Brooklyn has become so cool that it’s being imported into Manhattan for tourists who are too lazy to go into Brooklyn. Four years ago, I wrote about the opening of a Brooklyn-themed restaurant in the West Village: “Manhattan’s Brooklyneer Has a Chef From Brooklyn’s Manhattan Inn,” went the improbable headline.
Now the retail equivalent of the Brooklyneer is set to hit Soho. The Brooklyn Xchange, as the pop-up market will be called, will gather makers, artists, musicians, and entertainers with “deep roots in Brooklyn” at a bi-level market on West Broadway, slightly north of Prince Street. Unlike the weekends-only Brooklyn Flea, this one will be open daily and occupy an indoor space that’s about 4,000 square feet.
Chad Lewine, a musician who’s helping out with the venture (he recently released a Williamsburgerific music video) said The Brooklyn Xchange, founded by market newbies Ken Levy and Leo Reis, would be “similar” to existing markets like the Brooklyn Night Bazaar and the forthcoming Shwick — “yet with a different focus.” That focus, Lewine tells us, will be on vendors who “have been successful in the ‘Market’ circuit, have established their Brand and/or have an established online or brick & mortar presence restricted to Brooklyn.” He referenced Artists & Fleas at Chelsea Market.
With registration due to open by the end of the week, the lineup for the Black Friday opening is still coming together. Potential vendors are advised that “their story must represent the influence Brooklyn has had on their founders and/or Brand.”
So there you have it: Brooklyn the brand finally has that coveted Soho flagship store.
Update and correction: The original version of this post was revised to correct the opening date. In addition, we’ve got a bit more information to share about founders Ken Levy and Brooklyn native Leo Reis, who own a construction company as well as the Brooklyn Tea Company, an online retailer of loose-leaf teas that has also sold at the Greenpoint Market. We’re also told the market will be seasonal.