Every Sunday, hundreds of vendors pack the Bishop Loughlin High School parking lot to sell their wares.  Everything from vintage clothing to new silk screened t-shirts, antique furniture to arts and crafts is for sale.  Come hungry and nosh at one of the food vendor’s stations.

The flea market was the creation of Brownstoner blogger Jonathan Butler.  Butler is also the brainchild behind Clinton Hill’s annual Salvage Fest.

Brush up on your haggling skills and bring a few bags to carry off those bargains!

Location:  Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School, 176 Lafayette Avenue (map)

Subway:  G to Clinton-Washington Ave

Hours:  Every Sunday, 10am-5pm

photo credit: flickr, flickr

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

Previously, those wanting to buy a six-pack wine of glasses for $2.99 and “assembly required” furniture had to hike out to the IKEA in Elizabeth, New Jersey or Long Island.  The Brooklyn store opened with much fanfare and included a “log-cutting” ceremony (perhaps a Swedish equivalent of a ribbon-cutting) as hundreds of eager shoppers waited to descend on the store.    

Ikea’s arrival hasn’t been without its share of controversy.  The once frighteningly isolated waterfront neighborhood fought the behemoth’s arrival, successfully delaying the project for years.  And current community activists still worry about the further reaching impact of losing the area’s working waterfront.  

Stop by IKEA-Brooklyn for the shopping and stay for the fine Swedish cuisine which can be enjoyed while checking out the sweeping views of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.   

Location: 1 Beard Street, Brooklyn (map) 718-246-IKEA

Getting There: 

• Subway: F, D, M, or R to 4th Avenue-9th Street station or 2, 3, 4, 5, M, or R train to Court Street-Borough Hall.  From the subway stations, take the free IKEA shuttle that runs every 15 minutes.
• Water Taxi: A free water taxi leaves Manahttan’s Pier 11 (map) and goes directly to IKEA-Brooklyn.  Check the online schedules for more information.  

Hours: Daily 10am-10pm

Photo credit: flickr

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

1. Rockaway Beach, Queens   Watch the longboarders catch some of New York’s best waves at this surfers delight.  Close to the city, Rockaway Beach Park offers a quick get-away.  Free admission.  A to Broad Channel then S to Rockaway Park-Beach 116th St. 
2. Jones Beach State Park, NY   If you don’t want to wade in the surf of this 6.5 mile beach, try the calmer bay beach or one of the two pools.  Summer concerts in the outdoor amphitheater.  $8/day, LIRR to Freeport then JB62 to Jones Beach.   
3. Long Beach, NY   A few years ago, on my first trip to Long Beach, I exclaimed “I feel like I’m in California!”  Located on the Atlantic Ocean, the town of Long Beach has a great laid back beach vibe and  enough white sand that will make you feel like you’re in Hermosa Beach, California.  $6/day, LIRR to Long Beach 
4. Brighton Beach and Coney Island, Brooklyn   The neighboring communities of multi-ethnic Brighton Beach and all-American Coney Island have a little something for everybody.   Russian and Ukraine eateries line the boardwalk of Brighton Beach while you can get a Nathan’s Hot Dog in Coney Island.  B, Q to Brighton Beach. 
5. Spring Lake, NJ   So quaint, this town deserved its own post earlier in the month.  Located just two hours south of New York on the Jersey shore, this idyllic stretch of white beach is the longest non-commercial Boardwalk in New Jersey.  Private beach, but hotels and B&Bs have passes for guests.  Jersey Transit to Spring Lake.  
6. Atlantic City, NJ   The classic South Jersey getaway, A.C. has undergone a transformation, of sorts.  You can’t help but think of the glorydays of Atlantic City when you walk wooden boardwalk.  Frequent bus departures from Port Authority on Academy Bus Lines and Greyhound Bus Line.
7. Great Kills Park, Staten Island   A great swimming beach, nature trails, fishing, and a marina with a public boat launch comprise this Staten Island recreation getaway.  S78 from Staten Island Ferry Terminal. 
8. Ocean Beach, NY   One of the most happening towns on Fire Island, Ocean Park is one step below the Hamptons.  LIRR to Bayshore then water taxi to Ocean Beach.  
9. Orchard Beach, Bronx   This man-made beach neighbors the forest and marshland of Pelham Bay.  Walk the promenade or catch one of the free concerts that take place throughout the summer.   Bus: Bx12, Bx29, Bx5, Bx52
10. Hampton Main Beach, NY  Located in East Hampton and nestled between other notable beaches, Main Beach has long had the reputation for being the best of the bunch.  Click here for transportation option to the Hamptons.

Photo credit (top to bottom): Rockaway Beach, flickr; surfer at Long Beach, flickr; Spring Lake boardwalk, personal collection; Atlantic City boardwalk, flickr; Main Beach, flickr

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

Explore the history of the subway with vintage subway cars (complete with ads from the era), old subway maps, wooden turnstiles, and retro mosaics that were once in the station.  Interactive exhibits are fun for the whole family and even allow you to sit in the conductors compartment of a decommissioned subway car.   

The New York Transit Museum also has a Manhattan annex.  The New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex & Store at Grand Central Terminal is open Monday–Friday 8am-8pm, Saturday-Sunday 10am-6pm and admission is free.

Location:  New York Transit Museum, Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn Heights (map) 718-694-1600

Subway:  2,3,4,5 to Borough Hall; M, R to Court Street; A, C, G to to Hoyt-Schermerhorn Street; A, C, F to Jay Street-Borough Hall

Days and Hours:  Tuesday–Friday 10am-4pm.  Saturday and Sunday Noon-5pm.  Closed Mondays and major holidays. 

Cost:  $5 Adults, $3 children (3–17 years), $3 senior citizens (62+)

Check out last week’s Museum Monday post on the Museum at Fashion Institute of America.  Museum Monday continues next week with a post on the the New Museum of Contemporary Art. 

Photo credit: Nealy-J via flickr, Kilgub via flickr 

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

Celebrate the sand, the sea, and the mythological mermaid at this parade of artistic self-expression. There are no Grand Marshalls in this parade, this year’s parade is being led by King Neptune Reverend Billy and Queen Mermaid Savitri D.  For more information, check out the Coney Island Mermaid Parade website.

In true Coney Island style, following the parade is the annual Mermaid Ball.  The evening will include music, DJs, burlesque, drinks, go-gos, a sideshow and, of course, mermaids.  Doors open at 5pm and pre-purchase $10 tickets are available online or pay $15 at the door.   

Parade Route:  The Parade starts on West 10th Street and the Boardwalk, moves west to West 16th Street and the Boardwalk, then goes north to Surf Avenue and  turns east along Surf Avenue and rolls to West 10th Street where it ends.  Click here for a map of Coney Island.    

Subway:  D, F, N or Q to Stillwell Avenue-Coney Island

Date and Time:  Saturday, June 21, 2008.  Parade begins at 2pm and ends around 5pm.

Photo credit: flickr, flickr

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

Artist Olafur Eliasson, in conjunction with Public Art Fund, has created four 90- to 120-foot man-made waterfalls at locations across New York: Governors Island, between Brooklyn Piers 4 and 5, Manhattan Pier 35, and Brooklyn Bridge.  Click here for a map of waterfall locations.

The waterfalls may be viewed from various locations across the city.  The Staten Island Ferry and Governors Island ferry will provide views of the Brooklyn falls and Governors Island falls.  Additionally, Circle Line Tours will be offering free 30 minute boat tours of all of the waterfall locations.  For free tickets call 866-9CLINE1 (1-866-925-4631).  The tour will provide up-close viewing of the waterfalls and include an audio introduction of the falls. 

The mastermind behind New York City Waterfalls is 41-year-old Danish artist Olafur Eliasson.  Considered to be one of his generation’s most influential artists, he is best known for The Weather Project, a giant sun made of 200 yellow lamps, mirrors, and mist, which was presented in 2003 at London’s Tate Modern. 

Dates and Times:  June 26, 2008 until October 13, 2008.  Waterfalls will be operating from 7am-10pm, and will be lit after dark.

Tours:  Circle Line Boat Tours, for free tickets call 1-866-925-4631.

For More Information:  www.NYCWaterfalls.org 

Image courtesy: Public Art Fund, The New York City Waterfalls (artist’s rendering), © 2008 Olafur Eliasson

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

“Live, Love, Be” is the theme of this year’s Brooklyn Pride event.  There is a full day of events on Saturday, June 14th with a festival in Prospect Park from 11am-6pm and a Night Parade from 6-8pm.  More information can be found on the Brooklyn Pride website. 

Washington DC’s Pride Fest finishes this weekend with a parade and festival.  To find out what’s going in the Beltway, check out The DC Traveler’s post (and a few really great photos) on Capital Pride.

NewFest, the LGBT Film Festival is celebrating its 20th year and runs through Sunday, June 15th.  For film schedules and more information, go to NewFest.org.

Photo credit: Tom Legrady via flickr 

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

Operatic partners, as well as husband and wife, soprano Angela Gheorghiu and tenor Roberto Alagna are frequent performers at the Met Opera and will perform popular arias and duets at the outdoor concert.

The concert will take place at Prospect Park in Brooklyn in the Long Meadow, which can accommodate up to 150,000 people, six jumbo screens will be strategically placed for better viewing. 

Bank of America is in its eighth year sponsoring this event and will offer 25,000 free pre-paid MetroCards on a first-come, first-served basis.  Any person that receives a free MetroCard will also be eligible for free prizes, once scanned at Prospect Park.  The prizes include tickets to a performance during the Metropolitan Opera’s upcoming season, or  grand prizes of a vacation package or a cash gift provided by the bank.  Stop by one of the five listed Bank of America branches beginning Monday, June 16, 2008 for your free MetroCard:

• Manhattan: 1515 Broadway, Times Square
• Brooklyn: 449 Myrtle Avenue
• Bronx: 299 East 204th Street
• Queens: 90-53 Sutphin Boulevard
• Staten Island: 2196 Forest Avenue

If you can’t make it to the opera, it will also be streamed via the Metropolitan Opera website at www.metopera.org.

Location:  Prospect Park, Brooklyn (map)

Subway:  F to 7th Avenue, enter park at Prospect Park West at 9th Street 

Date and Time:  Friday, June 20, 2008.  8pm

Cost:  Free 

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

Polish theater company TR Warszawa and director Grzegorz Jarzyna breathe new life into Shakespeare’s Macbeth with performances at St. Ann’s Warehouse in DUMBO, Brooklyn.  This Shakespeare classic tragedy will be presented in an a two-story, open-air, column-free structure that was specially constructed for the event.  The production will be a true multi-media experience complete with video walls and English supertitles, as the play will be presented entirely in Polish.

For more information on Macbeth under the bridge, including a trailer, visit the St Ann’s Warehouse website. 

Location:  St. Ann’s Warehouse, 38 Water Street, Brooklyn (map)

Subway:  F to York Street

Dates and Time: June 17th through June 29th.  9pm

Cost:  Reserved seating $35.  Available online or by phone (718) 254-8779 or (866) 811-4111 

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Post from: The New York City Traveler