Astoria Flea And Food Market

Astoria - LIC Flea & Food Market. The perfect destination for a family outing or an after-brunch walk, Astoria and LIC Flea & Food let's you discover new food and drink options, unique clothing and accessories and much more. When baseball players are called up from their minor league teams to finally get the chance to play for the Mets or Yankees, their coaches tell the excited player that he's "going to The Show".

The Show is as good as it gets for a rookie or journeyman player who has put his time in, riding the buses from town to town and practicing his craft. All the hard work has paid off. The Show is the ultimate destination. It's the place where you want to be.
 
Recently, we had the pleasure of visiting The Show as far as flea markets and neighborhood street fairs go, The Astoria Flea and Food. Located on the brand-new outdoor lot at the Kaufman Film and TV Studio complex, Astoria Flea has a really welcoming vibe. It's upscale, yet neighborly, stretching all the way across the studio lot from 35th to 34th Ave. The studio is rich in history. Back in the day when Astoria was Hollywood East, luminaries like W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers and Rudolph Valentino all filmed here.

From the Cosby Show to Sesame Street to the edgy new series Orange Is the New Black, the Kaufman Studios are as busy as ever. At The Flea the crowds are polite and most definitely in a shopping mood. The vendors are friendly and eager to please, offering products and services that you just can't find anywhere else.
 
In this article, we will take a look at some of the diverse and creative entreprenuers who bring the very best in fare and food to the Flea. From Flippers just in time for summer, all-natural sandals, to the fine art photography of the lovely Anka Jurena, to handmade cloth dolls by LA Donas' Rosa Rosado; theres something for one and all at The Flea.
 
Strolling leisurely along the lot, we come upon the aptly named Mr. Saucy. Your host at the table is Mr. Saucy himself, the talented and genial Brian. Just taste his line of gluten and wheat-free natural hot sauces and you will be hooked.

Horman's Best Pickles has what you're craving. If you are a foodie looking for something healthy yet different, try the variety of pickled products they have. The tasty lineup includes new dill, sweet cajun, tomato, kosher and jalapeno. On their own as a snack or to pair up with your favorite sandwich, you can't go wrong with these pickles.
 
Hold on just a minute. Before moving on to the next vendor, let's see what all the commotion is about. There's a crowd gathering over by a couple of vendor booths and we know why. We just spotted one of television's wittiest and prettiest host/reporters, Good Morning America's co-anchor Ms. Lara Spencer. Lara was at The Flea, filming an episode of her HDTV series Flea Market Flip. The visitors at Astoria Flea had a great time watching the show being filmed. During breaks, Lara, who is a flea-market fanatic, visited various vendors and interacted with her fans.  Shortly after, Lara retreated to the comfort of her Cruise America dressing room vehicle, parked on 34th Avenue next to Monika's Cafe Bar.

If you go to The Flea, make certain to stop by Lauren Stewart Designs. All of her very classy, innovative items are "made by hand, made with love." Walking around The Flea will certainly give you a workout. It will also make you thirsty.  In that case stop by and see Jet, Dave and Chelsea at the Ice Riders booth and they'll set you up with a cool and refreshing shaved ice. Jet, Dave and his team shave the ice by riding a bike. It's environmentally friendly and fun to watch. The Ice Riders' organic signature flavors include Blue Raspberry, Green Apple, Orange, Strawberry and Watermelon. Jet, Dave and Chelsea are just good folks who love talking about what they do, while making new friends.

Check out their website at www.iceridersnyc.com 

C3 Brix is always a great attraction at the Astoria Flea and its LIC counterpart. Cody does custom Lego designs. They have to be seen to be believed. When we visited the C3 Brix Booth, among the Lego designs were Scooby Doo, Elmo, an old-school Coca-Cola sign as well as logos for the NY Yankees, Giants and Jets. Rebuild your childhood with C3 Brix. It's fascinating how Cody can turn different colors and shapes of Lego into just about any design you want.

What exactly is Noctua Diem? The answer to that question can be found at John Vegas's booth. John is a licensed massage therapist and natural health professional who has created a line of organic and purely botanical aromatherapy products. They're perfect for your health and beauty regimen. Some of John's products are balancing shampoo, sandalwood and rose face mist as well as peppermint and tea tree shower gel. Hit up www.noctuadiem.com for more info.

The name Luke's Lobster says it all... yum! If you love anything lobster, this is the good stuff. Treat yourself to their artisan-crafted lobster rolls. Bill's Balls has been one of the most popular vendors at the LIC Flea since its inception in 2013. Now, Astoria residents get to see, and taste, what all the fuss has been about.
 
Chef Bill and his team create delicious meatballs that can stand alone, no pasta needed. You've got a large, well-seasoned meatball, a bun, maybe a touch of Romano on top and you are good to go. Don't forget to check out the colorful Bill's Balls T-shirt. There's some really clever marketing going on here. Bills Balls... great food with personality. Even if you stay a couple of hours, there's still not nearly enough time to see everything at The Flea.

You'll want to take your time and do justice to vendors like Taproot Organics with their fantastic variety of hand-crafted soaps. The Flea is a kids-friendly place. There are picnic-style tables situated at both the 34th and 35th Avenue entrances. Toddlers and kids of all ages will enjoy the most unusual ice cream flavors from Ice and Vice as well as the endless stream of treats from sweet muse.

Linty Toes offers eye-catching, well-made recycled shirts for babies and older children. Check their line out at www.etsy.com/shoplintytoes or, better yet, visit these nice ladies in person. At the Astoria and LIC Fleas you will enjoy the best sips and bites and high-end products while you meet New York State's new breed of entrepreneurs.

Get out there and enjoy.