Neighborhood Watch: Fort Greene

Brooklyn Flea
The glittering chandelier-lit ceiling and marble-columned interior of the former Williamsburg Savings Bank at 1 Hanson Place make it the last place where you’d picture fleas. Yet the building is the winter venue of the Brooklyn Flea, a Saturday and Sunday market described on its website as “hundreds of top vendors of antique and repurposed furniture, vintage clothing, collectibles and antiques, as well as a tightly curated selection of jewelry, art, and crafts by local artisans and designers, plus delicious fresh food.” In only its fourth year, the Brooklyn Flea has already been widely praised by organizations such as Citizens Union, and publications such as the New York Times and Time Out New York.

Like the space itself, the merchandise at the Brooklyn Flea alternates between grandeur and thrift. Weaving one’s way through this high-ceilinged amorphous maze, one finds vendors selling the used, unused, reused, and occasionally, the totally original.

Of the used merchandise, many collections look like transplanted garage sales—complete with rusty tools and beat up file cabinets. Glorifying the used, many of these vendors push the line between “collector” and “pack rat.” And they charge you accordingly for this novelty: Used records are $15-$20, vintage sweaters $30-$50, and worn Dooney & Burke purses $95.
Other vendors retool used items. For example, the vendor Olde Good Things offers mirrors and décor fashioned from ornate ceiling tiles. The high prices—up to several hundred dollars apiece—are thus somewhat justified by the originality and quality of the pieces.

Some merchandise however, is totally original and fits under the banner of “flea” in spirit only. Highlights include street art, animal-shaped cushions, colorful picture frames, graphic t-shirts, and jewelry. In line with the novelty value this market places on used goods, these “new” items are often more reasonably priced: Distinctive, high quality jewelry ranges from $10-$35.

According to Blue, who sells prints, vendors return each week, and some have established friendships over the years. But Blue was nostalgic for summers when the market is outside. “This is so gloomy!” he lamented. If not festive, the market is certainly a place where people as well as merchandise are worth watching. Everyone—couples, singles, families—was dressed to the nines, matching the dichotomy of “flea” and “fancy”: dressing up to dress down, and looking anything but brand new.

Masonic Temple
The Brooklyn Masonic Temple (317 Clermont Ave., at Lafayette Avenue) is every bit as quirky as it sounds, but not the way one would expect. The imposing marble building, as the name suggests, is home to the Freemasons, but also houses one of its attached offerings—a live music venue. Welcome to Brooklyn.

The temple, which was erected in 1907 as a replica of King Solomon’s Temple, cost four million dollars to complete and contains a collection of Masonic murals. Owned and operated by the Empire State Grand Council, the structure also holds a concert space that consists of a multi-level standing room area, complete with balcony and chandelier. Bare, hardwood floors give the space a rustic feel. Since they opened their doors to the public in 1977, the Freemasons have rented out many of the temple’s rooms for weddings and other events.
Given, those tend to be less offbeat than live music, but if it ain’t broke, don’t question it. The concerts are run by BOOM Collective, a Brooklyn-based music booking company that works with a hive of venues such as The Bell House and Le Poisson Rouge.

The musical acts are typically of the indie persuasion, which draw hipsters to Brooklyn in droves: Past performers include New Jersey rockers Titus Andronicus, experimentally-minded Panda Bear of Animal Collective, art rockers Les Savy Fav, and the eclectic yet renowned TV on the Radio.

Because of the nature of the building, it hosts only a handful of events a year relative to other, more music-oriented venues, with a sporadic schedule—sometimes with shows several weekends running, other times skipping a few weeks at a time. Still, the artists it features are impressively popular for such a low-profile space. Snug yet grandiose, the format of the venue offers few bad seats, and the history can’t help but to make it an experience.