The market's reopening is a happy event for many of its patrons after it closed suddenly last December when the owners were unable to renew their lease. The owners of Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg took over, but were unable to reopen once the pandemic hit. But now, the Chelsea Flea is back with more than 40 vendors selling vintage and antique goods. "It's going to be a place where you can go and a) have some return to normalcy, but really it's a safe place to go and maybe bump into people, have a spontaneous experience. I think what we're all missing is the spontaneity of life in New York, which is really why most of us live here," said Chelsea Flea Co-Founder Eric Demby. The market has some changes to keep people safe, including having vendors more spaced out than its original layout and requiring masks. It is open every weekend starting at 8am.