“Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.” ~ Groucho Marx Devin Kain, the designer behind Love Hue Studios, would agree. That’s why he turns books into lamps. And clocks. And speakers. So those book covers we’re forever judging? Now we can admire them in a different way. I first saw Devin’s work at Artists & Fleas in Williamsburg, and we met up again at the Greenpointers Spring Market. Devin takes beautiful old books and transfo

Dear Boston: My thoughts are with you. I saw these flowers very early one morning last week on Broadway, and I hope they remind you of all the good still in the world. With much love, Karen #KarenSeiger #MarketsNYC #NYCMarkets #Karen #Boston #Good #SpringFlowers #Broadway #MarketsofNewYorkCity #GoodintheWorld

Sometimes flea vendors are shy, or they can’t be bothered to see their cool stuff written up online by the likes of yours truly. Such was the case with an otherwise super friendly seller at the Brooklyn Flea who had a table covered with New York City parking meters. When these beasts are not encased in their familiar steel and glass fortresses on the sidewalk, they are actually feats of beauty and industrial design. You can pop in a coin and use it as an egg timer. Or as a na

It’s almost Ramp Season! Be the first person to send me a tweet (@MarketsNYC) with a picture of the first ramps, I’ll give you a pound of ramp butter! You can freeze it and use it all year long! And, with no further ado, here are the Weekend Market Picks! Saturday, April 13, 2013: Greenpointers Spring Market: The twinkly lights are strung! If this event is anything like the Greenpointers Valentine’s Day Market, then it’s going to be a wonderful event with crafts, food, and ot

I’ve always been a sucker for marshmallows. When there is no campfire nearby, I’ve been known to roast a few on a fork over my gas stove. And then I found MitchMallows. They are nothing like the marshmallows from summer camp. I tried my first MitchMallows at the Chocolate World Expo last fall, and I ran into them again last Saturday at the Spring Made in NYC Market. MitchMallows are light, fluffy and fun concoctions handmade in small batches by Mitch Greenberg. His secret for

And that means a season full of spring markets! Below is a list of market openings this weekend, as well as other events coming up this month and next. Saturday and Sunday, April 6 & 7, 2013 Brooklyn Flea: The Flea opens its outdoor season this weekend! Saturdays will be in the usual spot in Fort Greene. Sundays are in a new Williamsburg location in the East River State Park. 10AM – 5PM, Saturdays, 176 Lafayette Ave. between Clermont + Vanderbilt Ave.; Sundays, East River Sta

Elephant in the Attic is a wonderful collection of vintage objects at Artists & Fleas that will turn any space into a home. I wanted to move right into the small market boutique of Caitlin Brubacher, curator and owner of Elephant in the Attic and Burnt and Mended handmade accessories for men and women on Etsy. She has an eye for fun prints and pictures too, many of which are framed and hanging in her boutique (left), with many more unframed images to thumb through in the bins

Since I moved to New York City, Amy’s Bread has been everywhere I need it to be. Our first apartment in the city was near the Hell’s Kitchen location, where we first fell in love with Amy’s white bean purée sandwich. We often do our food shopping on Bleecker Street, stopping for a pick-me-up chocolate twist and a cup of tea at Amy’s on the corner with Leroy. Most often, however, we pick up a baguette or cupcakes for Sunday Family Dinner at Amy’s Chelsea Market location. I spo

Alicia Piller of Alicia P makes splendid, head-turning adornments. The longer I’ve known her, the grander and larger her work is becoming! But it’s okay if you prefer more dainty styles because she continues to makes those too. Alicia uses thin strips of suede to create what are essentially soft sculptures. Each piece combines beads, shells, crystals, semi-precious stones and an infinite array of found objects and colors into rich and lustrous swirls. I met up with Alicia las

The Grand Central Holiday Fair is one of the biggest and most exciting holiday markets in New York City. I look forward to Opening Day every year to see who is there and what all the booth boutiques look like. But why am I writing about a holiday market in March? It may interest you to know that planning for the market starts 8 months in advance, or, to be more specific, on March 12th. This year, the Holiday Fair aims to feature exclusively products that are handmade in the U

Cinnamon Snail Vegan Food Truck at the NY Vegetarian Food Festival Posting and images contributed by Guest Blogger Ed Lefkowicz of Ed Lefkowicz Photography. The New York Vegetarian Food Festival brought vendors and exhibitors from far and wide to the Metropolitan Pavilion for two days of tasting and demonstrations. The 2012 People’s Choice Vendy award-winning Cinnamon Snail food truck wisely pulled up to the curb before the doors opened, and a hungry crowd lined up quickly fo

On Friday, February 22, I hosted a panel for Social Media Week on the importance of social media to food businesses that launched in the markets of New York City. The panel featured five talented and inspiring food entrepreneurs who entertained us with their  insights, stories and social media successes and failures (mostly successes) in New York’s dynamic artisanal food world: Fany Gerson, La Newyorkina Liz Gutman, Liddabit Sweets Susan Povich, Red Hook Lobster Pound Allison

S’Mores Truffles by Coquette Valentine’s Day was sweeter than ever this year. James made a finger-licking lobster dinner, and we polished off our last bottle of Pol Roger champagne. And then we opened the beautiful box of truffles I purchased at the Greenpointers Valentine’s Day Market the weekend before. Jennifer uses the finest quality ingredients, including E. Guittard chocolate, down to the smallest detail. You can taste the difference. I had tried Jennifer’s truffles at

I understand that slate, steel, teal and cool beige are the colors of the day. Chic and sleek, no doubt, but forgive me if I err on the side of bright orange, purple and red in my personal preferences! This is why I find the beautifully colored and wonderful smelling candles from KM Candles and Body so refreshing and delightful. KM’s Kelly Marks sells her vegan soy candles each weekend at Artists & Fleas in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The scents she creates are as appealing as th

Happy Valentine’s Day! I realize it’s more like Valentine’s Evening, but I couldn’t let this day go by without expressing my appreciation for everyone who visits this site and everyone who makes it possible. Thank you and much love to you all! I’ve mentioned the Greenpointers Valentine’s Market, which took place last Sunday, and I wanted to bring your attention to several people who are new to the market scene, one of whom is Nancy Gesimondo of Gracestones. Nancy creates hand

This is my 501st blog posting! I have written about 500 fantastic people, places and objects I have found in the Markets of New York City and markets around the world — and loved every minute of it! I am excited to keep sharing the treasures I find with you. So for this special posting, I thought I would introduce you to two new food businesses I met this weekend at the Greenpointers Valentine’s Day Market: Sprout & Pea and The Bored Vegetarian. Sharing a table at the market,

I received this exciting press release from the Queens Traveling Market! Here it is in full: The Queen of Hearts Valentine’s Pop Up Market This Valentine’s Season on Feb 13th, 5 local women in business owners from Queens plus an all women designer and vendor team will be showcasing and selling there products at Veslo in Astoria! This will be the first Women Only run market from start to finish in Queens! We are so pleased to be able to have our Market at Veslo this Valentines

The venerable Grand Central Terminal turned 100 years old this weekend! It was almost razed to the ground in the 1970’s to make way for some sort of abominable modern nonsense. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Jackie Kennedy Onassis and her cohorts for taking the action required to save this marvelous building by having it declared a national historic landmark in 1976. Among its many marvels is the Grand Central Market. I daresay most people race through this food emporium,

You know how we can’t help but adore people who do what they love? That’s Fany Gerson of La Newyorkina. Fany’s Mexican confections reflect the utter joy she takes in what she does, regardless of the long hours, hot days selling paletas (Mexican frozen pops) in the markets and on the Highline, and the everyday challenges of being an entrepreneur. She is the author of two cookbooks, one of which, My Sweet Mexico, was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2011. (Read my review.)

As a francophile, I consider it a major character flaw in myself that I have never visited Poilâne, Paris’ famous bakery, or even tasted their bread, at least, that is, until two weeks ago. You may have seen the New Yorker Magazine story about Apollonia Poilâne, the third generation owner. In a nutshell, Apollonia’s grandfather opened the first bakery in 1932. Her father, Lionel, took over the business in 1973. When Lionel and his wife were killed in a helicopter crash in 200