As the old saying goes — “out with the old, in with the new.” But what happens when they collide?

The City Market, a new outdoor antiques market in Armory Square, hopes to put together a little bit of both this weekend.

Bruce Block has been running an antique tent in flea markets around the world and has been an antique dealer for more than 30 years. Now, Block took it to the next step by organizing his market.

The City Market will open at 10 a.m. Sunday, and will continue until 5 p.m. Vendors will be lined up at the park in front of The Armory and run along West Jefferson St. until the park in front of the Starbucks.

“I’ve always enjoyed the outdoor markets the best,” Block said. “Everyone knows they’re the most fun.”

Block, whose thick New York accent proves he’s from the Bronx, has always had a love for traveling and finding unique items along the way. He has taken trips to Paris, Barcelona and Nepal, and has participated in specialty markets in Miami, North Carolina, New York City and just about everywhere in between.

“My travels are a good excuse for me to start my own market,” Block said. “Everywhere I go, I buy things, and I am ready to show them off.”

What people might not expect is that Block’s career began as a modern dancer in New York City. During the summer months when his dance schedule was less demanding, Block would travel to a friend’s house in Skaneateles, about 40 minutes north of Syracuse. His friend’s wife had a small antique business in Rose Hill where Block used to help out. Block said each time he worked there, he always thought he could run the store better.

As his time as a dancer and choreographer came to an end, Block decided he needed something else to occupy himself, so he began managing the store in Rose Hill.

“The first summer that I took over the store, we did more business every weekend than they did in an entire summer,” Block told us.

The success that Block experienced at Rose Hill resonated with him and he eventually moved to Syracuse about 35 years ago to pursue his love for antiques. Block dove right in setting up for the Funky Flea market in Ithaca, opening the Antique Underground in Armory Square and even teaching a class on antiquing at Syracuse University.

As Block prepares for the grand opening of the City Market, he hopes that his own items, as well as the items of the 60 or more vendors, will catch the eyes of the local crowd and the SU community.

“It’s time for Syracuse to have a little more upscale market, but this time we’re trying to attract a younger crowd,” Block said. “I have some really unbelievable vendors coming.”

The type of antiques that will be sold this weekend will stretch across a range of eras and styles. There will be midcentury and modern furniture and pieces, along with items made by industrial designers and objects dating back to the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s. Certain artists will even be in attendance showing off their personal work.

Some of the vendors that Block believes will be the most popular among students are the women’s co-op from Nepal that sells handmade puppets and the vintage fashion pieces by Michelle Daws. He also thinks students will appreciate the industrial jewelry from United by Design and the array of international vendors selling pieces from Turkey, Morocco, India and Tibet.

“Young people aren’t always that interested in antiques,” said Block. “But we have to prove that there is still an audience out there, we just have to adjust to what the young people want.”

In regards to more than just traditional shopping and antique hunting, Block hopes that the City Market and similar flea market events will become a staple to the city.

“This city is really coming alive,” Block said. “I hope this becomes an activity that students look forward to and that really shows them all that there is to do in Armory Square.”

Published on September 11, 2014 at 12:00 am

Contact Abby: [email protected]