Hive Market and Maker's Space opens in Oyster Bay
Laura Escobar, co-owner of the new Hive Market and Maker's Space in Oyster Bay. Credit: Joann Vaglica
A "dream is a dream until you make it a reality," says Laura Escobar, who followed hers and turned her Instagram-based shop Mockingbird Wings into a brick-and-mortar with a new name and extended roster of items.
With co-owner Claudine Weiler, Escobar took over the dual space on Audrey Avenue in Oyster Bay that was formerly the Railroad Museum and opened Hive Market & Maker’s Space. One half of the space is stocked with items by local artisans and the other half is devoted to workshops, spearheaded by the owners, as well as other crafters.
Escobar, who has worked as a quality assurance analysts for SYFT Co. for the past 11 years, says her journey as an entrepreneur started in 2019 and stemmed from a "calling" after her father’s passing. "Something told me to do this," she says, adding that at the same time of this "calling," she became interested in items that are "not mass produced" but rather "the one and only of that particular thing." She says, "I thrive on those kind of purchases."
The selection at Hive runs the gamut from paintings (oil by Marta Katona, acrylic by Legendary Mom Designs; and knife oil paintings by Potions By Liri), mosaics by Mosaics with Lori, and jewelry, to sea glass art by Glamorous Glass Creations and Sea Schleps, woodwork (keychains and kitchen gadgets by Etched in the Bay and furniture by Oak Neck Design), quilts by Life Under Quilts, welding by Prometheus Welding, and macramé, a fiber art that uses knotting techniques, by co-owner Weiler (DuJour Design).
Honey has a dominant presence in the shop, too, from local makers like La Selva Farms; Dom’s Honey; Bee Haven Apiaries Honey that's infused with organic CBD hemp oil; and Honey Gramz, which jars flavored options like elderberry, matcha, ginger and cinnamon.
The adjacent workshop area is open daily for classes, like wineglass painting, copper sculpting and chunky blanket knitting. It also is a space where children can participate in activities — pajama, skirt and pillow making — during school breaks. Workshop prices vary.
"Selling stuff is fun, but the creative process is so much more rewarding when you can connect with other creative minds," Weiler says. "It is just as exciting to light someone else's passion for making as it is to learn a new passion."
Prices at Hive Market & Maker’s Space range from $6 for painted woodwork ornaments to $375 for quilts. Furniture starts at $350 for stools to $1,200 for accent tables. It’s open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Shop in store at 100 Audrey Ave., in Oyster Bay, or online at hivemarketob.com; 516-588-9400.
