At By Brooklyn, Fine Goods Made Locally

If it's not already abundantly clear, Brooklyn is the place to be. If your granola, mustard or pickles boasts a "Made in Brooklyn" label, you're pretty much guaranteed a second glance. And on top of all the Brooklyn buzz, shopping locally is also all the rage.

Enter "By Brooklyn," a new shop opening in the old Stinky Brooklyn space on Smith Street. By Brooklyn, which opens on April 29, will sell all kinds of gifts and products -- fine goods -- made in the borough of Kings.

Owner Gaia DiLoreto said she knew the time was right.

"There is this boom right now, not just in the food movement, of coming back to local craftsmanship," she said. "Especially in this economy that we're dealing with, it's all the more reason to shop locally."

DiLoreto had the idea for the store when she was reading about Brooklyn Honey on Nona Brooklyn, the collective website for locavore restaurants, bakeries and food producers.

"A lightbulb went off," she said. "I thought, "Why can't I find all these wonderful things in one place?'"

This was last summer, and DiLoreto was taking a culinary management course at the Institute for Culinary Education. Her class project, creating a business plan, was the basis for By Brooklyn.

By Brooklyn will sell all kinds of products, including packaged foods, jewelry, stationary, apothecary items, t-shirts, books, house goods and more. 

"The sky is the limit," said DiLoreto, who added that she hand selects the vendors and items she wants to sell, and is always on the lookout for new vendors. Applications are available on the website.

But what DiLoreto really wants to do is connect all the local producers, jewelers, artists and manufacturers in an effort to support and nurture all the creative energy in the borough.

"Cooperation and support is so integral," she said.

DiLoreto sees By Brooklyn as a place where everyone can come together, and where consumers can potentially meet the people that make their favorite lip balm.

"We want to be a conduit to the producers," she said. "Meet the person who's making the product you like so much!"

DiLoreto is already planning to sell Manhattan Special Soda, Sour Puss Pickles, Early Bird Granola and The Good Batch. Also potentially in the cards: private labeling with local restaurants who want to sell their signature products.

DiLoreto, with help from her friends, has already started renovating the space. Only minor adjustments are being made, along with a total paint job. (No more orange walls.)

In the process of removing Stinky's cheese cave to make room for an office, a beautiful brick hearth and mantle were found behind some dry wall. A chinese new year envelop with $10 inside was also found. DiLoreto is taking this as a sign of good luck.

Considering Brooklyn's past, it makes sense that the borough is at the forefront of the local movement, said DiLoreto.

"Brooklyn has this rich history of production and manufacturing," she said. "There's a reason why Brooklyn is Brooklyn."