Brooklyn Craft Company’s Summer in the City is part of the Downtown Alliance’s RE:Store program, which is bringing six pop-ups to Lower Manhattan for the summer. Learn more about the program here.
Crafting has called to Brooklyn Craft Company owner Carolyn Heitmann since childhood. In elementary school, she started knitting. In high school, she got into mending thrifted clothes. From there, things escalated. “It’s like a domino effect of hobbies,” she said. In 2014, Heitmann was able to take crafting to the next level by teaming up with Brooklyn Craft Company founder Brett Bara, with whom she opened its original storefront in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. For the last decade, the hobbyist shop has been a go-to for crafters, thanks to its abundance of supplies and classes for all levels. And this summer, Lower Manhattanites can follow in Heitmann’s footsteps and catch the crafting bug at Brooklyn Craft Company’s Summer in the City pop-up at 225 Broadway, which is part of the Downtown Alliance’s RE:Store program.
The shop is a welcoming spot for crafting newbies and experts alike, with colorful shelves boasting plenty of craft supplies catering to a wealth of interests. Brooklyn Craft Company specializes in fiber crafts like knitting, crocheting, felting, needlepoint and embroidery, but fans of crafts like calligraphy, watercolor and bookbinding will also find plenty of supplies here. The store is particularly welcoming to first-timers, offering starter kits for most crafts to help folks navigate their new hobbies. “Most of the kits are portable craft, so people can craft while hanging out in the park or on their commute home or at home watching Netflix,” Heitmann said. “We definitely have an emphasis on things that are approachable for new crafters to try, but also have a variety of materials for people at all levels, too.”
Beginners will be particularly drawn to the pop-up’s classes, which are newcomer-friendly and cover everything from knitting to crocheting, and more. “We’re doing bookbinding, pressed flower coasters, glass etching, loom weaving,” Heitmann said. “So a fun variety, and we’ll be adding new workshops pretty much every week.” Classes are ticketed and bookable via Brooklyn Craft Company’s website, although Heitmann says there is also a rotating menu of drop-in crafts, like DIY snow globes and watercolor postcards, available for customers at any time.
Heitmann says she was drawn to the RE:Store program because it offered Brooklyn Craft Company the opportunity to explore a new neighborhood outside of Greenpoint. “We have customers who come from all boroughs for our classes and we get requests for stores in different neighborhoods all the time, particularly in Manhattan, because it’s so much more convenient for a lot of people, especially for coming to classes after work,” Heitmann said. Since the pop-up opened in early June, Heitmann says customers popping into the pop-up have been delighted to find a small business craft shop in the area. “So far, the response has been really positive. People are really excited,” she said.
Brooklyn Craft Company’s Summer in the City pop-up is open at 2 Broadway Monday through Saturday 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
