Bushwick, Brooklyn neighborhood guide

As a resident of Bushwick, I'm woefully aware of the many clichés attached to those of us who live in one of the most polarizing neighborhoods in New York City. They say that we're all DJs (check), queers (check), and social justice warriors who are also into weird conceptual art (check and check). But Oscar Wilde once said that the only thing worst than being talked about is not being talked about and trust me honey, they're talking about us.  

Perhaps it's because we have some of the best nightlife in the world, or maybe it's because Bushwick has become a culinary giant in its own right. In the ashes of the hipsters who first gentrified the neighborhood in the 2010s rose a marginally more authentic culture that is now making meaningful contributions to global politics (Kamala's step-daughter was once dubbed "The First Daughter of Bushwick"), music (Charli xcx's BRAT rollout was largely set in the neighborhood) and fashion (reference Telfar's "Bushwick birkin"). Puerto Rican and Mexican communities continue to shape the neighborhood, and thankfully, even its transplant residents seem to move with an awareness that it's those longtime residents who make the neighborhood special. Whether you love it or love to hate it, here's our guide for what to do in Bushwick, should you be lucky enough to find yourself there. 

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