A flea market is coming to La Marqueta
Dimitri Gatanas, founder of Urban Garden Center, hopes to ride craft trend. He’s motivated by successes in Brooklyn and Hells Kitchen.
East Harlem’s La Marqueta wants to go beyond food.
Dimitri Gatanas, founder of East Harlem’s Urban Garden Center, has created Flea Marqueta, which will feature dozens of stalls for East Harlem retailers, artists, and craftsman in the space under the Metro North tracks at E. 116th St.
So far 10 vendors — including a vegan cookie baker, a wood jeweler, and a t-shirt maker — as well as a local dance company, are scheduled for the June 23 grand opening.
In its heyday, hundreds of pushcart merchants and vendors sold and traded at La Marqueta, making it the community’s economic and social center. The once-bustling marketplace is now home to several thriving foodie start-ups, but the plaza at La Marqueta has been empty since it was renovated in the 1990s. With the new flea, Gatanas hopes to bring back a piece of his family and the neighborhood’s history.
“My family used La Marqueta for all their shopping. They could buy veggies, meat, fish, clothes, and other goods there,” he said. “It was the Costco of the neighborhood.”
La Marqueta’s general manager hopes Flea Marqueta will help energize the whole market.
“A lot of people do not know that La Marqueta still exists,” said G.Q. Echeguren. “We need something like this to help get the community back together to build up La Marqueta.”
Influenced by Brooklyn Flea, Smorgasburg, and the Hells Kitchen Flea Market, Flea Marqueta will add its own distinct East Harlem flavor.
“East Harlem, Harlem, and the upper East Side have nothing like this,” said Gatanas. “It’s a great opportunity to get our eclectic mix of food, clothing, and art all under the same roof.”
Gatanas said he expects up to 30 vendors and artists can eventually fit in the plaza space every week.
“We don’t expect this to blossom overnight,” said Gatanas. “We really want it to grow organically as part of this neighborhood.”
Vendors, performers, chefs, and entertainers interested in participating in Flea Marqueta can contact the Urban Garden Center at (917) 769-4884.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/uptown/flea-market-coming-la-marqueta-east-harlem-article-1.1369707#ixzz2W9LQ8amv