Bushwick! (photo by Meryl Meisler)
Bushwick is a land of authenticity and changing landscapes. Bars, cafes, artists – there’s a lot going on in this bohemian community. Alas, as more people move in, it’s harder to find quality, low-priced apartments. The following descriptions are a selective, not exhaustive, subway stop by subway stop breakdown of where to live and why.
Morgan
Technically, this is East Williamsburg. Back in the day, we called it Bushwick because it was the closest major outpost to Bushwick proper (just across Flushing Ave). These days it’s Morgantown, a bourgeois community of the artistically affluent. Most of the quality property has been snatched up already, and rent is no longer “cheap” (under $800 a month). But you pay for what you get. Brooklyn classics such as Roberta’s have maintained, even after the former Secretary of State ate here, good service, a cool vibe, and excellent pizza. And because it’s still fifteen minutes from Union Square it’s close enough to be the last stop on the yuppie train.
The bottom line: If you can afford it, Morgantown has a lot to offer, even if it’s not technically Bushwick.
Photo via Nordemaan flickr.com
Jefferson
Over the past year there has been a flurry of activity in Jeffersonton. Property is more readily available off this stop than at Morgan, although it can still be pricey, especially for loft space. As gentrification has spread up Knickerbocker Avenue, it has led to a largely amicable relationship between Hispanics and Hipsters. One of my favorite examples is Mominette, whose sign-less exterior is wedged between a loosie-selling bodega and a laundromat. It’s one of many new bars and restaurants off this subway stop, along with tried and true favorites such as Tandem and Los Hermanos.
The bottom line: Jeffersonton is still up and coming, and if you want a blend of youthful scene and neighborhood character, it’s probably your best value.
Jefferson (photo by Katarna Hybenova)
DeKalb
There are only a few blocks between Jefferson and this stop, but in that gap is a world of difference. The number of Chinese restaurants with bulletproof glass is a sign that Williamsburg-style gentrification is still a couple of years away. Rentals are cheaper than near Jeffersonton, and it’s just a short walk to the many bars and restaurants in the area. If you’re not intimidated by the extra few minutes on the train, DeKalb has plenty of value. Plus, the bodega near the south entrance to the L offers some of the dankest sandwiches around – their three flat screens show a hundred options, and they’re open all night.
The bottom line: If you want to live on the edge of “safe” Bushwick, DeKalb is a great option. And with easy access to Jeffersonton’s scene, you can avoid paying a premium for great nightlife.
Under the JMZ tracks (photo by Katarina Hybenova)
Myrtle-Wyckoff
I was once waiting at this stop for my friend to text me directions to his party when I heard a black guy talking about how punk-ass white kids are moving in, changing the neighborhood. I stopped and asked him why he was hatin’. He was surprised and sheepish. We wound up chatting about how he lived here back when it was the toughest place in the entire city. We exchanged numbers and although I never called him, it was still a pleasant interaction. While there are a couple of bars and restaurants in the area, the real reasons to live here are for the L/M transfer and the cheap accommodations.
The bottom line: If you’re a lady walking around alone late at night, this may be a little deep into Bushwick for you. But if you want to save and live with three of your best friends, Myrtle-Wyckoff isn’t a bad look.
Bushwick sky line (photo via #Bushwick instagram by @homecooked)
Halsey
Long considered Bushwick’s final frontier, the Halsey stop’s main draws are loft space and cheap condo living. Halsey is far though, and with little to do in terms of bars and restaurants, you will likely have to invest in a monthly MetroCard to experience any sort of night life. On the other hand, if you have a band, need a painting studio or just want a more secluded Bushwick lifestyle, Halsey could be the perfect place for you.
The bottom line: Halsey is deep, cheap and a fine place to live if you want to hole up and produce some good art.
Myrtle-Broadway
The M train goes to the LES, Nolita and the West Village before it heads uptown. Although it doesn’t go into Manhattan on weekends, we all know there’s so much going on in Bushwick there’s really no reason to leave. If you must, however, Canal’s only fifteen minutes away on the J. While the bar scene is a little grungier than in North Bushwick, newly opened Bizarre and Skytown are signs that a more posh clientele is moving in. And since there’s more diversity here than in other parts of Bushwick, it can be easier to exchange ideas with others than it is off the cliquey L train Bushwick stops. Myrtle-Broadway, or Downtown Bushwick as I like to call it, may not be as aesthetically pleasing as other areas in Bushwick, what with the broken sidewalks and the above-ground train, but these elements add a different artistic energy to the air.
The bottom line: Because it’s cheaper to live off the JMZ than the coveted L, you’re likelier to encounter the bohemia that Morgantown used to be.
Central
This stop is a gateway to the restaurants and cafes on Wilson and its eponymous avenue. Maria Hernandez Park is close by too, and property is cheaper than if you live off the L train. True, you have to wait for the M shuttle to take you one stop to Myrtle-Broadway on the weekends, but if that doesn’t bother you, Central Ave is definitely worth a look.
The bottom line: For a slight M train inconvenience you get a “Central” location, with Broadway and Bogart both a walk away.
Photo via #Bushwick Instagram by @d2k1323
Knickerbocker
Now that M service to this stop has been restored, look for new bars and cafes to open in the coming months. In the meanwhile, you can easily walk to those near Jefferson and DeKalb, while saving a little more on your monthly rent. Thirty years ago, Knickerbocker Avenue used to be crack alley. Today there are heaps of stores and services (think lower Graham Ave) and a Burger King.
The bottom line: With a number of inexpensive retail stores and banks, and bars and cafes within walking distance, this stop is a sleeper ready to wake.
We hope this quick survey of selected Bushwick subway stops has helped you decide where to move, or at least hang out, according to your needs. Perhaps the best part about Bushwick is the quickly shifting demographics. With so many new people moving in all the time, by this time next year, gentrification will have taken another step, apartment prices will likely be higher, and you may have more young, hip neighbors. Whatever your background, these are factors to consider, whether you’re moving to Bushwick for the first time or you’ve been here since the old days.
You may also like:
About Daniel Ryan Adler
Daniel Ryan Adler is a native Brooklynite who spent his formative years in Portland. His bicoastalism is not nearly as difficult to handle as his poetic nature. He is currently at work on a novel.
I’m a lady and I live off the Myrtle Wyckoff stop and I’ve never had a problem walking around at night or at any other time for that matter. Although, I have had many a strange/scary encounter walking around the desolate blocks off of the Morgan stop!
On another note, we might not have the nightlife scene which is super accessible via bike/train but another good reason to live off Myrtle Wyckoff are all the amazing affordable food places (everything from Dominican to Polish to Thai)!
cool oblivious self aware forced pretend race blindness
I’ve lived off of all of these subway stops, and I currently live off of Myrtle-Wyckoff, so I was surprised by the writer’s characterization of it — nothing could be further from the truth! There’s a lot of really nice, well-maintained streets in this area — better maintained, cleaner and safer than some of the “hipper” parts of Bushwick. A lot of this area has a vibe more like Ridgewood than Bushwick.
What terrible reporting — it’s a real shame that this site doesn’t have higher journalistic standards.
Bottom line — if you’re thinking of moving to one of these areas, take a lot of long walks around the area and talk to people who actually have actually lived there for awhile.
I think you’re overreacting, but your bottom line is sound. Go one block up Gates from Myrtle-Wyckoff and you actually are in Ridgewood, a lot of which has a pretty safe vibe.
Absolutely depends which way you walk when you step off of the Myrtle-Wyckoff station. Also around this station there seems to be more variety from block to block than other stops.
You shouldve included the line for each entry
I would agree with the other commenters that, if anything, Myrtle-Wykoff is less “tough” appearing, especially for newcomers. It’s more old-world Ridgewood-ish than anything. Seems perfectly fine to me.
Thanks for this. As someone who lives nearby in Bed-Stuy, I like to have an idea what’s going on with my neighbors in Bushwick. I might also consider moving into the neighborhood in the future.
Of course there’s nothing of any value located near the Bushwick J line stops. Makes you wonder why anyone (and by anyone I mean the non-white, non-privileged, non-trendy, sub-human types) would even bother living there. Better them than us, right?
Yes, all the J stops were left off other than Myrtle… could also add Wilson and Bushwick-Aberdeen…. but the writer’s intended audience/perspective seems clear.
I’ve lived off Myrtle-Wyckoff for almost 6 years now. 6 years ago, I would have strongly agreed with the above assessment. But as of about 2 years ago – the rapid change of gentrification started to show signs of entry. Mind you, I very much live in Ridgewood – which has always been cleaner and quieter. Hell, I pay $1350 for 1100 sq ft, 2 bathrooms and direct access to the roof – but even the stretch from the station, up into Ridgewood proper, has benefited from the incoming flux off the L. The walk along Myrtle to Cypress used to be really uninteresting and litter strewn. Not anymore. And Im really pleased by that.
been in the area since 98. bought my house on the Halsey stop almost 4 years ago.
Its not far …at all. I remember when they you used to say Montrose was far… haha. no lie, heard it many times
Go to Broadway Junction. The meeting of the L, the J/Z, and the A/C, plus just a few blocks to the LIRR. Rent is cheap. True, there are no bars, and you will have to live near.. gasp… PEOPLE OF COLOR. But it’s rad and quiet with some great buildings and great transportation. Especially rad if you need more space and you have a car.
I’m a lady off of myrtle and wycoff and I walk home at 3-4am all the time and have never once even felt nervous. Its super safe..
“I was once waiting at this stop for my friend to text me directions to his party when I heard a black guy talking about how punk-ass white kids are moving in, changing the neighborhood. I stopped and asked him why he was hatin’.”
Haha, perhaps “he be hatin” because the neighborhood that all the newbies that couldn’t find on a map all of two years ago are generally the reason why he’ll likely have to leave when he can’t afford to live there anymore.
yeah this dude doesn’t know what he’s talking about re. myrtle-wyckoff. it’s safer than the desolate morgan stop IMO. and for better or worse, there are cops on foot patrol ALL the time. so it’s definitely safer, but there’s a better chance you’ll get stopped and frisked around there
Way to blow the loosie-selling bodega’s cover. I’ve gotten flack from them every time I try to get a cig ever since this article was published. I suggest ypu delete that bit and then delete my comment. The $15 brunch spot’s business will likely be unaffected, meanwhile the long-standing bodega now feels threatened. Thanks!
Hahah what a jackass.
1st you call bushwick authentic. What authenticity it once had is certainly lost by the sea of bland same looking hipsters that now inhabit it. 2nd you say Morgan is technically east williamsburg. Any real brooklynite knows east williamsburg is a drummed up neighborhood to sell to hipsters and transplants. And did you really call robertas a spot that has been selling hipster pizza since 98 a brooklyn classic?!?! Holy shit. I stopped reading after that.