Summer Weekend Guide: Bushwick
Actual Activities
Should you need a break from eating, at some point. The neighborhood’s taken a big hit to its roster of venues lately with the sudden loss of Big Snow, and Market Hotel is still inching toward its much-anticipated re-opening. That said, since moving to the neighborhood from Ridgewood, Silent Barn has been gathering momentum with a solid rotation of bands, and nearby Fort Useless continues to be a good champion for smaller bands, as well as a monthly comedy showcase. With those, it’s worth checking the websites to see who’s playing on a given night. But for weird spontaneity, there’s Goodbye Blue Monday. For about a decade, they’ve stuck to the same model, which is booking literally everyone who asks. If you’re really lucky, you’ll be there on a night when someone’s taking their first shot at stand-up.
The area’s also become something of a hub for galleries (hence, this year’s Bushwick Open Studios, which hosted 600 shows.) 3rd Ward is the biggest and most varied, and, incidentally, is hosting a pig roast on-site this Saturday. Brooklyn FireProof, which has an on-site cafe and bar, multiple stages, and an entire building worth of workspaces for artists, has also turned itself into something of a neighborhood institution. For smaller spaces, though, the Living Gallery is a good jumping off point (check their calendar for specific events), as is Storefront Bushwick, which has been showcasing local artists for longer than just about anyone else. Schema Projects also has reliably good exhibitions, and also houses Blonde Art Books, a good source for smartly curated art publications.
And, in the category of “things that are hard to categorize but we like a lot anyway,” there’s Mellow Pages Reading Room, which is tucked into the 56 Bogart, a collection of small spaces that’s well worth wandering around in and of itself. Somehow, they’ve created the perfect place to drink a little beer, rent a couple books, and read in peace. Not as easy as you’d think.
Fort Useless, 36 Ditmars Street
Silent Barn, 603 Bushwick Ave.
Goodbye Blue Monday, 1087 Broadway
The Living Gallery, 1094 Broadway
Storefront Bushwick, 16 Wilson Ave.
Schema Projects, 92 St. Nicholas
3rd Ward, 195 Morgan Ave.
Brooklyn FireProof, 119 Ingraham
Mellow Pages Library, 56 Bogart St.