WHAT TO DO IN BUSHWICK: URBAN ART ROUTE IN NEW YORK

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The first time we traveled to New York we fell in love with the Brooklyn district, and Bushwick, one of its neighborhoods, was partly to blame. We love neighborhoods with personality, those that do not usually go with the same pace as the rest of the city, who decide their own trends without comparing with their neighbors. And if we add to this strong character a quantity of urban art considerable, we cannot ask for much more. If you are ours and you are looking for a New York street art route, your neighborhood is Bushwick in Brooklyn.

Next we tell you everything to see and do in Bushwick and we discover more about this peculiar place.

What is now a tourist mecca for mural hunting, in the past it was a medium-bad neighborhood. He even had a pretty pretty fucking time: specifically mid 60's when many of the companies that were based in this area decided to move, and the neighborhood became marginal: without stable jobs things are never easy. The crime rate it shot up and there was even a street mutiny that, during the great blackout of 1977, looted, destroyed and burned lots of shops throughout the area.

Around the '90s began to arrive Mexicans, Colombians, Venezuelans ... humble and hardworking people usually and little by little the neighborhood began to improve. Of course, that was not Eden. The crime had gone down, but it hadn't disappeared. Not much less. In 1991, Ignazio Ficalora, a neighbor of Sicilian origin, was killed at the hands of a thief by a simple worthless necklace. This changed everything: Ignazio's son, Joseph Ficalora, in 2011 created the “Bushwick Collective”A project designed to give a complete turn to the life of the neighborhood, and change its destiny. Since then Bushwick improved considerably, and everything thanks to art. Joseph thought that if the area was filled with murals, it would be like breathing life back into the sad walls and cascades of the old factories. Little by little, Bushwick began to capture the attention of Williamsburg's neighbors, investors, art galleries and now the instragramers.

In fact, the neighborhood has become one of the “places to be” and many people left their old residences to move here. Also helped by the fact that rents are significantly lower than in areas like Williamsburg, so workers and artists decided to make Bushwick their new home. At the end of the day in 10 minutes from the subway you plant in full hipsterland, uh, Williamsburg ... Yes, right now Bushwick is not so cheap (defines cheap in NYC, maja ...). But don't worry, that New York is reinventing itself year after year and there is a future cool neighborhood, ready to be "discovered" and colonized.

Actually it is impossible to recommend a mural or another, urban art is so ephemeral that the same goes and you can no longer find the mural that you have seen so many times online. The good thing is that, the same ... there is a better one! If you are lucky you can even run into an artist with your hands in the dough. But you will be surprised, not only by the amount of works of art, but by the quality of them.

However, we can recommend a few streets. On your visit to Bushwick to hunt for street art, you can't miss a walk through these streets Recommended, where most murals are concentrated:

Starr street
Troutman street
Jefferson Street
Flushing Avenue
St Nicholas Avenue
Wyckoff Avenue

advice: to see what is cooked in the area you can follow the official Instagram of Bushwick collective.

Hey, there are not only low houses, industrial buildings and tutiplén color in Bushwick. Ok, urban art is the ace in the neighborhood manga, but there are more things. We recommend these 3:

- Do Shopping

If you are cool thrift shopping, in Bushwick there are a few like Urban jungle, Friends Vintage or Treasure Club. Another recommended place to hang out is The loom, an old factory that today is used as a alternative mall: Between the different stores you will find a yoga studio or a garden. It is certainly an original site to see in Bushwick.

- Drink a coffee

If there is something that is never missing in New York, it is a coffee shop nearby! Wherever you are there will be a small local willing to give you a little caffeine. A good option in Bushwick is Little skips.

- Relax at María Hernández Park

If you want to breathe a little bit of authentic neighborhood air, go for a spin around this park, where there are always people playing basketball or families relaxing. Also, if you visit it on a Saturday or Sunday (since May) you have a prize: there is a organic market!

Remember that Bushwick has a Latin soul, so the options for eating delicacies from this part of the world are not lacking. The first time we went we ate some tacos in the Tortilleria Los Hermanos. This time we planned to eat some arepas in Arepera Guacuco but it started to rain and we decided to return to the neighborhood where we stayed, Greenpoint (and we went for a Thai hehe).

Another site with a lot of fame is Roberta's. Some say that they eat some of the best pizzas in New York, but also has the odd detractor.

The nearest stop to explore in Bushwick neighborhood is Jefferson Street, of the line L Subway If you come from Manhattan you will have to go to the Union Square station and take the L there.

No problem. The first time we went, we began to wander around like crazy and we passed through areas that, I don't say, were unsafe, but they were very careless. This time we follow the layout of the streets better and without problem. So, if you want to ride it for free, you won't have any problems.

However, given the popularity that the neighborhood is getting among tourists, there are already guided tours through its streets. If you prefer that plan, we recommend this 2-hour walking tour of Bushwick, which organizes a collective of artists and promotes the prosperity of the local community.

Tip: when you finish exploring Brooklyn, it's one of the most interesting districts in New York. Here is a one-day itinerary in Brooklyn.

Here we leave you a map with all the important points in the bushwick neighborhood, so you can plan your visit for free:

So, you know, take one morning on your itinerary through New York to get away from Manhattan and come to discover the curious bushwick neighborhood. Be preparing yourself a urban art route, or on a tour ... But come!