Brooklyn Flea

About Brooklyn Flea

Brooklyn Flea opened in 2008 and became, almost immediately, one of the defining cultural and retail institutions of a particular moment in Brooklyn's history. In the years since, the Flea has outlasted the trend it helped define and settled into something more durable: a genuinely excellent market that people visit from across the metro area because the vendors are good and the setting is spectacular. The DUMBO location under the Manhattan Bridge archway on Pearl Street is the market's most visually iconic iteration. The Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges frame the view, the cobblestones underfoot are original to the neighborhood's industrial history, and the East River waterfront is steps away. It is objectively a beautiful place to spend a Saturday or Sunday morning. The vendors are juried rather than open-application, which means quality is consistently high across the 40-plus sellers who participate on any given weekend. The selection spans mid-century modern furniture and lighting, vintage clothing from the 1920s through the 1990s, estate and antique jewelry, vinyl records and vintage audio equipment, vintage cameras and film equipment, handmade goods from New York craftspeople, and collectibles across dozens of categories. The best vintage clothing dealers bring pieces that would cost significantly more at a fixed-location boutique. Strategy matters at Brooklyn Flea. Arrive when the market opens at 10am for the best selection — serious collectors and dealers shop early, and the best pieces in furniture and jewelry move within the first hour. For price negotiation, the last hour before closing gives more leverage as vendors prefer selling over packing. Food vendors and the surrounding DUMBO restaurants make a full morning at the Flea easy to sustain. The market runs from mid-March through December, Saturday and Sunday. Check brooklynflea.com for the current season's schedule.