BUSHWICK

Bushwick is a neighborhood in Brooklyn with a very strong Latin American atmosphere. Many residents of Bushwick are immigrants from Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic. Spanish is the most heard language on the streets and in the shops.

Beginning in the 1950s and 1960s, Bushwick has experienced a long period of decline. The arrival of poor working-class immigrants changed the face of the neighborhood. On the night of July 13, 1977, a major blackout occurred in New York City. Arson, looting, and vandalism followed in low income neighborhoods across the city. Bushwick saw some of the most devastating damages and losses. After the blackout, some areas of Bushwick were completely damaged, and those residents who could afford to leave abandoned the area. During the 1980s the neighborhood was plagued with poverty, crime and drug abuse. In the 1990s it remained poor and relatively dangerous. Today, in the wake of lower crime rates citywide, Bushwick has also become safer and cleaner.