Markets of New York

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

Photo of the Day – July 14, 2011: Baby Seal by Belle Ami Crochet

Who doesn't love a baby seal? Handmade by Belle Ami Crochet

Can you even believe the cuteness? This adorable, shiny-eyed baby seal, hand-crocheted by Mary Grabenstatter of Belle Ami Crochet, was just one character in the entire parade of cuteness on her table at the Astoria Market last weekend.

Sweet and unusual animals, including purple manatees, koala bears, hedgehogs, and geckos make up the Belle Ami collection. Mary has also recreated some of the characters from our favorite Pixar movies and shorts, including Mike Wazowski, Sully, and even the evil Randall from Monsters Inc. One of her latest creations is the dancing lamb from Pixar’s short Boundin’, complete with the white coat.

Mary had her debut at the market last week, and I hope we’ll see a lot of her and her creations in the artisan markets. And believe it or not, she only recently taught herself to crochet. I think she’s gotten the hang of it, don’t you? Check out the entire Belle Ami Crochet collection on Etsy.

Images from a Snowy Day at the Union Square Greenmarket

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloomy days stays our farmers from the Union Square Greenmarket! The snow has been falling like popcorn since last night, turning into slush when it lands. And our farmers and local food purveyors are out there today, selling cold but tasty baked goods, apples, pretzels, squashes and more. Breezy Hill Orchard has hot apple cider!

Thank you for keeping the market going, no matter the weather. Days like today, as much as the glorious, bountiful days of summer, are why we love New York City’s Greenmarkets as much as we do!

With apologies to the US Postal Service Creed.

The Maker Faire Comes to New York City

I spent the afternoon at the Maker Faire on the grounds of the New York Hall of Science in Queens on Saturday. It had a great vibe, sort of a mix of a county fair, art market, Renn Fest, Comic Con, inventor fair, and Martha Stewart all rolled up into to one event. I saw some some amazing examples of “makers.” Beautiful handmade crafts, puppets made from garbage, things to do with a bruken computer, robots made from boxes and plastic bottles, there were so many fun, creative, and thought-provoking things to do, see, and learn at the Faire. I learned a few things myself, like how to knit a baby cap and how to lead a plastic-free life. It’s a great event for kids!

Go see the Maker Faire for yourself on Sunday.

“Markets of New York City” Guidebook to Launch May 1 & 2 at Brooklyn Lyceum’s Spring Market!

I am thrilled to announce that my new guidebook, Markets of New York City: A Guide to the Best Artisan, Farmer, Food, and Flea Markets, is launching at the Brooklyn Lyceum’s Spring Food and Craft Market on May 1 and 2! I will be there with the wonderful people from my publisher The Little Bookroom all weekend, so please stop by and say hello!

Better Than Jam Co-Op: Entrepreneurs Thriving in the Markets and Beyond

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 29^th (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.

Photo of the Day: February 22, 2010

I have taken thousands of photos of the artisan, farmer, food and flea markets around the city. So I thought I’d share them with you, once a day, every day. The supermodels of market photography are French fishermen (at the seafood market in Marseille), and eggs. These beauties are Araucanian eggs from Berkshire Berries, taken at the Union Square Farmers Market. I chose these eggs for my first photo in honor of my Mapuche/Araucanian ancestors in Chile (the people, not the chickens). Eat your heart out, Martha Stewart.

Looks Like a Colorful Spring is Headed our Way!

I wanted to let you know about a few of the wonderful things I found at last weekend’s Brooklyn Indie Market and NewNew Spring Fling. If this event is any indication, and I believe it is, it looks like we’re in for a lot of warm colors and flattering clothing designs for the spring and summer.

Wabisabi Brooklyn was there with colorful, creative, and infinitely wearable decoupage jewelry designs, including some really great cufflinks. The surprise inside is that designer Maryanne Loverme uses pennies and other coins as the tiny canvases for her earrings, cufflinks, and other charms. Her jewelry looks great all year round, but the colorful images on copper backgrounds and chains will look especially warm and vibrant on tanned skin. Wabisabi is not just a fun name; it is actually a Japanese aesthetic concept meaning “beauty through imperfection.”

Fofolle Handmade Apparel was at the market too. Designer Kathy Malone makes fun and flattering skirts that also double as ponchos. As a skirt, they hug your curves, and as a poncho, they are a warm alternative to sweaters and hang with a nice cowl neckline. She uses rich wools for winter designs and lighter fabrics for spring and summer. She also “reinvents” boxy vintage jackets, turning them into tailored, be-ribboned, feminine lovelies. Fofolle means “whacky girl” in French, and I guess it’s whacky to have one garment that is a skirt and a poncho. But I tend to think of it more as “brilliant.”

Another extremely creative designer, Karin Persan of Better Than Jam, creates a line of handmade clothing and accessories made from hand-printed fabrics. Using classic forms, like T-shirt dresses and wrap skirts, Karin’s fabrics and details make her pieces truly unique. And very colorful! She recently opened the Better Than Jam Handmade Co-Op in Bushwick, featuring her own designs and those of other designers. I haven’t been there yet, but I’ve heard it is a great shop. I’m planning to visit soon, and I’ll report back!

I must also tell you about the great organization that hosted this event, Starting Artists, a non-profit organization that provides after school classes in media and business to “prepare and inspire teenagers to create arts-based enterprises.” I will be writing more about this organization at a later date, but suffice it to say that they are providing a wonderful service to the community and to the art world by giving teenagers a place to develop their creativity. They had jewelry and totebags designed by their members, as well as very clever “inspiration kits,” filled with colorful bits and bobs and sparkly things to get your creative juices flowing.

There were many more wonderful designers at this event. Check back for more about them in upcoming posts!

Filming at Arthur Avenue Retail Market for “In Your Business”

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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

In Search of Vintage Valentines

In Search of Vintage Valentines

There’s something so lovely and nostalgic about the vintage Valentine’s Day Cards. They evoke a sense of nostalgia for when we were little kids giving Valentines to everyone in our class, or memories of the simple sentiment on a Valentine from a secret crush.

I went looking for vintage Valentines at the markets. I had a lot of good luck on the second floor of the Antiques Garage. Arby Rolband of Hobbit Rare Books and Prints has a beautifully preserved collection of several years greeting cards between a WWII soldier and his family. It’s interesting to see how the War was incorporated into daily life at that time, including greeting cards. My favorite is a rather saucy pop-up card from “Wifey” with an all-American pin-up girl on the front wearing boxing gloves, saying “OK Buddy, Y’wanna fight?” On the inside, it says, “Or would you like to wrestle? I’m a’waiting!” A Hallmark insight into the post-war Baby Boom?

The cards are part of the entire collection that spans several years and many different holidays. As a whole, this collection is a beautiful piece of history.

Right near Mr. Roland’s tables is Janet West’s “Oddball Americana.” She has a box of sweet old Valentines from the 40’s and 50’s, I believe. They are in excellent condition, and there are some very cute ones, like a bunny with floppy ears saying, “’Ears hoping you’ll be my Valentine.” The price is right at $2 and $3 each. You’ll want to spend time looking at all the wonderful things she has on her tables.

And just down the aisle at David Cohn’s shope is a very interesting stack of cards with illustrations by Margé, who created the cartoon character Little Lulu. These Valentines are pleasantly risqué, especially considering the era. So if you love a golfer, pick up the one with the lady golfer flashing her bloomers and saying, “This may be a little course, but I’d like to be your Valentine.”

Geno Sartori at the Greenflea on the Upper West Side has spectacular handmade Valentines. For less than what you’d pay for a strip-mined Hallmark card, Mr. Sartori creates three-dimensional cards using vintage printed illustrations from Germany. Bright tulips, red roses, and pink-cheeked angels pop to life on rich, heavy paper stock cards. His cards sell out quickly, so get up first thing on Sunday morning and run to the Greenflea. You can find Mr. Sartori inside the school cafeteria.

There’s another treasure trove of vintage Valentines at the Brooklyn Flea. I wrote about the vintage buttons from Paula Hill’s shop “FDR to JFK” in a previous post about the Flea. She also has a great selection of vintage Valentines. They too are in excellent shape. I found cute ones for my small nieces and, well, one that I kept for myself. I love the fact that many of them have the signature of the original sender, which just shows that love is the gift that keeps on giving.

Oh dear – I’m waxing corny. Better go have another pink frosted heart-shaped cookie.

Antiques Garage: 112 West 25th Street (between 6th & 7th Ave), open 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM every Saturday and Sunday.

Greenflea: Columbus Avenue between W. 76 & 77 Streets (Upper West Side), open 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM (Nov.-Mar.) and 10 AM to 6 PM (Apr.-Oct.)

Brooklyn Flea: One Hanson every Sat+Sun, 10:oo AM – 5:00 PM, through March 27+28.