A new Williamsburg flea market will temporarily transform the underside of the BQE into a shopping destination.
BQ Flea, from the same team behind the long-running Brooklyn Flea, will be popping up during four Sundays in October. With the support of the NYC Department of Transportation, the new initiative hopes to bring together the different sections of the neighborhood divided by the highway (shout out, Bobby Moses!). More specifically, it will take place on Meeker Avenue between Union and Lorimer.
“[T]he new location provides space for neighbors, local community organizations, start-up businesses, and just plain folks cleaning out their closets to sell at a busy location for a low cost,” said a press release from the Brooklyn Flea team. “And in a first, vendors will be allowed to sell out of a limited number of vehicles, inspired by English “carboot” sales. Drive your own car or rent a van with a friend and unload furniture, lamps, housewares, and rugs without packing and unpacking at the market.”
So, yes, cars are actually welcome at the flea (but you gotta apply first).
It’s the latest effort to help repurpose the open space underneath the massive thoroughfare. A local artist collective, Gallery BQE, has been adorning the area with wheatpasted works, using the highway infrastructure as a canvas.
BQ Flea will take place from 10 am to 5 pm on October 6, 13, 20, and 27. Applications to sell have already launched, so check it out here.