holiday markets » Markets of New York

Revving up for 2012 Plus Market Picks For A Cold Wet Weekend!!

Pantera Azul - Not Your Average Mouse Pad

Hi Everyone!

It was an incredible holiday season at the markets! There were almost 50 market events throughout the city, and they were all filled with festive shoppers. I took a little hiatus to rest a bit, catch up on business, and write a couple of book proposals (more on that coming soon). The photo is my co-author Pantera Azul. Not your usual mouse pad, but much warmer and fuzzier.

I want to thank every single person who bought their holiday gifts in the markets. You have supported local artisan entrepreneurs and helped make sure that the creative community that is so important to the culture of New York City can continue to thrive for another year. And I’d be prepared to wager that your gifts were the best ones under the tree this year! Mine always are.

And I want to thank all the markets and market sellers who make my weekends so incredibly fun and inspiring! I’ve been visiting markets almost every weekend for the last three years, and I still find things that blow me away all the time. I can’t wait to see what 2012 has in store for this blogger!

This weekend there are several great market events going on:

Indoors:

Antiques Garage (Saturday & Sunday)
Artists & Fleas (Saturday & Sunday)
Brooklyn Flea (Saturday & Sunday)
The Market NYC (Saturday & Sunday)
Smorgasbrewery (Sunday only )
SUPER!market (Saturday only)

Outdoors (watch the weather and check the sites for updates):

Hell’s Kitchen Flea (Saturday & Sunday)
West 25th Street Market (Saturday & Sunday)

And of course, your year-round food markets:

Even though the weather looks bad this weekend, there are plenty of wonderful things to do in the Markets of New York City!

Markets Open Saturday and Beyond

Happy Happy Holidays!

To the lucky people who still get to go out and enjoy holiday shopping in the markets, here are the ones that are open through Saturday – and don’t forget the Union Square Greenmarket for great gifts too! Several of the markets are open next week and beyond, when it is fully acceptable to pick up a little something (or two) for yourself for the New Year. Go on – you deserve it!

Open Through December 24:
Grand Central Holiday Fair, Vanderbilt Hall, Manhattan
Holiday Gift Shops at St. Bart’s, Park Ave @ East 50th, Manhattan
Union Square Holiday Market, Manhattan
Dekalb Holiday Market, 138 Willoughby Street, Brooklyn
Columbus Circle Holiday Market, Manhattan
MoCADA Christmas Bazaar – Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art, (Saturday 12/24 Only) 80 Hanson Place, Brooklyn
Union Square Greenmarket, Union Square, Manhattan

Open Through December 31:
First Annual Holiday Market at South Street Seaport, Fulton Street, Manhattan
Artists and Fleas Holiday Pop Up at Chelsea Market, 9th and 15th Sts, Manhattan

Open Through January 8:
Holiday Shops at Bryant Park, Manhattan

Thank you for all your support of my endeavors to spread the word about the best Markets of New York City! Happy holidays and safe travels to you and your family!

~Karen

Exotic Merlot Salt from The Filling Station

In Old World Europe, you can take your bottles to a local shop and refill them with olive oil and wine. This charming custom is revived by The Filling Station, a lovely company inside Chelsea Market and currently at the Union Square Holiday Market this season, that sells all natural extra virgin olive oils, specialty oils, balsamic vinegars, exotic salts, facial & body scrubs and even local and imported craft beer both local and imported.

You make your first purchase at the Filling Station, and then they encourage you to clean the bottle and bring it back for refills. The practice encourages recycling, and you enjoy a 10% discount on your subsequent purchases.

The Filling Station’s products are all beautiful and high quality. The color of this particular Merlot Salt caught my eye as I walked by their boutique at the Holiday Market. It is so unusual – a striking pink with purple tones and a rich, distinct flavor. You can use it to flavor grilled meats and as a finishing salt on savory dishes. I imagine a salt caramel would be even more special with pink granules as well. It also adds a punch of color to your table in a salt cellar or a glass salt shaker.

If you have foodies and cooks on your holiday gift list, definitely shop at The Filling Station!

Video: Handmade in the Holiday Markets of NYC

Since I’ve been shopping for gifts in the artisanal holiday markets around the city, everyone wants me to pick them in gift exchanges. They know that whomever I pick will get the most awesome, special, unique, beautifully made gifts under the tree. And I’m not exaggerating one bit – just ask my family!

It’s more important than ever to support the small businesses in the markets. The markets enable local entrepreneurs to build their business, reach a passionate clientele, and grow. So I thought I’d go out to the holiday markets and feature some of the people and companies selling their very special products this year in the Union Square Holiday Market, the Columbus Circle Holiday Market, the Holiday Village at Bryant Park, and the Jingle Market:

Shop online or, better yet, go meet these designers, innovators, and trendsetters in person in the Holiday Markets this season!

Yee Haw Industries: A Sign for the Times

Yee Haw Industries Letterpress & Design Company

Yee Haw Industries‘ hand-printed letterpress signs, cards, tea towels and posters are a combination of down-home country humor, wicked wit, a touch of irony, and master printmaking craftsmanship. The Yee Haw Brain Trust consists of Julie Belcher and Kevin Bradley, who spend their holidays at the city’s markets, including the Jingle Market and the Bust Holiday Craftacular in 2010. They are based in Knoxville, Tennessee, but they may as well be New Yorkers.

They recently created the hot red devil poster for the 2011 NYChili Fest. You can get an original print of that poster for $20 at Dickson’s Farmstand Meats in Chelsea Market, plus their Chili Fest t-shirts.

I first saw their large posters in a major exhibit in Chelsea Market in 2009, and their work with type print specimens me away. For Christmas in 2009, I did a bit of gift shopping in Yee Haw’s bins, including a “Carve that Possum” sign for my brother-in-law, who placed it gracefully at the top of the tree. Of course, I have two of their farmers market posters (purple onion and cabbage), which will soon be hanging in my new kitchen. And their tea towel that says, “You’re the Cream in My Coffee,” was the sentimental favorite at Christmas this year.

Shop on Yee Haw’s Etsy Shop for Valentine’s Day Cards! They’re sweet as Tupelo honey. (All their products are also eco friendly too!)

Word Cloud and Poetry at the Markets

Happy New Year!!! I hope you had a great holiday season! I purchased every single gift this year at the wonderful holiday markets all over town, starting with an antique Bavarian porcelain tea cup from the Greenflea that I sent my mom for her sacred afternoon tea, and finishing with a handmade sock monkey hat from the Union Square Holiday Market for my niece. And lucky for me, all of my gifts came from the markets too, from fingerless gloves to several amazing and gorgeous pieces of jewelry, which I will model for a future post.

The Greenmarkets and stalwart flea markets have been open the entire season, bless them. And the artisan and other specialty markets are starting to wake up again for 2011. I hope the makers and vendors take some time in January and February to relax and recover — and restock — before the markets really start up in the springtime.

So I just thought I’d check in and post this Markets Word Cloud, which is a fun way to show recent trends and key words on the Markets of New York City blog. I love some of the words that came up big: Market, Delicious, Treats, Holiday, and Chocolates. And some sweet smaller words show up too, like pickles, husband, crispy, and tea. There are word combinations are actually quite poetic:

Colorful Ribbons Maybe Sweet

Last Drink Next

Citytime Husband

Wonderwhip Chocolates

Heart Hope Drinker

Lovely New Cheer

Many markets are open for us to explore and shop at this weekend, despite snowflakes the size of hamsters. Union Square Greenmarket is open for business. The Brooklyn Flea is open all weekend at One Hanson Place. And Artists and Fleas has a new home at 70 North 7th (between Wythe & Kent).

Looking forward to another spectacular year of creativity, design, deliciousness and inspiration at the Markets of New York City!

Meet Me At The Markets This Weekend!

Everyone is working feverishly to get ready for the holiday markets that will be opening very soon, and I’ll be keeping you posted about all these events. For this weekend, though, I thought I’d share my plans, and maybe you can meet me there!

TONIGHT, Friday, November 6, 2010

First Friday at The Loom: It’s a Zombie Fashion Show! That’s right – the Better than Jam Co-Op, featuring many talented designers and artists from the artisan markets around New York, is hosting a fashion show at The Loom in Bushwick. Plus complimentary wine, snacks, discounts at the shops, nail and hair services, and an on-site tattoo artist! (Hold me back.) And did I mention zombies? 7:00-10:00PM, 1087 Flushing Avenue.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Abingdon Square Market: I’m finally doing a book signing for Markets of New York City at my market! I’ve been shopping here for a decade, and it’s the perfect Far West Village neighborhood experience. Fruits, veggies, breads, cookies, cheeses, flowers, kids, doggies – everything you want on a Saturday morning in New York City. Location: Hudson & 8th Ave between West 12th & Bethune Streets. I’ll be there 9AM – 12PM

Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket: Just browsing, munching and shopping in Brooklyn for the afternoon. Hoping for some delicious hot cider, apple cider donuts, and maybe some Crispin apples to take home. Hey – it’s fall and the apples are beckoning! Also looking forward to seeing the artisans near the entrance to the Prospect Park again.

Park Slope Flea Market: I owe this market a little love – it’s been too long. It’s one of the longest running markets in the city, and I love wandering around and looking at everything in detail. I’ve seen great furniture, beautiful miniatures, classic books, and even bonsai trees.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

NYC Marathon!!! Last year, as we ate a bowl of cereal at the crack of eleven and watched the New York Marathon on NY1, we promised we’d get up and out this year to watch it in person. We’ll be somewhere up on the Upper East Side in the morning to cheer on the runners. Are you running?!

New Amsterdam Market: It feel so luxurious to be able to go to this market every Sunday now. Hopefully Jimmy’s No. 43 will have their melt-in-your-mouth brisket sandwiches, or maybe well try Porchetta for lunch. Probably both (it gets tiring watching the Marathon!). Hopefully we’ll get there before Basis sells out of their honey, and we always grab a sack of chewy, buttery, amazing salt caramels from Liddabit Sweets.

Which markets will you be visiting this weekend? I’ll be checking in on Facebook, Twitter, or Foursquare! Hope to see you there!

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!

Holiday Markets – Union Square

Holiday Markets – Union Square

I am so happy to be launching this blog during the holidays because there are so many wonderful markets to visit!

The first sign of the holidays for me is the red and white striped tents going up in Union Square. (Holiday items appearing in the “Seasonal” aisle at Duane Reade just doesn’t get me in the spirit.) And there are wonderful markets wherever I go! Besides the diversity of the products, the New York holiday markets seem to be getting better food options! Mozzarepas, soups, waffles, crepes, cookies, cupcakes, artisanal chocolates – you can have quite a snack, or even a meal as you browse. The other good thing about the big holiday markets is that a lot of vendors take plastic.

This year’s market at Union Square is chock full of amazing things. It’s easy to breeze through and say to yourself, “Earrings, necklaces, scarves, soaps. Check.” But I advise that you take your time to linger and admire the beautiful things you can find there. Adel Chefridi makes gorgeous, dainty earrings and necklaces with rich colored stones. Last year, my favorite Secret Santa gave me a string of labradorite beads from Adel. Then I found Karma Living and decided to write a Yoga Gift Guide. (see below) I got my hands scrubbed, rinsed and moisturized at Lotus Sea Scrubs and bought a mini- Ganesha necklace with amethyst beads from Astrid Schumacher. I’d been eyeing this necklace since I first laid eyes on it at the summer at the Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral Market. All in about 20 minutes.

On the outskirts of the market are the “usual” amazing artisans who set up their tables in Union Square all year long. I met Danny, who makes keychains, rings, and beautiful mobiles out of old cutlery. He turns forks into tiny dancing people. Don’t tell anyone, but Santa is putting spoon keychains in everybody’s stocking this year, engraved with their initials by my friend Joseph Callari at Your Name Here Inc. on 14^th and 9^th. Tell him I sent you, and he’ll give you a 20% discount on your holiday engraving! He is amazing and can engrave anything, from an iPod or a $150 bottle of champagne to a rock (the champagne and the rock went to the same couple, but that’s a story for another day).