The murals
The Bushwick Collective, a stretch of Troutman and Jefferson Streets and surrounding blocks, is an outdoor gallery of large-scale murals commissioned from artists worldwide — some covering entire building sides, regularly repainted with new commissions. It's genuinely worth walking even if you're not interested in the neighbourhood's bars and venues, and it's free in the most literal sense: open street, no ticket, no hours.
The music and venue scene
Bushwick has the highest concentration of the kind of DIY music venues, warehouse party spaces, and small experimental galleries that used to define Williamsburg before rents outpaced the scene. The transition has been happening fast here too — some of what makes it interesting right now may be gone in a few years. Earlier in the week tends to have more locals; weekends bring a larger crowd from elsewhere in the city.
Getting there
The L train (Jefferson St or DeKalb Ave) serves Bushwick directly — it's one stop past Williamsburg on the same line, making them easy to combine in a single outing.
Food and coffee
Good independent coffee shops and a growing number of serious small restaurants have followed the creative crowd here. Prices remain below Williamsburg comparables, which is precisely what attracts people before the next cycle of change arrives.