This small-group walking tour takes you through the tastes, history and street art of Brooklyn's most buzz-worthy neighborhood: Bushwick. Learn to make your own cappuccino at a local coffee shop, discover'how to perfectly pair beer with meat, photograph murals in NYC's largest outdoor art gallery and learn about the area's rich German brewing history, sharing the fun on Instagram and learning iPhoneography tips along the way!
This experiential small-group tour weaves through Bushwick's past and present, as you gain an understanding about the neighborhood's wealthy foundation as a US beer hub pre-Prohibition and how the area has changed over time. Dive into historic architecture, photographing'19th century breweries before heading into a local coffee shop for a "make your own cappuccino"'lesson.'
From there, walk up one of Bushwick's main thoroughfares, Myrtle Avenue, strolling under the elevated train and immersing yourself in urban creativity mixed with Latin flare. Soon you'll arrive at the neighborhood's quirkiest building, a luxury apartment complex that's also a standing work of art crafted from recycled bicycles, car parts and steel. Snap a photo of the spray painted 3-D metal signs spray and'the odd colorful ladders dangling from the building's facade and continue walking, seeing how street art goes beyond murals to also include teddy bears strung up from trees and beer signs with Barbies planted in the ground.'
You'll soon enter NYC's largest outdoor art gallery, The Bushwick Collective, with 15+ blocks of amazing murals.'This is hot spot for comment-worthy Instagram photos.'We'll talk about how this colorful attraction came to be and the reaction of different community groups to its existence.'
Hungry? It's now time for some delicious education through beer and meat pairing. Sip some New York beer, learn the science behind matching it with food, pick the local purveyor's brain and browse the many'tasty Brooklyn-sourced products. Recommendation: If you want to buy a souvenir from your day, pick up a block of one of their homestead cheeses or opt for their cheese-making kit to craft your own at home!'
Wander through more street art -- Bushwick has way more painted walls than bare ones -- before entering a raw chocolate factory to sample some terrior-focused treats laced with sea salt, ginger, coconut and other delicious natural ingredients. Learn the local chocolatier's'story, taking his product from something he made in his small Brooklyn loft to delivering it by bike to local businesses to finally having his own warehouse-turned-factory space. You'll even be able to see the chocolate being made'in the small open factory.
