1
Beacon's Closet - Bushwick
1
23 Bogart Street
This vintage-thrift superstore offers a huge selection of low-priced finds. Give yourself at least an hour to scour the racks. The emporium holds garments for men and women (coordinated by color), vintage jewelry and, well, pretty much everything else.
2
Roberta’s
2
261 Moore St.
Pizza mavens from all over make the pilgrimage to Roberta’s, a virtual temple to wood-fired thin-crust pizza. One of the first members of the new Bushwick cultural renaissance, now considered one of the neighborhood’s blockbuster businesses, Roberta’s whips up crispy Neapolitan pizzas, topped with veggies grown in the restaurant’s own roof garden, or locally sourced meats—all at reasonable prices.
3
Syndicated
3
40 Bogart St.
Syndicated showcases Bushwick's arrival as a hip neighborhood for nightlife. The vast, contemporary restaurant and bar features a separate 50-seat cinema where eating and drinking are encouraged. For those just looking to socialize, there's a full roster of cocktails (the manly, rye-based Steve McQueen, for example) and an American menu of burgers, beer-battered mushrooms and buttermilk-soaked fried chicken. There's an extra charge for the movie tickets, but because the films are generally cult classics, not first-run releases, the price is low.
4
Dromedary Urban Tiki Bar
4
266 Irving Ave.
This totally cool, “urban tiki” bar in Bushwick has bartenders donning Hawaiian shirts and mixing modernized tropical drinks like the Mt. Kilauea Colada—a neon-blue piña colada with absinthe and blood orange. But the bar isn’t all tiki: its exposed brick walls and industrial decor help remind you that you’re in one of Brooklyn’s gritty-turned-artsy neighborhoods. And it doesn’t get more Brooklyn than a tattoo artist inking free (faux) tats, as one did on Dromedary’s opening night. Well, maybe a deviled egg with a fried cricket on top comes close.
5
Gordo’s Cantina
5
140 St. Nicholas Ave.
This superior Mexican nook in Bushwick warrants a special trip. Rewards include scrumptious shrimp tacos, grilled skirt steak quesadillas and a hefty torta layered with four-hour braised pork shoulder and avocado salsa. Gordo’s fan base grew from street-food vending and pop-up appearances, so it’s a happy event to know where to find their cheerful outpost on a regular basis.
6
L Train Vintage—Urban Jungle
6
118 Knickerbocker Avenue
L Train Vintage is a Brooklyn mini-chain that carries one of the largest selections of affordable vintage clothing in the City. This Bushwick outpost is one the brand’s six locations, and here you’ll find a large selection of men’s and women’s vintage clothing at very reasonable prices.
7
Queen Bar & Restaurant
7
247 Starr St.
Out by the East Williamsburg–Bushwick border, Queen does Mediterranean food for lunch, brunch and dinner. You’ll find the expected sandwiches (falafel, sabich) and entrees (shakshuka, shawarma platter) as well as tagines, burekas and a chicken schnitzel. Cocktails include some nice touches, like Moroccan mint tea in the mint julep and star anise added to the Manhattan. There are house-made nonalcoholic drinks as well.
