A Sunday of Fleas

If you find yourself in New York City with some free time, an empty wallet, and an inkling to see something unique, I'd highly recommend a day at the flea market. Not a day shopping at the flea market (that sort of thing can make a dent in your wallet), but a day exploring and admiring the craftsmanship of NYC's dedicated flea vendors.

The city is home to many flea markets, where customers can find anything from necklaces made of excavated pottery to glasses frames made of bamboo leaves. This Sunday I visited two of my favorite markets, The Market NYC on Bleecker Street, and the Williamsburg Flea in Brooklyn.

Williamsburg Flea

The thing about going to flea markets is that window shopping is just as satisfying as actually buying. Since the products sold by the various vendors are almost exclusively handmade, they tend to be a little pricey. For this reason I treat the markets almost like I treat museums, as places with a lot to see and admire. Having said that, flea markets are a great place to find a one-of-a-kind gift for someone special.

The Market NYC is located at 159 Bleecker Street, between Thomspon and Sullivan. It is an indoor market open Wednesdays through Sundays (you can check the market's hours here), that houses vendors selling clothes, jewelry, glasses, prints, and more. The website includes a few images of what sorts of things customers are bound to see, but you should expect to see much more in person than what is featured online. The Market NYC does have air conditioning, making it a great spot to duck in when the sun has made outdoor markets unbearable.

The Williamsburg Flea occurs every Sunday from 10am-5pm, at the East River State Park (90 Kent Ave at North 7th Street). This is undoubtedly the most scenic of NYC's flea markets, as it is situated right by the East River. Since this market is outdoors, you'll want to be sure to choose a nice day; it can be hard to find shade, so if you burn as easily as I do then I'd highly recommend wearing sunscreen!

View from the East River State Park

You can read about the vendors of the Williamsburg Flea on the market's website. In addition to art, records, jewelry, dresses, t-shirts and other sorts of retail merchandise, the flea market contains plenty of food vendors. Yesterday we found a vendor making vegan beet burgers, another selling dark chocolate, and yet another preparing and selling some all too tempting frozen slushies.

After we finished at the market, we planted ourselves on some grass (in the tiniest shadow of a bush) near the water. The park boasts a beautiful view of the Manhattan skyline, which we were content to enjoy while the weather was nice.

East River State Park

Some other market locations in the city include:

• GreenFlea on Columbus at 76th St
• Artists & Fleas in Chelsea and Williamsburg
• The Antiques Garage in Hell's Kitchen on 25th St
• Fort Greene Flea  on 176 Lafayette Avenue

This is by no means a complete list of NYC markets. Leave a comment here if your favorite flea isn't on this list; I'd love to hear recommendations for new markets to check out.