Things to do in Williamsburg & Bushwick

Williamsburg sits one stop under the East River on the L train, roughly 15 minutes from Union Square-14th St to Bedford Ave, though the MTA schedules weekend maintenance on this line often enough that a shuttle-bus replacement is a real possibility worth checking before you go.

Smorgasburg, the outdoor food market, runs seasonally from April to October and costs nothing to enter, while Domino Park along the East River is free year-round and faces Manhattan's skyline directly across the water.

Bushwick's bar and gallery scene, concentrated near the Morgan Ave and Jefferson St stops, is the neighbourhood's after-dark draw, with rooftop bars charging $15-18 for a cocktail and a skyline view. Both areas warrant the same street sense expected anywhere in the city late at night.