Acheen Street Flea Market

Acheen Street Flea Market (1 August 2010)


Acheen Street Flea Market (GPS: 5.41527, 100.33598) is a makeshift flea market that operates on Sunday evenings, from around 5:00 pm onwards, at the heritage enclave of Acheen Street. This is a place to look for antiques and collectibles. If you are willing to sieve through the mountains of junk, there would be the occasional gem waiting for you to take home.

As the Acheen Street Flea Market is located within the core zone of the George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is a good place to browse around while also visiting the heritage sites surrounding it. You'd be killing two fleas with one stone, sort of.

The Acheen Street Flea Market is much smaller than the Lorong Kulit Flea Market, which is the biggest in Penang.

Acheen Street Flea Market site (4 August 2015)

Updates

4 August, 2015: The Acheen Street Flea Market has packed up - much to the chagrin of some, and joy of others. Depending on whether you are affected by it, or not, the departure of the flea market splits the emotions into two camps. Those who want the flea market to stay within the heritage enclave lament the lose of street life when the flea market is gone.

On the other hand, speak to some of the residents in the area, and they couldn't wait for the flea market to pack up and go. To them, the presence of the flea market is a nuisance and source of garbage. In addition, the spillage of pedestrian presence prevents them from getting in and out of their house. I happened to meet an old lady living on Lumut Lane who couldn't wait for the flea market to go. It had been a source of irritation to her.

Another person I met expressed mixed feelings about the flea market. He said that he does benefit from the flea market, having purchased many items from it for a song. On the other hand, he is also mindful that the flea market offers an avenue for ownership of things to be "reshuffled". To this, he pointed to a stool he owns. He bought it recently from the Acheen Street Flea Market. But the amusing story he told was that that stool was one of four stools recently stolen from his warehouse, and his wife suggested that they should try to buy some replacements from the flea market. And at the flea market, they discovered one of the four stolen stools (which they had to buy back with money.

Replacing the flea market will be Armenian Park, a green oasis for the city. Will this bring life into this particular part of the inner city? Let's see, when the park is completed.

Getting there by public transport

The nearest bus stop is on Kampung Kolam. Rapid Penang bus 301, 302, 401, 401E and CAT stop there.

Shoppers at the Acheen Street flea market (1 August 2010)

Location of the Acheen Street Flea Market