Restaurants
The best Bushwick restaurants
Whether you're headed to one of the neighborhoods many bars or music venues or nearby at Maria Hernandez Park, you'll want to hit up one of the best Bushwick...
What’s the deal with Bushwick?
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.
RECOMMENDED: Full coverage of things to do in Brooklyn
If you only do one thing
Experience the neighbodhood's unparalleled nightlife. Tourists, transplants and longtime locals all tend to converge at Elsewhere, the three-floor club venue that regularly hosts some of the best DJs in the world and opens its roof during the summers.
Go off the beaten track
Head to The Bush, one of the only remaining lesbian bars in the city.
On a sunny day
Chill out at Maria Hernandez Park, where women sell popsicles during the summer, families barbecue and clubrats nurse nasty hangovers over picnic blankets.
On a rainy day
Grab a meal and some tea at Bunna Cafe, a beloved Ethiopian joint open since 2014.
Get cultured
Check out the wonky outdoor murals on Troutman Street, courtesy of the Bushwick Collective.
Chill out
Shopping isn't relaxing for everyone, but if you're the type whose idea of chilling consists of buying cute fits, hit the many thrift stores around the neighborhood. Some of our favorites include Urban Jungle, Other People's Clothes and Beacon's Closet.
Nearest subway stations
Bushwick is huge, but you can access the heart of the neighborhood if you get off the Jefferson or Dekalb L stops. Technically, though, Bushiwck stretches well past the Wilson stop, although that area is a lot more residential (except for a few nighttime venues, like Nowadays).
What else is nearby?
You're sandwiched between Ridgewood, which we recently named one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world, and brownstone-lined Bedstuy. Check out our guide to Black owned Bedstuy here.
