Williamsburg

Fette Sau

Some of the most cutting-edge art and the indiest rock shows can be found in close-knit Brooklyn nabes Williamsburg and Bushwick. This is where you’ll find genre-busting art spaces and word-of-mouth warehouse parties that stretch into the night.

Eat

With a name that’s German for “fat pig,” Williamsburg’s hipster barbecue joint Fette Sau (354 Metropolitan Ave between Havemeyer and Roebling Sts, 718-963-3404) goes straight for your inner glutton. The owners refurbished a former auto body shop, and its cement floors are now packed with picnic tables. A cafeteria-style ’cue station features glistening cuts of beef, lamb and pork sold by the pound ($15–$24). The kitchen’s open from 5pm until 11pm, but you can stay as late as 2am every night but Monday (when it closes at midnight) to nosh on sides of pulled pork, beans and sausage. If you need food later still, try the 24-hour Kellogg’s Diner (518 Metropolitan Ave at Union Ave, 718-782-4502). A recent renovation has given the greasy spoon a sort of fake-diner look, and the prices might be a dollar or so more than they should be—but if your stomach is rumbling at 3am, any port in a storm, right? If you prefer your comfort food with a Mexican flavor, another 24/7 spot, Grand Morelos Diner and Bakery (727 Grand St between Graham Ave and Humboldt St, 718-218-9441), dishes up hearty breakfasts, sandwiches, tacos, burritos and more. Close to Bushwick’s multi-arts spaces and galleries, Life Café (983 Flushing Ave at Central Ave, 718-386-1133, lifecafe.com) retains a more bohemian vibe than the East Village original that was featured in Rent. The arty spot doubles as a showcase for local creatives and also hosts film screenings and game nights. Although the kitchen closes at midnight (1am on Friday and Saturdays), you can hang out here as late as 3am.

See

It may not have surpassed Manhattan as the center of the music scene, but Williamsburg is catching up fast with a densely packed collection of venues. The Music Hall of Williamsburg (66 North 6th St between Kent and Wythe Aves, 718-486-5400, musichallofwilliamsburg.com), run by the same folks behind Bowery Ballroom, is the neighborhood’s most prominent rock club and the place to catch touring rock bands (Of Montreal, King Khan & the Shrines) as well as local big shots (Crystal Stilts, Bishop Allen). That’s just the beginning in this rockin’ hood. Although many popular clubs only admit those 21 and over, Billyburg has its share of spaces that host all-ages or 18-and-up shows. Check out loft space Death by Audio (49 South 2nd St between Kent and Wythe Aves, myspace.com/deathbyaudioshows), which offers the chance to see up-and-coming indie stars in an intimate if somewhat dingy setting, or Bushwick’s underground music and arts space the Market Hotel (1142 Myrtle Ave at Broadway, myspace.com/markethotelnyc). While you’re there, ask around about unofficial warehouse parties in the area.

Do

Run by Fritz Donnelly and Christina Ewald, HiChristina (632 Grand St at Leonard St, hichristina.com) is a “playground for grown-ups,” according to the couple. There’s a suggested donation of $5–$10 for the kooky mix of “interactive performances” involving dressing up, amateur wrestling, kazoos and, er, sock puppets. “You can show up wearing anything,” says Fritz. “We have lots of paper and tape, leotards, tiaras, puffy paint, stockings and extra socks.” Many events start at 10pm and go on until the wee hours. Also look out for the couple’s Especially Late Show, a zany take on TV talk shows with local guests that runs every couple of months.