When I was a kid, paper dolls had paper clothes with paper tabs, and nothing ever stayed put. Well, thanks to Wacky Magnets at the Greenflea, this problem is solved – with handmade magnetic dolls and clothes! They are brilliant! And very easy to store once the paper dolls’ runway shows and tea parties are over. Wacky Magnets also sells funny refrigerator magnets (”Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder” tickles me every time). Look for the bright yellow Wacky Magnets signs at the market.
The beautiful and peaceful smells coming from a table at the Brooklyn Indie Market last fall floated up into my subconscious and made me stop walking. But it was the incredible enthusiasm and huge smile of the artisan Iosellev Castañeda, or Josie, as she’s known in the markets, that made me stay, chat, and learn.
Everything that Josie makes is based on the principles of yoga. She is a certified yoga instructor, but she found that talking with people one on one in the markets is much more to her liking than being in front of a class. Off the Mat is her brand of yoga-inspired soaps, perfumes, candles and accessories. She makes all of her products by hand, combining her passion for the teachings of a yoga lifestyle with her professional experience as a fashion designer.
Her products are all very carefully conceived and made with the highest quality ingredients, mostly vegan, that make them such a pleasure to use. I have become one of her customers who does not practice yoga, but I’m learning more about it every time I see her. If you do happen to know a thing or two about yoga, you have found a passionate kindred spirit in Josie. She is happy for her products to start conversations about yoga, or healthy lifestyles, or frankly anything that makes anyone happy.
I first tried her fragrant soaps based on the seven Chakras. Packaged in rainbow colors, the Chakra Collection soaps filled up my shower with earthy botanical scents. My favorite one is the red one, or Muladhara, which represents foundation, stability, or root support. I have no idea what that means about me, but I really loved the soaps!
Off the Mat’s Black Label line also includes soaps, perfumed oils and sprays, and soy candles. These products are based on the spices, scents and cultures of India and Mexico, and they contain Indian “attars,” or flower- and spice-based fragrances distilled in water using low heat and pressure. The “Elixir of the Gods” scent is a chocolate perfume made from cocoa beans. When I wear it, I actually get the same happy feeling that I get when I eat chocolate, only all day long and guilt-free. “White Amber” is clean and spicy, while “Patchouli” is deep and sensuous.
The newest set of products is the Red Label, based on the concept of “kama,” or pleasure (think “Kama Sutra”). These soaps, oils, sprays, and candles come in four scents: Kama (bright florals), Yuj (warm florals and honey), Agni (warm, spicy, clove), and Maha (fruity floral, fig). Each one not only smells divine, but comes infused with 14K gold shimmer. All of the products from Off the Mat have wonderful packaging, but the Red Line is particularly special, with designs by artist Mayya Cherepova.
Always innovating, Josie also makes jewelry and handbags from upcycled yoga mats. She uses unsold (and unused) stock for her accessories. But if you have a favorite yoga mat that’s seen better days, she’ll custom make it into a great pair of earrings and a shoulder bag for you. She also has two other product lines, the White Label and Botanical Collection that also both smell great.
You can check the website for locations to meet Josie and purchase her wonderful products. She will have a boutique at the Brooklyn Collective from March through May, and she will also be at the Brooklyn Lyceum’s Spring Food and Craft Market. When the warmer weather arrives, you will find her back at the Brooklyn Indie Market.
Namaste!
The markets of New York not only offer shoppers the rare opportunity to meet the people who make the things that we love; they also provide a place for creative people to meet, become friends, and start getting really big ideas. The Better Than Jam Co-Op in Bushwick, Brooklyn is one such idea. It is an exciting example of the entrepreneurial and creative spirit that takes root in the markets and grows into an innovative enterprise.
Printmaker and clothing designer Karin Persan opened the co-op just a few weeks ago, and she carries the designs from many of the talented artisans and designers who sell their products at markets such as the Brooklyn Indie Market, the Makers Market, the Brooklyn Flea, and others. The design quality and craftsmanship is outstanding, and Persan also aims to keep prices affordable. This shop is open 7 days a week, so if you can’t make it to your favorite market on the weekend, you can always stop by and do some shopping at the co-op on weekdays.
The current designers include Persan’s brand, Better Than Jam, as well as Joann Berman’s seriously fun and funky high-fashion pieces inspired by “green, hip-hop, skateboard culture, graffiti, Bushwick.” At the other end of the spectrum are the dainty and feminine handmade dresses of Melissa Bell NYC. KimmChi’s silk-screened apparel and the handmade clothing from the Soft Movement are stylish and comfortable.
Designs by Himane are about as environmentally conscious as any I’ve seen. The one-of-a-kind clothing is made from “hand-picked, locally-sourced, recycled clothing, donated fabrics, and broken umbrellas.” I actually recognized the fabric on one of their clever bag designs from an umbrella decorated with photo images of blue glass beads that I gave my sister Andrea. What, I ask you, are the odds of that?
There are also several wonderful jewelry designers, some of whom are featured in my upcoming guidebook. Caja Jewelry makes clean and clever hand-cut jewelry designs, including name plates ála Sex in the City, puzzle pieces, kitties, florals, or lungs. Knitknit Knits has whimsical felted and knit necklaces, earrings, and brooches. My mother loved the necklace from Andy’s House of Design that I got her for her 29th (ahem) birthday.
The BTJ Co-op is in the up and coming Loom Building shops. The Loom is just getting going, with BTJ, a welcoming knitting cafe, an antiques shop, and some art galleries, with more to come.
Better Than Jam Co-op: 1095 Flushing Ave. (corner of Porter Ave.), a few short blocks from the Morgan St. stop on the L Train. Open every day from 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
Felted cameo necklaces by the ridiculously talented Nguyen Le of Knitknit Knits of the Makers Market at the Old American Can Factory, the Brooklyn Indie Market, and more. She’s giving a workshop on how to do needle felting at the Better Than Jam Designers Co-Op on Saturday, 2/27 from 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM.
The fresh, handcrafted, locally made artisanal food movement in the States is going strong and growing every day. But it occurred to me that Italians have been eating this way for centuries. This culinary tradition is alive and well at the Arthur Avenue Retail Market in the Bronx.
This past weekend, I took Misti Dawn Garritano and Frank Ayala, host and producer of the pilot television show, “In Your Business,” to the Arthur Avenue Retail Market to film a segment for their show on Markets of New York City. On the show, they interview entrepreneurs who are following their dreams, and I am extremely fortunate to fit that bill. Check out their current episodes online, including an interview with Marlo Scott, owner of Sweet Revenge and Kee Ling Tong, chocolatier and owner of Kee’s Chocolates.
I wanted to visit this market in particular with Misti and Frank because it is a bastion of Italian American history, it is full of character, and it is also a great place to eat some incredible food. We started our morning with the perfect cappuccino and tomato, prosciutto, mozzarella panini for breakfast and ended the day with a beautiful platter of antipasti and a hunk of soft and gooey fresh torrone, all at Mike’s Deli and Arthur Avenue Café at the far end of the market. The current owner is David Greco, son of the original owner, Mike Greco. David is a talented chef and a sweetheart of the Food Network. In fact, Bobby Flay challenged him to an eggplant parmigiana throwdown. I don’t want to give anything away, but if you’ve had the delicate and rich eggplant parm from Mike’s Deli, you’ll realize that Bobby never had a chance.
David showed us how to make fresh mozzarella by hand, and we tasted it in several forms – grilled, smoked, and plain. It is an amazing process to watch the white mass acquire its stretchy quality and wind up in the perfect rounds we all know and adore.
Up at the front entrance to the market are two shops that are unique to the Arthur Avenue Retail Market. La Casa Grande Tobacco Company sells hand-rolled cigars. We watched their expert cigar rollers from the Dominican Republic whip up the perfect little torpedoes. It’s not easy to do. They invited me to roll one, and mine looked more like an old tootsie roll than a sleek torpedo. Their clients include Chazz Palminteri, Rudy Giuliani, and basically everyone on “The Sopranos.”
Right across the aisle is Liberatore’s Gardens. They sell lush plants and imported Italian seeds, but their real treasure is the original owner, Joe Liberatore, also known as the Mayor of Little Italy. Joe is upwards of 90 years old now, and he was one of the original street vendors who moved into the Arthur Avenue Retail Market when Mayor La Guardia had this and several other indoor markets built in the early 1940’s. I’m hoping to do an interview with him for the blog in the near future!
One of the two sisters who are the proprietors of Mt. Carmel Gourmet Foods showed us some of their wonderful Italian delicacies, from canned sardines, olive oils, and balsamic vinegar from Modena, to handmade fresh pasta, cured olives, and Italian cookies and candies. The three brothers who own Boiano Foods sell your essential fresh fruits and veggies, and you can pick up fresh Italian chestnuts and hazelnuts, as well as artichokes, Italian grapes, and more. And if you need recipe ideas, just ask – they are full of great ideas.
Our last stop was Peter’s Meats, selling amazing Italian cuts and perfect meatballs. They cut and pack your order right in front of you, so you know your meat or poultry is as fresh as possible. A new bakery and a coffee shop with roasters on site will be opening soon. The market is also preparing for a facelift of the front entrance, which will be a nice upgrade.
Frank and Misti tell me that the footage is great. The episode will be ready in a few weeks – I’ll keep you posted!! I can’t close without mentioning that my nephew Adrian has been accepted to the Italian Program at the French Culinary Institute, starting this summer. I can’t wait to take him shopping at Arthur Avenue to see what kind of dinner he can whip up for us!
Arthur Avenue Retail Market: Monday – Saturday 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM, 2329 Arthur Avenue. 2329 Arthur Avenue, the Bronx. Visit www.arthuravenue.com for driving and public transportation directions
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 13th, 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 3rd Street at 3rd 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! ♥
I have been thinking about Valentine’s Day, for obvious reasons. So I thought I would write about a very happy union in Brooklyn: the Makers Market and Community Markets at the Old American Can Factory.
The Makers Market is a great destination if you are seeking finely crafted handmade products. And now you can buy your veggies for the week there too! During this freezing winter season, the Makers Market and Community Markets have joined forces to create an indoor artisan and farmers’ market for the Gowanus/Park Slope neighborhoods. Community Markets runs farmers’ markets throughout Westchester and Rockland Counties, as well as New York City. Normally, many of their markets close for the winter season. So it is a great service and resource for the local communities to have easy access to fresh, delicious and locally grown produce.
The farmers include Breezy Hill Orchard, Gajeski Produce and Phillips Farm. You can pick up a delicious loaf of bread from the “oven artisans” at Orwasher’s Bakery. They also sell their miche, levain and focaccia and more at Citarella, Dean & Deluca, and Zabar’s. Get a taste of pungent pickle goodness from Dr. Pickle. I got half a dozen great ideas for canapés for our next dinner party, starting with pepperoncini stuffed with goat cheese. Yum. And don’t pass up Buddhapesto or their tempting tray of samples. Their artisanal basil pesto is delicious, so go ahead and “enlighten your tastebuds.”
There is wine at the markets too, from Brooklyn Oenology. I bet you didn’t know there is a winery headquartered in Williamsburg/Greenpoint. The actual winemaking is done in Long Island, but their wines carry the artisanal spirit of the borough. For a tasty and healthy dessert, Tierra Farm sells chocolate covered nuts and fruits, as well as dry roasted products.
The artisans share the large welcoming space that originally served as a loading dock for the Old American Can Factory. The white walls and steel pillars provide a beautiful setting for these extremely talented people to sell their creations. I wrote about some of these artisans over the holidays. May Luk Ceramics, or “Take Me Homeware,” brings art and wit to your table. (See the photo of her “Saucy” bowl, which I gave to my sister Andrea for Christmas.) Parable Ink creates T-shirts that tell a story (they keep selling out of their gorgeous Blue Elephant design in my size!). If you’re looking to spruce up your sweaters, Shaya NYC, Christine Vasan and Ed Ledner all sell wonderfully unique handmade jewelry.
And there are the comfortable and fashionable clothing designs by ANgeLRoX Apparel. The ANgeLRoX reversible “turtles” keep your neck toasty and come in beautiful accent colors. You will find beautiful poetry books from Ugly Duckling Presse; preserves, chutneys and more from SchoolHouse Kitchen; beautiful and thought-provoking fine artwork by Nicola Ginzel; and so much more.
It may be cold outside, but it’s warm and toasty on Sundays inside the Old Can Factory.
Community Markets Park Slope Indoor Farmers’ Market and Makers Market: Sundays 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM, 232 Third Street (at Third Avenue) through March 2010.
As I braved the frigid weather to get to the Brooklyn Flea’s new indoor market, I wondered what kind of indoor space could possibly accommodate the large number of vendors and the crowds of shoppers. I got out of the subway station and asked a nice lady if she knew where One Hanson Place was. “It’s right in front of you, honey,” she said. “That huuuuuge building right on the corner.”
One Hanson Place used to house the Williamsburgh Savings Bank. The tallest building in Brooklyn, the former bank’s lobby/event space is absolutely gorgeous, with marble everywhere, vaulted ceilings, soaring columns, and the old bank teller windows and lamps. Every weekend through March, it is filled with over 100 flea market vendors and artisans.
The vendors’ shops fill the main walkway, and they spill over into every nook and cranny, including side hallways, upstairs offices and overlooks. Definitely do not miss the old bank vault downstairs. It still houses treasures, only now they’re in the form of lobster rolls from the Red Hook Lobster Pound, handmade chocolates from Nunu, McClure’s pickles, and much more.
I picked out a beautiful, sturdy tote bag from Loyalty and Blood. I also ran into australianScent and got to tell them that my scary winter elbows are soft and supple with their Balm of Gilead moisturizer that I had purchased at the Brooklyn Flea’s Gifted Market. In addition to Rain Lily’s gorgeous handcrafted, fair trade silk scarves, she also had tiny “dhokra,” or lost wax, figurines from India. (Rachel Ray bought the horse on Sunday, but I’m partial to the piggies.) The old typewriter photograph from She Hit Pause Studios, housed upstairs, is gorgeous and inspirational.
I met some new people as well. John Murphy’s dreamy and colorful prints and photographs stopped me in my tracks. He uses all of my favorite colors – orange, pink, robin’s egg blue, and more. I also fell in love with Paula Hill’s vintage buttons. She knows the history of every single button, including Bakelite and earlier plastics from the early 1900’s. I’ll show you her vintage Valentine’s in a week or two!
The Brooklyn Flea’s winter home is just as fun and adventurous as their outdoor venues. Thank goodness we don’t have to wait until spring to shop at the Flea!
Brooklyn Flea: Saturdays and Sundays through March, One Hanson Place
A lot of people think the farmers markets shut down for the winter. Most of them do, but seventeen Greenmarkets are open each week, and Community Markets is partnering with the Makers Market at the Old American Can Factory to hold an indoor farmers market in Gowanus starting this weekend.
I love the markets in the winter: I feel like some kind of pioneer, bundling up first thing in the morning when it’s 22ºF outside to go out for provisions. (When it’s warm outside, it’s “food,” but when it’s freezing, it’s “provisions.”)
James and I went to Abingdon Square for apples from Red Jacket Orchards to make applesauce tomorrow. Since it wasn’t too windy out, we continued on to the Union Square Market to see what wintery things are on offer there and to take a picture of a perfect pretzel from Martin’s Pretzels for the book (which is in its final stages).
What caught my eye? Wool! And not scratchy, rustic wool, but soft, rich, lustrous yarns that would set any knitter’s heart aflutter. In addition to offering beautiful “artisanal sheep’s milk cheese,” 3-Corner Field Farm had buckets of luscious undyed yarn from their sheep. This weekend they also had sweet, tiny baby hats. Catskill Merino Sheep Farm offers a wide variety of meat products from their herds, and they also have a full spectrum of colored yarns. You can’t miss their tent – it’s the one with the bundles of yarn hanging all around it. They offer undyed and hand-dyed yarns in four weights. I picked out a skein of the heaviest weight undyed yarn to make, oh, something deliciously soft and cozy. I can’t wait to start knitting with it. (I’m no master knitter, but my sister-in-law Judy and I just got some great new needles at Purl in Soho.)
In addition to fine yarns, there are things at the markets that you really want because it’s winter, primarily delicious, steamy, hot apple cider dipped out of huge pots on hotplates. Root vegetables abound, and grainy breads are irresistible. I loved the Garlic Raspberry Jelly from Berkshire Berries. Not only is it a beautiful, translucent pink color, but it satisfies both sweet and savory cravings.
And then there’s the gallon and half-gallon bottles of Deep Mountain Maple Syrup from Vermont. That should get me through the next week of winter!
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!
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