Ridgewood, Bushwick’s favorite sister neighborhood, has been quite busy with many friendly events lately. It is currently getting ready for Ridgewood Market to be held this Sunday, April 14, 2013 at Gottscheer Hall. And that’s not all – upcoming events also include Ridgewood Bar Crawl in May, Short Story Book Club and Eat’n’Sketch in the park. All these events are organized by Ridgewood Social, a brilliant effort of Sarah Feldman, a Ridgewood resident of 1.5 years. As you can imagine, we were pretty curious about everything this girl has been up to, so we sat down with Sarah in Spolem Cafe on Fresh Pond and asked her approximately one million questions.
“I was so surprised by the quality of the vendors!” a charismatic Sarah told us about the upcoming Ridgewood Market as she sipped ice tea. “Everybody is excellent, nobody is mediocre!” She pulled out a chart full of names and a diagram of tables, clearly well-organized, and pointed out that they will have arts, crafts, food, honey, jewelry, vintage clothing and more. This artisanal flea market is happening in Ridgewood for the first time, but Sarah is planning to host it monthly. Sarah Feldman herself makes jewelry, and sells it quite successfully on Etsy. “A table at other fairs usually costs around $100 per day, which is an amount that many young designers can’t afford,” said Sarah. Ridgewood Market is only $25 per table, which makes it a very accessible fair for almost any budget.
“I answered about 1,000 emails,” Sarah told us. “But when I received an applause at the vendors meeting yesterday, I felt like all the work was totally worth it,” she blushed.
Ridgewood Social made its debut about a year ago thanks to a Meetup group Sarah started upon the suggestion of her boyfriend. “I moved to Ridgewood, and I was kinda lonely,” Sarah described her motives. “I was too tired after a whole day at work to take the train, and meet my friends in other neighborhoods. I was pretty sure that I wasn’t the only one in Ridgewood.” And she wasn’t. People started to come to her weekly Meetups, and her first Ridgewood Bar Crawl was really well-attended. “I thought that maybe 12 people will come but in the end 60 people showed up!” said Sarah excitedly.
“Ridgewood Social is a hobby for me; it’s something that makes me really happy,” continued Sarah who is originally from Houston, TX. “Living in Ridgewood makes me sometimes forget that I live in the New York. People sitting on their stoops or smoking in their windows…there is something nostalgic about Ridgewood,” smiled Sarah.
Sarah also pointed out how Ridgewood is so personal. “When I want to sell my jewelry in Manhattan, I have to speak to a buyer; here you come to a store and speak with the owner.” Ridgewood Social loves working with local business. “Cozy Corner, Norma’s, Caskey’s…” she listed local businesses she has worked with.
Whether you’re feeling lonely in Ridgewood or not, you should definitely check out Ridgewood Market this Sunday at Gottscheer Hall, Ridgewood Bar Crawl in May or one of the other friendly events organized by Ridgewood Social.