekend. But I totally scored at The Brooklyn Lyceum Holiday Craft Market. In addition to cupcakes, chocolate, and sandwiches that kept me going, the handmade merchandise was impressive. The Lyceum is an excellent space for a market, and I heard a lot of people saying that they liked the way the crowd could easily flow through the aisles this year.

To see all the wonderful exhibitors, you’ll have to brave the snow yourself on Sunday. But I’ll give you a few examples of some of them.

Lovely Day Designs has hand-poured soy candles in vintage teacups, pressed-glass votives, and porcelain gravy boats, and other decorative items as well. One of the more unusual things I came across was the living jewelry from McFlashpants, tiny plants rooted in eensy vials hanging as pendants on a necklace. McFlashpants also makes unique jewelry made of vintage cutlery. Everything Tiny creates laser cut accessories using bright colors and fun images like dinosaurs, Leggos, deer, and (my favorite) dachshunds. Fortunately for my little nieces, I came across Pickleboots and got some really great kid things for them.

I really liked the graphic images printed on pages torn from unusual books by Girls Can Tell. The soaps from Nordea all smell divine, and her felted scrubber soaps in bright colors would be great stocking stuffers. The framed prints from Raw Toast Design are colorful, skillfully drawn, and darkly funny, like the “poor calamari” being eaten by seagulls. For really great T-shirts, I couldn’t resist the bright pink giant squid from Squidfire. And Miss Wit lives up to her name with some really great shirts, like the one that says, “I can’t stop googling myself.” For the nostalgic people on your list, definitely stop by Another Work In Progress for handmade spiral notebooks made from vintage board games, like Candy Land, Bingo, Monopoly, and more.

Brooklyn Lyceum: Saturday and Sunday, December 19 – 20, 11A – 7 P

Tomorrow is the last weekend day to shop! So pull on your ear grips and mukluks and hit the markets!