District Flea, the Brooklyn Flea empire’s Beltway outpost that opened just last summer, is going on permanent hiatus. Manager Hugh McIntosh said it was just time; despite a weekly showing of 70 vendors, including a food component featuring locally made kombucha, fleagoer interest “was diminishing each week.” Michael Sussman, who founded nearby U Street Flea, called it sad but inevitable because they “didn’t understand the D.C. market,” claiming “[t]hey were more interested in selling food and beer rather than attracting good quality antiques and collectibles vendors.” It may not be the last of the Brooklyn-based market, however. “We think this location still has a lot of potential,” founder Eric Demby said in a letter, “so stay tuned for news in the future.” [WP]
