CAN A NEW FLEA MARKET ATTRACT SHOPPERS UNDER THE BQE?

The biggest name behind flea markets in the city, and the precursor to Smorgabsurg, is opening its latest this weekend under the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in Williamsburg Fittingly, they’re calling it the BQ Flea.

The market’s producer, the Brooklyn Flea, also operates seasonal events under the Brooklyn Bridge and in a Chelsea parking lot, and now hopes to have a hand in revitalizing the underbelly of one of the city’s most congested — and unpleasant — transit zones.

BQ Flea will host its first event on October 6 — where Meeker Avenue meets Union Avenue and Lorimer Street — and continue on Sundays through the end of the month, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“The Flea is so excited to return to Williamsburg, first and foremost,” said BQ Flea co-founder Eric Demby. “And to be part of the civic reimagining of such critical and long-forlorn urban space in such a vibrant community feels special. We hope to see lots of new and old neighborhood friends together under, yes, the BQE.”

BQ Flea is a collaboration with the Department of Transportation. “This October we’re bringing the Brooklyn Flea to underneath the BQE, helping transform this underused public space into a bustling community market that brings neighbors together,” said New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, in a press release.

The move to invigorate below the expressway hasn’t gone off without its hitches. Further along the BQE, indicted mayor Eric Adams did a 15-block sweep of homeless encampments in 2022, which faced criticism at the time. In a city that regularly criminalizes street food vendors like those at Corona Plaza under the 7 train — and has been accused of being too slow to legalize permits— it’s worth noting that the city is greenlighting open-air markets in an affluent area like Williamsburg.

From the start, the BQE has had a “problematic history” in New York, with city planner Robert Moses displacing other public transit options and communities in the process of building a roadway between the boroughs. Now, New Yorkers have to make the best of it: This particular event is just a flea market, yes, but perhaps it can be a test case to drive people people under the expressway and create a more enjoyable experience there for all. (BQ Flea hopes its pilot month-long event will be recurring).

As at the team’s other markets, BQ Flea will be primarily vintage sellers, but this particular market will also include various food vendors: Among them are Suzume (10/06, 10/20), a Williamsburg restaurant with Hawaiian flavors; Burger Supreme (all Sundays), serving an “Atlantic boardwalk-style burger”; Dirty South Kitchen (10/13, 10/20, 10/27), a kolache stand, Culto Italiano (10/20 and 10/27): Neapolitan pizza crafted by a pizzaiolo from Naples; and Betty Jo’s Ice Cream (10/13): a small-batch ice cream brand, recently profiled by New York Magazine. Maddie Nehlen and Erin Forden, Betty Jo’s founders, do not have a retail presence for the pints they sell out of frequently through Instagram drops: They told Eater for their day at the BQ Flea they’ll be selling scoops, as well as doing a pie-inspired sundae bar with jams, crust, and crumb toppings.

While snacking under the dark archways of the expressway may not initially sound the most appealing, there is a Manhattan precedent. The New Amsterdam Market ran from 2007 until 2014 on the East River waterfront, conceived as a way to utilize the barren space under the FDR with food stands, while highlighting the area’s history as a public market.

The Brooklyn Flea sees the BQ Flea as a return to North Brooklyn, having previously operated a market at the Williamsburg waterfront. the market helped launch many food vendors, including Malai Ice Cream, which has gone on to open its storefront in Cobble Hill, and White Mustache, a yogurt brand now on shelves of grocery shops throughout the country. (Smorgasburg later launched on the Williamsburg waterfront in 2011).

Because this particular location is what’s effectively a parking lot under a highway, the flea will also allow people to sell vintage and handmade items of their car — a nod to England’s car boot sales — a version picked up steam in New York last year, as the city’s “quirkiest shop” according to the New York Times, became a tailgating U-Haul moving truck. The new location “provides space for neighbors, local community organizations, start-up businesses, and just plain folks cleaning out their closets to sell at a busy location for a low cost,” the release states. A standard 10x10 booth at BQ Flea is $150 per day; a vehicle spot is $200.

Of the city’s newest flea market location, Rodriguez says, “We continue to develop innovative solutions to reconnect communities divided by the BQE and we hope New Yorkers and visitors alike will enjoy browsing the artwork, vintage goods, and flavorful foods for sale at this unique location.”

2024-10-01T14:53:34Z