PS 321 Flea Market Opens Under New Management After Brooklyn Flea Departure
The PS 321 Flea Market (180 7th Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets) re-opened under new management in early March, a Park Slope institution which plans to make adjustments in order to become more “neighbor-friendly and vendor-friendly,” according to James LaMorte, owner of Metro Flea.
In 2013, Brooklyn Flea took over the market after signing a two-year contract with the Department of Education. During their tenure as manager, some longtime vendors left the market, unhappy with elements of Brooklyn Flea’s management approach.
The money earned by the PS 321 Flea Market contributes to the arts educational fund for the school. “Brooklyn Flea paid a lot of money for the space,” said Lauren Gropp Lowry, co-President of the PS 321 PTA. “It didn’t work out — there were no hard feelings. They seemed to need a bigger space.”
Georgia Frierson of the Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg told us that they were “no longer doing PS 321 because we’re focusing on new projects this year.”
LaMorte believes that some vendors left during Brooklyn Flea’s tenure because booth rental prices were raised from $40 to $100. “Vendors just couldn’t afford it,” he said.
Marilyn is a Park Slope resident and vendor who is returning to the flea market this year. She has been selling furniture and jewelry for 33 years. “I run a mini-department store,” she said.
Marilyn did return last year while Brooklyn Flea was still managing, but she admits there was negativity in the air. “Whenever I heard a negative comment, I’d try to talk about the positives. But the market had really turned. A lot of vendors aged out, moved away, or died.”
LaMorte believes the departure of certain vendors was more complex than just the price of a booth. “I think they alienated people and it had an effect on so many who saw the market run in such a different way,” he said. “We’re going back to making it more ‘mom-and-pop’. We want to offer merchandise that people are used to seeing here. They [Brooklyn Flea] brought in too many upscale vendors.”
Those who we spoke believe that LaMorte’s approach seems promising.
“James [LaMorte] is a very capable manager with a proven track record. PS 321 is going to make it back to its former glory,” says Marilyn. “I’ve spoken with other storekeepers, and there is a sense that people will come and see a local flea market with local vendors.”
“It’s going to be more approachable this year,” said PTA co-President Lowry.
LaMorte’s company also manages two Manhattan venues: St. Anthony’s Market in SoHo and The Marketplace on Mulberry in Little Italy.
“We have a core of rotating vendors, but we have room for a few more,” said LaMorte. “We want vendors who left to come back.”
Marilyn is hopeful about the success of the flea under Metro Flea’s management. “If someone is out here on a Saturday or Sunday, they are hunting for a prize. We have prizes here.”
The Rundown: PS 321 Flea Market
Where: PS 321, 180 7th Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets
When: Saturdays and Sundays, 9am to 5pm. The market plans to be open year round.