Flea Food Under the Archway Starts in DUMBO Today
The Brooklyn Flea has been eyeing the archway literally Down Under the Manhattan Bridge for a while; in 2010, they held a pop-up fashion bazaar and weekend market on two separate occasions, while plotting to take over the space with crafty vendors and food stands on a regular basis. Today, it will begin: from now through August, the archway will feature a handful of food vendors every Thursday and Friday.
The participating food vendors at Flea Food Under the Archway were plucked from the Flea’s other locations. Due to space limitations and the slower, weekday work lunch scene, the fair’s carefully curated selection includes Mile End, Asia Dog, Brooklyn Oyster Party, and Landhaus.
“The Flea’s headquarters has been in DUMBO for the last three years, and the most common elevator/sidewalk conversation is how the neighborhood could use more lunch options,” said Eric Demby, co-founder of Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg. He, along with co-founder Jonathan Butler (of Brownstoner.com) have been planning for the location’s launch for nearly a year, in partnership with the neighborhood organization DUMBO Improvement District.
One notable variation to those already familiar with the Brooklyn Flea’s existing locations, such as Smorgasburg, is the time frame for Flea Food Under the Bridge. On Thursdays, the food vendors will serve from 11:30am to 8:00pm, to accommodate dinnertime. While checking out of the office for the York St. subway, commuters can grab a tasty bite on the way home; and locals will have an evening market to mingle at in the open space. Fridays, however, the fair will close at 4:00pm.
“For our own community, we want Thursdays and Fridays to feel like a block party thrown in their honor,” said Alexandria Sica, Executive Director of DUMBO Improvement District. “The Archway is a place to mingle, schmooze and finally chat up that junior designer you see on the elevator. Kids will be frolicking. Creatives will be carousing. This is what we’ve always envisioned the Archway could be for DUMBO and we are thrilled that we could work with one of our favorite office tenants, the Brooklyn Flea, to make it happen.”
With its shady locale that provides a buffer against inclement weather, the fair is poised for a steady summer of dining al fresco underneath the bridge. And once Movies With A View, the free film screening at Brooklyn Bridge Park, begins every Thursday on July 5, Flea Food Under the Archway will be the perfect place to pack your picnic basket before claiming a spot on the lawn.
