“YOU ARE NOT MOVING TO BUSHWICK!” This is my father’s response when I tell him I have found an affordable up-and-coming neighborhood in Brooklyn to move to. Growing up in New York in the 40s through 70s, he knew the city when it was less than desirable (to put it nicely). And while he’s always reminding me how he knew New York before I was born, I remind him that he hasn’t known it after.
The “beautiful” view from my apartment window. May not be the most charming of landscapes, but at least I have sunlight!
Needing A Change
While for a long time I thought I would want to be a full-time nomad forever, as I got older I realized I could be more productive work-wise and strengthen my relationships if I had a home-base. I’d grown up on Long Island and loved the beaches, vineyards and countryside; however, my innate drive to make new discoveries led me to want to explore someplace new.
I’d been to Bushwick, also known as “Little Puerto Rico,” once or twice for parties, but was unsure of how I felt about it. Sure, the rent was dirt cheap (for New York City standards, anyway) and the people I knew who lived there seemed to love it; however, there was no denying it was ugly: dog crap, decrepit buildings and 99 cent stores every five feet, an industrial history that was all too apparent, and a vibe that made you instinctively stow your iPhone and turn your keys into sharp brass knuckles.
A Change Of Heart
Looking back now, I can’t believe this was once my mindset. Now that I’ve lived here for nine months, this gritty, rough-around-the edges exterior is what makes me love the neighborhood, especially as I’ve gotten to discover its experimental art/farm-to-fork/craft cocktail/poetry slam/eclectic coffee shop/avant-garde personality. You now what they say: never judge a book by its cover. Or in this case, never judge a neighborhood by the animal feces- and garbage-lined sidewalks.
There’s nowhere else in New York City like Bushwick. It’s a true neighborhood where I actually wave to my neighborhoods (while their kids shoot me with water guns, but hey, you can’t say they don’t have personality). No matter what night of the week it is you’ll find something interesting to do, whether it’s heading to Bizarre Bar to watch clowns swallow fire-engulfed swords and burlesque dancers pull rosary beads out of their chochas; taking a Drink & Draw or a live music yoga class at The Living Gallery; cheering on a quirky Men’s Booty Bounce Competition at Bushwick Burlesque; strolling down Troutman to see a thought-provoking al fresco street art gallery; or bopping around an abandoned warehouse jamming out to a silent disco while live bodies suspended by meat hooks dangle from the ceiling. You also can’t beat the nightlife scene here, where you can have a filling meal crafted from artisanal ingredients and a craft cocktail or beer for less than $20, or a healthy lunch for “bodega prices” ($5). In New York City, that’s what we consider a steal.
Molasses Books is a local book shop selling used books, putting on community events and selling cheap drinks! Photo courtesy of Molasses Books.
Shedding Tears For Bushwick
I don’t think I truly realized how much I loved Bushwick until I attended a poetry reading held by a good travel blogger friend of mine, Luke Maguire Armstrong. He published an anthology called “Bushwick Poetry,” a collection of poems written by locals that tells the story of this atypical and charmingly unattractive hood bursting with creativity and full of passionate locals. As Luke puts it, it’s the “communal story of bursting hearts reaching for transcendental vibes of artistic elation and American Spirits rolling tobacco.”
I love his description, which really came to life during the poetry reading. As I sipped cheap wine at a book store selling interesting titles for 99 cents, listening to the sincere words of my neighbors and discerning their undeniable affection for the area, I couldn’t help but feel a kinship with these people. Over discussions of where to find the best craft cocktails (insider tip: you can get drinks just as well-made as in Manhattan for a much cheaper price) and what exhibitions were worth checking out, I made new friends that shared my appreciation of Bushwick.
For Christmas, a friend and I celebrated with duck meatballs, house-ground beef burgers and Troegs Mad Elf beers at Tutu’s in Bushwick. He caught me gazing longingly at the bar, asking me what I was looking at.
“Bushwick,” I replied, with a smile.
He looked at the bar again, confused. “What do you mean?”
There’s nowhere else like it in New York City. The ugly industrial buildings transporting you to charming country settings and bursting with innovative ideas, $7 craft cocktails, affordable food that rivals Manhattan’s top chefs, and complete strangers that become fast friends in minutes. I can see everything I love about Bushwick right here.
Street art in Bushwick. Photo courtesy of EricaJoy.
Jessica Festa is the editor of the travel sites Jessie on a Journey (http://jessieonajourney.com) and Epicure & Culture (http://epicureandculture.com). Along with blogging at We Blog The World, her byline has appeared in publications like Huffington Post, Gadling, Fodor’s, Travel + Escape, Matador, Viator, The Culture-Ist and many others. After getting her BA/MA in Communication from the State University of New York at Albany, she realized she wasn’t really to stop backpacking and made travel her full time job. Some of her most memorable experiences include studying abroad in Sydney, teaching English in Thailand, doing orphanage work in Ghana, hiking her way through South America and traveling solo through Europe. She has a passion for backpacking, adventure, hiking, wine and getting off the beaten path.
