Art on the Streets of Bushwick

Originally published Oct. 2016 – Updated Sept. 2020

After 20 years of living in Manhattan, 4 years ago we made the move to America’s third largest city, the borough of Brooklyn. In celebration of our move, we have been playing the tourist and exploring Brooklyn, neighborhood by neighborhood.  Bushwick is a neighborhood brimming with street art, unique industrial spaces, and creativity.  My teens and I have spent a lot of time appreciating the art on the streets of Bushwick.  In other posts, we have explored Williamsburg, DUMBO, Greenpoint and Fort Greene.  

Where is Bushwick

Bushwick is the industrial neighborhood located in north Brooklyn east of Williamsburg and is surrounded by Ridgewood, East Williamsburg and Stuyvesant Heights. It attracts young professionals and creatives and is known for its thriving arts scene. Hailed as one of the largest Latino neighborhoods in the city, in the early 2000’s gentrifiers from the newly expensive Williamsburg flocked to Bushwick and settled. Transportation to Bushwick includes the L,M or J/Z lines. To get to the center of the action, take the L train to Morgan Ave.

Street Art of Bushwick

The main reason most people visit Bushwick is to experience the plethora of authentic and original street art. The Bushwick Collective is an annual street art project started by native Bushwick resident, Joseph Ficalora in 2012. Ficalora was raised in Bushwick at a time when the neighborhood was riddled with prostitutes, drugs and gangs.  In fact, his father was murdered on the streets when he was 12 yrs old just for the money in his wallet. He created the Bushwick Collective to bring street artists from around the world to a neighborhood in need.

Today the creativity of the art in the streets brings visitors, new business, and revitalization to the neighborhood.  Whether you are visiting NYC for the first time, or have lived here for your whole life, a visit to Bushwick is like no other place in NYC. We loved the 2 hour walking tour by Street Art Walk. It runs $25 per person and is available on weekends. Our guide, shared so many interesting tidbits about the street artists, their work vs. the work of graffiti artists, and the Bushwick Collective. Alternatively, there is a free self guided walking tour available with Free Tours by Foot.

The following four pieces were the favorites of each of my family members.  The native american piece by QRST was a fave of my teenage artist, while the bunny with the bee by Louis Masai was the fave of my teenage animal lover.  Also, the Kool dragon was done by Phlegm and was Dads fave.   Finally, my favorite of the many pieces we saw, was the black and white piano with handcuffed hands by Oji from Mexico City.

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Thrifting In Bushwick

The combination of street art and vintage shops makes Bushwick a haven for NYC teens. An abundance of thrifts shops within a 10 block radius makes for a perfect “shop till you drop” afternoon. The best place to start is Urban Jungle and L Train Vintage on Knickerbocker Ave. for their sheer size and volume of vintage threads. Also, just a few blocks away on Bogart St., is Beacon’s Closet. Friends NYC is a favorite of mine for its contemporary vintage mixed with regular sustainable brands. In addition, Flamingo’s Vintage Pound on Wilson is the place my teens go to dig for treasure. Finally, on Wilson and slightly more expensive than Flamingo’s is Worship NYC. Note: Flamingo’s and Worship are temporarily closed due to COVID.

Also in Bushwick

Street art and thrifting are not the only reasons to go to Bushwick! Check out these favorite spots as well.

• Syndicated BK – Part movie theater, part bar, part restaurant, Syndicated is a Bushwick favorite. For summer 2020, they are offering outdoor seating and Sidewalk Cinema. See their instagram for details on sidewalk showings. In addition, they offer a Virtual Screening Room where you can rent brand new indie releases from the comfort of your home.
• Art Galleries – in addition to the giant outdoor gallery on the streets, Bushwick is the place to explore indoor art galleries.
• Wild, weird and wonderful, the House of Yes is a creative collective and nightclub that features themed dance parties filled with crazy costumes and gravity defying performances. Note that dance party events are cancelled during summer of 2020 due to COVID. However, they are open for outdoor drinks and food in a seated and socially distanced environment. It’s worth a visit just to see the building!
• The city’s largest latino neighborhood obviously has a lot of latin restaurants but we love Tortilleria Los Hermanos for it’s homemade tortillas and cheap tacos. Cash only.
• Home to the original Roberta’s Pizza. I finally made it to the famed Roberta’s last year and ordered the classic first time order – the Bee Sting Pizza. It did not disappoint.