After a month filled with weekend trips and a week long vacation, I needed some time to get back in the groove of things. In May, I stayed in the city, and ventured to Bushwick, Brooklyn for a day-trip. I’ve been to Bushwick once before, but didn’t go out there with the intention of actively checking out the neighborhood.

Bushwick’s close proximity to Williamsburg has helped make it the next big thing (aka it’s become gentrified). Previously a predominantly Latino community, the neighborhood has been on the rise since rent in Williamsburg started soaring. 

Although the subway ride from where I live in Harlem to Bushwick may be on the longer side (~1 hour each way), there are plenty of reasons to visit this Brooklyn neighborhood. 

3 Reasons to Visit Bushwick On a NYC Trip

Neighborhood Street Art

Street art is everywhere in Bushwick, and while I love wandering the streets and checking out pieces as they pop up, The Bushwick Collective is the place to go for street art.

Located along Troutman Street and Saint Nicholas Avenue, The Bushwick Collective is comprised of many walls that were bought in order to embrace creative art, and give back to the community.

Cool restaurants and bars

I’ve only scratched the surface of good places to eat & drink in Bushwick, but these are a few of my favorites-

• Dun-Well Doughnuts: I’m picky about my doughnuts and was skeptical of these vegan ones until I tried the pb&j- so, so good. The cinnamon sugar is also pretty darn delicious
• Forrest Point: A huge backyard, great brunch special and good cocktails make this place awesome
• Roberta’s: The absolute best wood fired pizzas in New York. Hands. Down.
  • If you go early (~11:30) for lunch, you’ll likely beat the brunch crowd and won’t need to wait for a seat
• Northeast Kingdom: Known for their burgers, I’m a fan of their cocktail menu
• Union Pizza Works: BYOB, great Neapolitan pizzas
• Three Diamond Door: Prosecco on tap #PraiseHands
• The Rookery: Love this place- there’s outdoor seating, a strong drink list and good scene
• The Cobra Club: Coffee in the morning, booze in the evening, yoga downstairs. The kind of place I like to come to after having a few drinks if I want the rest of my night to be chill
• The Bodega: Lovely wine bar
• Sea Wolf: Newly opened, but I love it already. Great cocktail list, superb food and a cool nautical-esque vibe- this place has “ready for summer” written all over it
• Heavy Woods: Solid local bar, I’ve heard the chicken biscuits are crazy good

Thrift shops and coffee shops

• Fox & Fawn: Beautifully curated thrift store
• Urban Jungle: Holy moly, this place is huuuuuge. You could literally spend hours browsing the racks in this thrift store. Scanned a few tags as we looked around, the prices appeared to be pretty reasonable too, win!
• Supercrown Coffee Roasters: Try the Laura Palmer (half cold brew, half house-made lemonade) or one of their famous coffee milkshakes
• Milk & Pull: Order the everything on everything bagel and a shot of espresso
• Variety Coffee Roasters: If I lived in Bushwick, this would be one of my go-to coffee shops- lots of space to work and free wifi

Travel Tip: To get to Bushwick from Manhattan, take the L train out to Brooklyn and get off at your desired stop (likely Montrose Av, Morgan Av, Jefferson St or Dekalb Av) or take the M train to Knickerbocker. MTA Trip Planner is super helpful for figuring out which subway lines you need to take if you’re new to NYC or visiting.

Next month, I’m staying local in New York City for the majority of the month, but taking a long weekend trip to one of my favorite cities mid-month: London!

What is #Take12Trips?

#Take12Trips is the only resolution I made this year- a promise to commit to doing something once a month. Anything counts- it can be dinner at a new place, visiting a new museum or spending the weekend at a cute B&B in the country. It doesn’t need to be an epic trip to a foreign country, just the chance to discover something new.

Where #Take12Trips has taken me thus far this year:

• January: Florida
• February: Astoria, Queens
• March: Charleston, South Carolina
• April: Philly, Seattle, Tulum, Boston, Cape Cod
• May: Bushwick, Brooklyn