Neighborhoods: Brooklyn Flea Market and Other Fort Greene Adventures

When I think of flea markets, I think of a stadium parking lot filled with rows and rows of vendors, like the flea markets of my childhood. So I wasn't expecting the entire Brooklyn Flea Market to fit into the confines of a high school track field. But that made it more neighborhood-y and intimate, I guess. It's definitely worth the trip out, with a nice variety of craft and food vendors, vintage clothing and jewelry dealers and people just cleaning out their attics. I'd say it took us about 40 minutes to walk through the whole thing, and we were mostly just browsing.

I'd never been to Fort Greene before, or at least not intentionally. The market is about a 15 minute walk from the 4/5 Atlantic St. Stop, and I confess I used my Google Maps app on my Blackberry to guide me. I always feel I'm on the verge of getting lost when in the BK. Getting off the subway, I swear I was hit up for money at least a few times in the first few blocks of what I assume is Downtown Brooklyn. It's funny how the neighborhood changes as you walk further north and east. Less scuzzy.

My first impressions of the market: hipster central. Having decided against my straw fedora and ironic tee at home, I felt a little out of place in my girly sundress, but it was cool. Being uninitiated into this flea market business, I haven't mastered the art of finding treasure amidst clutter, but I did buy a pair of earrings (made not by the vendor, it turns out, but by someone in Bali - $30 - not cheap!) and a peanut butter and chocolate whoopie pie (the ones at One Girl Cookies were better). I was glad to find a couple rows of food booths--nice to see locally produced foods. For those who are famished, they can also buy drinks, corn on the cob, sausage and other stuff and sit and eat on the bleachers with the rest of the hipsters.

Here are some photos from our day...vintage kitchen set:

Charlie Brown and Linus - except what's wrong with their coloring?:
Vinyl dealers:
Wow - maybe if you had this sectional and nothing else in your very white living room:
Kinda cool:Pots and pans:
Vintage toys:
Sweets!!
Carved right off a pig's leg, for your culinary pleasure:
Tasty gherkins and other pickled products:
More mini cupcakes?
More baked goods:
$70? Seriously?Food and drink!!
Pretty mirrors:
Nice little banquette:
Later, we walked to De Kalb Ave (some strangers told us that's where we'd find the restaurants) and ate at a French cafe called Lou Lou. Cute little garden out back. The kitchen was really backed up that day because it took at least an hour for our food to come out. Food was okay, not great.


Garden view:View from the hatch: