I can take you treasure hunting in a converted factory.

There’s something about Mongers Market that reminds me of my childhood. When I was little, my grandmother’s attic was magical and mysterious. I’d run up the stairwell to the tiny attic door, bust it open, and take a deep breath, letting the smell of cedar, dust, and old books fill my nostrils. The attic was full of possibilities. I could spend hours up there and always emerged with a new artifact and a story to go with it. It was like treasure hunting.

As an adult, it’s rare to find magic places. Places that make you giddy with anticipation, where your curiosity gets the better of you and hours feel like minutes. But Mongers Market, a 75,000 sq. ft. marketplace in a converted factory in Bridgeport, CT, is such a place. I sat down with the market’s founder for this magazine piece about sustainable shopping.