Region
Part of the Annex/Hell's Kitchen Flea Market (HKFM) triad of markets, Hell's Kitchen Flea Market (HKFM) sets the standard for distinctive vendors. No wonder National Geographic named it one of the top ten shopping streets in the world. Open year-round, rain or shine, the street is closed to traffic on Saturdays and Sundays when some 150 vendors fill their stalls with furniture, vintage clothing, jewelry, ephemera, objets d'art and retro decor.
The Hell's Kitchen Flea Market is a place where collectors and high-end bargainers come to shop for antiques, collectibles, vintage clothing, mid-century modern items, home decor, furniture, jewellery and more. The clientele is diverse - you may meet celebrities and fashionistas, and you are sure to see locals and tourists alike browsing the market for hidden treasures.
This unlikely stretch of street in New York's Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood still exudes an authentic New York vibe, even though property prices in the area are now comparable to chic Chelsea. One of the advantages of the Hell's Kitchen flea market is its slightly out-of-the-way location, which encourages vendors to offer lower prices than elsewhere to compensate for the short distance.
As with any good flea market, it's all in the digging. And with up to one hundred and fifty vendors set up along this stretch of West 39th Street, there are countless treasures to be uncovered - especially as many of the vendors at the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market come from the now defunct Chelsea Antiques Garage, which used to be the best flea market in the city. All in all, the year-round weekend antiquing at the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market is unparalleled and should be on your New York bucket list.
Due to the gentrification of the Hell's Kitchen area and rising costs, the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market will merge with the legendary Chelsea Flea Market (founded in 1976) in January 2019. Flea market lovers and antique enthusiasts will find many of their favourite Hell's Kitchen Flea Market vendors there. The Chelsea Flea Market offers a wide variety of antiques, collectibles, decorative arts and other interesting inventory. Bringing the Hell's Kitchen vendors to Chelsea creates a true critical mass of merchandise that enhances the buying experience for shoppers and the selling experience for vendors.
Jessica King
16th June 2015 at 00:08I’m giving it three stars since when I go with my family they sometimes buy something. One persons junk is another persons treasure (or something like that). I think it is all high priced and the vendors are unrealistic. You have to learn how to barter with them. I’m a lover not a fighter!! I would need to want something pretty bad to argue over price. I will for food, but not goods!
It’s fun to go for the day, get some sunshine, and look at everything. If you are a collector of anything, like antiques and memorabilia, you will be in heaven. I like to keep my load in life small and light since I’m not one to stay in one place very long!! For the collectors, go and go often!!
Nicole Wood
26th June 2015 at 00:50Not the biggest flea market I’ve seen in Manhattan, but the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market offers a wide variety of old, new & artsy items. As it was late afternoon on a Sunday, they weren’t very busy. In fact, some vendors looked downright bored. Because nearly the whole block was closed between 9th & 10th Avenues, I suspect they may have more vendors & shoppers on other weekends. I enjoyed browsing although I didn’t buy anything.
Craig Adams
28th April 2016 at 18:48Hell’s Kitchen Flea has been around for awhile and we will stop in when we can. It’s a crapshoot if you’re going to find what you’re looking for, but the last time we were here in the summer my girlfriend found a ton of clothes she loved so we decided to head back. This time around there was more curiosity rather than practicality, but still fun to browse. I think with any flea market it depends when you go and who is setting up shop there, but compared to LIC and Williamsburg, you’ll find more oddities here then things you’ll legitimately go home with.