What: Brooklyn Bridge Flea
When: Every Sunday starting mid June, 11a.m – 6 p.m.
Where: Brooklyn Bridge Park
Why: Here’s a flea, there’s a flea, everywhere there’s the flea flea. For the past year, we’ve watched the growth of this new outdoor market. After launching last spring, it seemed to crawl with a steady slate of new vendors overnight. Then, it took its first baby steps and launched as an indoor winter pop-up market. Now, it stands on two legs with the opening of a second outdoor location debuting this Sunday in Brookyln Bridge Park.
In addition to providing more than a hundred quality vendors, the Flea has brought locals and tourists to a central outer-borough location. “It’s a serious flea market,” said Eric Demby, co-founder of the Flea. “People bring their best stuff here and New Yorkers are smart shoppers.”
With the original Flea drawing more than 5,000 visitors weekly, Demby and co-founder Jonathan Butler thought it was a great idea to extend the market; it would give small business owners a place to thrive and provide a jolt to the local economy with increased foot traffic. The Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation turned out to be a great organization in need of just this kind of market as it plans to make Brooklyn Bridge a destination for travelers.
The Brooklyn Bridge Flea will feature more than 100 vendors—many will be familiar to regular flea-goers—with an emphasis on antiques and collectibles. Expect big time Hudson Valley, New York, and Pennsylvania dealers, veteran costume-jewelry buyers, cutting-edge prop stylists, and local collectors. If you’re hungry for a snack, consider sampling Rick’s Picks, McClure’s Pickles, Blue Marble Ice creams, Early Bird Granola, and People’s Pops to name a few. Fresh lobster rolls from Red Hook Lobster Pound will debut June 28th. Fans of the curated corner series will be happy to know that Time Out NY in partnership with the Flea will have designs by Tracy Reese; Cri de Coeur; housewares from Kiosk; vintage jewelry from Treasures + Pleasures; and gear and decor from Smith + Butler, with a flea inspired price tag.
The Fort Greene Flea will continue to host more than 150 vendors and inspire the social and communal vibe that flea-ites now get dressed up for and tweet about. “The Flea is like putting on a benefit for the people. And they will travel to it whether it’s three blocks or three counties away,” said Demby.
Cost: Free
How to get there: Take the downtown F to Brooklyn. Exit York Street towards Manhattan Bridge. Head West on York to Front. Make a left on Front, then a right onto Brooklyn Bridge and a right onto Water Street. For public transportation directions from anywhere on Manhattan, click the HopStop link below.
Photos: Courtesy of PaulS
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram