All stories about "Jonathan Butler"

With the comments thread on our post about the Queen of All Saints Church meeting in Fort Greene about the Brooklyn Flea still raging, we think two recent weigh-ins deserve a new post. The first:

The racial politics of this post really creep me out. Why did you enter the meeting, which has no real public importance, when politely asked not to? Given that the flea market is a big deal (hyped up in the New York Times and elsewhere) in what is clearly not a commercial space, hearing from the stakeholders (which certainly includes churchgoers) seems appropriate. The main question for me is why such meetings weren't held before the flea market opened.

Last night, a meeting was held at the Queen of All Saints Church in Fort Greene to discuss the Brooklyn Flea, and its perceived detrimental effects on the community. The cast of characters here included: Eric Demby and Jonathan Butler (the latter looking very dapper in an oxford, crisp khakis, and burgundy boots), organizers of the Brooklyn Flea; Councilwoman Leticia James; State Sen. Velmanette Montgomery; Reps from Marty Markowitz' office; Community Board 2 District Manager Robert Perris and CB2 Chairman Robert Dew; and about 70-80 residents of Fort Greene and environs, including many parishioners. Of course, a Racked correspondent also showed up; this is his report.

The first thing I noticed when I pulled my bike up to Queen of All Saints Church were some flyers taped to the building, "respectfully" asking the press not to attend the meeting. I must say, they gave me pause. Just kidding—I walked right in and took a seat. The basement of Queen of All Saints Church was hot, and the fans were loud. Monsignor Andrew Vaccari, administrator of Queen of All Saints, opened things up by describing the purpose of the meeting as a venue for stakeholders to share concerns about the flea market. This was the third such meeting, he mentioned, and the first to have representatives from the Brooklyn Flea in attendance.

Click the image above to view the full photogallery.

With the amount of press that Jonathan Butler and Eric Demby garnered for their Brooklyn Flea, it should have come as no surprise that despite gloomy weather and train issues, the thing was packed to the gills when it debuted yesterday in Fort Greene. The trip over was fun: the closer you drew to the Flea's home on Lafayette Avenue between Clermont and Vanderbilt, the more clogged the sidewalks became with folks heading home from the event. Once inside, the turnout made it a bit hard to shop, but aside from that, there were definite Flea highlights and lowlights.

With less than two weeks to go until opening weekend on April 6th, Jonathan Butler and Eric Demby's Brooklyn Flea is getting a lot of buzz in the local press. Yesterday, New York Magazine devoted a lengthy spread to the Flea, and today, the New York Daily News spills ink on the open-air market. We can't help but be excited as well—this is the largest flea market to ever open in Brooklyn we're talking about (note: according to the NYDN, that is). As launch day draws near, it's clear that Demby and Butler, who runs real estate blog Brownstoner, have done a good job in getting the word out: according to the Daily News piece more than 600 vendors have expressed interest in the Flea; only 200 vendors will fit on the lot, so offerings will rotate from week to week. What's interesting about the market, and what will also probably help it succeed (aside from the massive outpouring of local support and sheer diversity of goods available), are the excellent food vendors Demby and Butler have rounded up. Expect to find treats from businesses like Choice Market, Wafels + Dinges, Kumquat Cupcakery and Salvatore Bklyn Ricotta. Less than two weeks!
· Colossal flea market grabs Fort Greene [NY Daily News]
· Looking Ahead: A Peek at the Brooklyn Flea Vendor List [Racked]
· Worthy Causes: Brooklyn Flea Wants More Vendors [Racked]
· Come Spring, Fort Greene To Be Flea-Ridden [Racked]

New York is a rough city for flea markets. The large open spaces that fleas require are hard to find in a town that puts such a premium and a high price on real estate, and cold and rainy fall and winter months kill business for a good part of the year. That's a shame, because flea markets are pretty damn awesome. We're still morning the death of the Chelsea Flea, which has never truly been the same since it was forced to move up to Hell's Kitchen. Jonathan Butler, founder of Brooklyn blog Brownstoner, was also nostalgic for the Chelsea flea —that's why he's decided to launch his own market in Fort Greene. The Brooklyn Eagle recently caught up with Butler, who described how Brooklyn Flea will pan out:

“It’s going to be antique, vintage, and one-of-a-kind type-stuff,” everything from furniture to vinyl to jewelry, said Butler...Food stands could line the bleachers, where patrons would take a break before heading back to the maze of 200 to 300 vendors he expects to cram the yard of Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School, on Lafayette and Clermont avenues. Butler said the market would start in April and run every Sunday, at least until Christmas.