Bushwick



  

History


The area now known as Bushwick was first settled by the Dutch in 1638. Peter Stuyvesant named the area “Boswijck” which means “little town in the woods”. This name has been anglicized to the modern name Bushwick. In 1654 during the Anglo-Dutch war the area fell under the control of the English. The English unified all the settlements in the area into what is today Kings County also known as Brooklyn.


For the next two centuries Bushwick remained primarily a farming community. It was not until the middle of the nineteenth century that Bushwick started to form new industries as the city around it grew. Bushwick began to transform from a farming village to an industrial sector housing many chemical works. These chemical plants manufactured everything from glue to industrial acids. It was during this period that Bushwick also became famous for brewing beer. German immigrants attracted by job opportunities and cheap Bushwick apartments for rent brought the German beer brewing traditions of their homeland with them.

In the 1880’s the cities first elevated subway lines reached Bushwick. This caused the population to boom as Bushwick apartment rentals became more attractive due to the ease of transportation to and from the city.


The area had another population boom in 1950’s spurred by returning World War II veterans. Slowly though as industries closed the area changed from working class suburbs to a poorer inner city neighborhood. The area fell into poverty; crime became rampant. Crooked real estate agents flooded the area as middle class residents tried to sell homes and leave the area. These agents would under price appraisals by thousands of dollars. They would then turn around sell these properties at a huge markup. This drove housing prices even further down. During the blackout of 1977 Bushwick saw some of the most devastating looting and rioting in the city.

At the turn of the century money began pouring once again into Bushwick. Bushwick has left its criminal past behind. A program called the Bushwick initiative was started. This initiative attempts to improve the area by cleaning up housing making the area less attractive to criminals.

Description


Bushwick occupies much of the northeastern portion of Brooklyn. Bushwick is a working class neighborhood. It has many apartment buildings and townhouses. Bushwick is an inner city neighborhood. Bushwick is mostly rental properties only 18.7 percent of homes are privately owned. Transportation is abundant as many subway lines and bus routes service the area.

Residents


In the year 2000 Bushwicks population was approximately 130,000. Bushwick is one of the most culturally diverse areas of the city. Nearly 40% of the population is recent immigrants, mostly from island nations. Bushwick is a lower income area housing many families. The median household income for a Bushwick household is approximately $28,000.

Rental Housing

Rental prices Range from $1.90 to $4.00 a square foot. Bushwick rentals are amongst the most affordable in the city. Due to the abundance of large apartment buildings Bushwick never has a shortage of housing. Bushwick is one of the most affordable and growing sections of the city. The areas criminal past helps keep housing prices down.

Fun Stuff


Bushwick is home to many parks and playgrounds. Its proximity to the city means there is never a shortage of entertainment possibilities. The area is also home to many museums and historic buildings. Coney Islands beaches and amusement parks are just a bus or subway ride away. There is also the world famous Brooklyn Botanical Gardens home to plants from around the globe.