Bushwick Brooklyn

Bushwick township

In 1638, the Dutch West India Company obtained a deed from the local Lenape people for the Bushwick area, and Peter Stuyvesant officially chartered the region in 1661, naming it Boswijck, which translates to “neighborhood in the woods” in 17th-century Dutch. This area encompassed what are now the communities of Bushwick, Williamsburg, and Greenpoint. Bushwick was the final of the original six Dutch towns of Brooklyn to be established within New Netherland.

The community was settled, though not officially chartered, on February 16, 1660, on a parcel of land situated between the Bushwick and Newtown Creeks. Fourteen French and Huguenot settlers, along with a Dutch translator named Peter Jan De Witt, and one of the original eleven slaves brought to New Netherland, Franciscus the Negro, who had earned his freedom, were among the founding members. They established their settlement around a church located near the present-day intersection of Bushwick and Metropolitan Avenues. The primary thoroughfare was Woodpoint Road, enabling farmers to transport their goods to the town dock.

This original settlement was referred to as Het Dorp by the Dutch and later became known as Bushwick Green under British rule. The English assumed control of the six towns three years later and consolidated them under Kings County in 1683.

Early industry

When Bushwick was established, it primarily served as an area for farming food and tobacco. However, as Brooklyn and New York City expanded, various industries emerged in the area. Factories manufacturing sugar, oil, and chemicals began to appear, marking the industrialization of Bushwick. Notably, inventor Peter Cooper established his first factory—a glue manufacturing plant—in Bushwick. Additionally, immigrants from Western Europe joined the original Dutch settlers in the neighborhood.

One of the early industries in Bushwick was the Bushwick Chemical Works, located at Metropolitan Avenue and Grand Street along the English Kills channel. This area saw the development of lime, plaster, and brickworks, as well as coal yards and other factories. English Kills, which was dredged and transformed into an important commercial waterway, played a significant role in the industrial growth of the area.

Railway hub

In 1868, the Long Island Rail Road constructed the Bushwick Branch, connecting its hub in Jamaica to Bushwick Terminal at the intersection of Montrose and Bushwick Avenues. This new railway facilitated the movement of passengers, raw materials, and finished goods to and from the area. Additionally, routes extended to Flushing, Queens, further enhancing transportation in the region.

Subsequently, Brooklyn saw the introduction of its first elevated railway, known as the Lexington Avenue Elevated, in 1885. Its eastern terminus was situated at Gates Avenue and Broadway, marking the edge of Bushwick. The line was later extended southeastward into East New York. By the conclusion of 1889, the Broadway Elevated and the Myrtle Avenue Elevated were also completed. These developments significantly improved accessibility to Downtown Brooklyn and Manhattan, leading to the rapid residential development of Bushwick from its previous farmland state.

Postwar transition and decline

The demographic landscape of Bushwick underwent a significant transformation following World War II, mirroring trends seen across many Brooklyn neighborhoods. Census data from 1960 reveals that nearly 90% of Bushwick’s population was white, but this figure plummeted to less than 40% by 1970.

During this transition period, white-collar workers were gradually supplanted by individuals migrating from the southern United States. Additionally, Puerto Rican, African American, and other Caribbean American families began moving into homes located in the southeastern edge of the neighborhood, particularly near Eastern Parkway. By the mid-1950s, migrants were also settling into central Bushwick.

The availability of block association housing played a crucial role in helping many neighborhoods within Bushwick endure the economic and social challenges of the 1970s.

Gentrification

Since 2000, the surge in real estate prices in neighboring Manhattan has heightened the appeal of Bushwick among younger professionals. With crime rates decreasing across the city and a scarcity of affordable housing in nearby areas like Park Slope and Williamsburg, a considerable number of young professionals and artists have been drawn to Bushwick.

Converted warehouse lofts, brownstones, limestone-brick townhouses, and other refurbished buildings have become sought-after residences for this demographic within Bushwick, reflecting a broader trend of urban renewal and gentrification in the neighborhood.