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Williamsburg is the trendiest and most popular of Brooklyn’s social scenes, partly because of its strategic location just over the Williamsburg Bridge, and partly because it’s packed with vintage clothing shops, artsy boutiques, and incredible nightlife venues.
Starting in the 1980s, unlicensed performance halls and DIY venues sprang up in the abandoned industrial sites that dominated the area, giving up-and-coming sensations a place to play their hearts out to sweaty revelers in closet-sized havens.
Many of these venues, especially along the main thoroughfare of Bedford Avenue, have since been converted to pricey lofts and apartment complexes, but Williamsburg is still home to a number of stalwart concert venues like the Brooklyn Bowl and the Music Hall, jazz and world music restaurants, and warehouses-turned-artist galleries.
First-rate beer gardens and bars fill up with flannel-wearing hipsters who come to prime their nights, while some of New York’s best traditional restaurants – from former Mafia haunt Bamonte’s to a plethora of Mexican, Brazilian, and Thai eateries – also dot the landscape, thanks to the wide range of ethnic enclaves that make up the population.
Williamsburg’s proximity to Manhattan gives it prominence among the party crowd, but as both a conduit to the city and a gateway to the rest of Brooklyn, it has also become one of the most expensive areas of the borough to live in.
20s / 30s / Bar Food / Cover charge
Party Earth Review If motorcycles parked out front and a huddled crowd of tattooed chain smokers are signs of a good rock bar, then The Trash Bar has fulfilled its mission. Once past the wrought-iron ... more
256 Grand Street
New York, NY 11211
20s / 30s / Alternative / Artsy / DJ
Party Earth Review A warehouse-turned-arts/music venue, Public Assembly offers 4,000 square feet of industrial space brimming with the latest and (sometimes) greatest in everything from indie bands and ... more
70 North 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
20s / Artists / Artsy / Bar / Barbeque
Party Earth Review Nestled just far enough from the main drag of Williamsburg’s bar scene, The Drink is a rustic hangout for discerning hipsters looking for a neighborhood spot to unwind. Where other ... more
228 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11206
20s / 30s / 40s / After Work / Ambient
Party Earth Review While legions of PBR-dispensing bars help Williamsburg stay in the center of the hipster universe, Tuffet stakes its own claim to the neighborhood spirit with an artful mix of cheeses ... more
286 Graham Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211
20s / 30s / All Ages / Artists / Bar
Party Earth Review Two barely furnished rooms, an eclectic performance calendar, and entry through a gray service door all mark Death By Audio as the DIY space it is, another welcome venue in Williamsburg ... more
49 South 2nd Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
20s / 30s / Absinthe / Ambient / Bar
Party Earth Review A warm and stylish slice of the Big Easy right in the heart of Williamsburg, Maison Premiere is an oyster and absinthe bar catering to the more discerning hipsters of Bedford Avenue ... more
298 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211
20s / 30s / After Work / Beer / Casual
Party Earth Review Like vintage denim, ironic tattoos, and overgrown facial hair, whiskey bars are everywhere in Williamsburg, but Noorman’s Kil has paired aged malts with tasty, down-home comfort food ... more
609 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
20s / Artsy / Balcony / Bobo / Casual
Party Earth Review Three bars and two levels of seating offer lots of views and plenty of booze at the 550-capacity hipster haven – and former mayonnaise factory – that is the Music Hall ... more
66 North 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Bar / Boisterous / Brazilian / Club
Party Earth Review The beat is hot and the dancing is hotter at Bembe, a lively but intimate bi-level nightspot that’s become a prime place for Latin dance fans to have a few and get feisty. Upstairs ... more
81 South 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
20s / 30s / 40s / Blue Collar / Casual
Party Earth Review In a neighborhood known for its microbrews and themed DJ nights, Rosemary’s Greenpoint Tavern brings the old school back to Williamsburg and welcomes a diverse clientele of everyone ... more
188 Bedford Avenue
New York, NY 11211
Bands / Beer / Budget-friendly
Party Earth Review In the heart of Williamsburg’s ongoing transformation (de-evolution?) from grungy to chic, The Charleston remains proudly on the grungy side. Old chandeliers cast a dim glow over this ... more
174 Bedford Avenue
New York, NY 11211
20s / 30s / Artists / Bar / Burgers / DJ
Party Earth Review The tall, dark windows of this unmarked venue may seem to blend in with the derelict industrialism of South 4th Street, but just beyond them lies The Woods, a cavernous den fueled by ... more
48 South 4th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211