Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Chelsea Flea Market Set To Return Under Brooklyn Flea Management
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Jan 24, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Scott Lynch / Gothamist
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Jan 24, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Chelsea Flea Market, which closed suddenly last month after a more than four decade run that drew celebrities and die-hard collectors alike, is set to reopen in April at the same Manhattan location but under new management.
Eric Demby, the co-founder of Brooklyn Flea, told Gothamist that he and his partner Jonathan Butler had a new lease deal in place for the flea's original parking lot at 29 West 25th Street, near Sixth Avenue. Last month, Alan Boss, who once ran the Chelsea Flea Market across a series of blocks in the West 20s, announced that he was unable to renew his lease.
"Our focus is to find as many of the vendors who were selling in Chelsea over the years so we can give them the opportunity to come back," Demby said. "We’re trying to cast as wide a net as possible. We want those folks to remain at the core of that market."
He said he was hoping to host up to 100 vendors in the new market, which will have the same name and be run year-round on Saturdays and Sundays. The cost of renting a space for vendor would be roughly the same as it was under Boss, $225 per day and $400 for both Saturday and Sunday.
On Thursday, vendors that had been at Chelsea Flea Market were sent an email that invited them to apply for the new market. They were instructed not to disclose the news to the press.
The revival of the market should come as good news to the old vendors, who had said they were hoping that someone might come in and save the market. Over the years, several vendors have accused Boss and his wife Helene, of abusive behavior and blamed them for the market's decline.
Demby, who, along with Butler, started the Brooklyn Flea in 2008, said they had started discussions with those in charge of the parking lot prior to the flea market's closure. He said they originally hoped they could keep it running but did not finalize the deal in time.
They are still in the early planning stages, he said. While it might be too early to speculate about the market's identity, he said they are planning to incorporate pop-ups as well as a handful of food vendors. He stressed, however, that food would not be the focus. The duo also run Smorgasburg, a weekly open-air food market that started in 2011. The market runs during warm-weather months in Brooklyn and Manhattan and has since expanded to Los Angeles.
Last month's shuttering of the market evoked sadness among many of its longtime fans. "It's the best entertainment in New York," Joseph Gibbon, an art dealer, told Gothamist at the time.
Although flea markets like traditional retail has struggled amid the rise of online shopping, Demby said he was hoping the movement toward sustainability would convince more people to look toward vintage buys.
"I think something so old can be new again in this case," he said.
Tagged
Chelsea Flea Market
brooklyn flea
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 22, 2026
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
Highlights of shifts in the city's business landscape.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Arts & Entertainment
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
Highlights of shifts in the city's business landscape.
By
Hannah Frishberg
A new film invites you to eavesdrop on one of the greatest conversations in NYC history
By
Sonia Rao
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
By
Sonia Rao
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .