We are now entering Brooklyn on the IBX in our ongoing “Stop by Stop” series. The next stop is Wilson Avenue in Bushwick.
The Interborough Express (IBX), the MTA’s planned light rail for a direct link from Queens to Brooklyn, is poised to stop at Wilson Avenue, where officials have mapped it out to connect to the existing L train.
Bushwick is home to artsy shops like hemp stores, markets like organic grocers and meet-up joints like cafes and bars on so many blocks. Storefront glass posts advertisements for everything from painting workshops to exercise classes to political rhetoric.
Located just over the Queens border, where street signs change from green to brown, indicating a borough change, Bushwick is home to both native New Yorkers and transplants.
Reg, an NYC native, said he enjoys visiting the neighborhood.
“I’ve been all around the city,” he said. “This place is great.”
Leon, who works at Hemp Lab NYC, a shop on Wilson Avenue that sells CBD products, shirts, books and other merchandise. When he learned about the IBX coming to Bushwick, he considered it welcomed news for the neighborhood.
Hemp Lab opened about six years ago. Leon commented on the influx of people moving into the neighborhood.
“I see a lot of people moving in. Gen Z is moving in,” he said. “I don’t know what you call it, but some say it’s gentrification.”
The IBX aims to connect Queens and Brooklyn residents who live in transportation deserts, areas of the city that have limited public transit options.
The 14-mile train line will start in Queens at Roosevelt Avenue between 72nd and 74th Streets, depending on the MTA’s decision on how to connect to the primary 74 Street-Roosevelt Avenue hub in Jackson Heights. The IBX will run along the CSX freight line south to Glendale, where it will switch over to another freight line (the Long Island Rail Road’s Bay Ridge branch) en route to Brooklyn.
Although the massive undertaking is years away, it is in its initial design phase, which kicked off work on the $5.5 billion project.
“A complete change of mobility and access for so many people,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said at a recent board meeting. “This is a huge deal. The IBX is going to change people’s lives and folks are understandably psyched about it.”
Bushwick: where industry meets art
Bushwick’s undeniable cultural vibrancy and its artistic and community offerings can be easily overlooked due to the prevalence of industrial buildings and factories scattered throughout the neighborhood.
Along the local streets leading to the Wilson Avenue L train station, the urban landscape is dominated by recycling plants, auto repair shops, and fences adorned with elaborate graffiti. But poking through this industrial backdrop, the quaint subway station emerges, resembling a charming outpost from a small town.
The Wilson Avenue station, with its limited turnstiles and an old-fashioned-looking token booth, has a surprisingly residential appearance that makes it feel like an escape from the bustling metropolis that surrounds it. Train-goers who want to explore the neighborhood without hurting their feet can stop at a nearby Citi Bike corral to rent a set of wheels.
But despite Bushwick’s delightfully avant-garde appeal, it is not without its problems, especially when it comes to crime. The neighborhood’s gentrification sprouted from a troubled past.
According to NYPD statistics, crime in Bushwick’s 83rd Precinct has dropped nearly 70% since 1993, a noteworthy improvement over three decades.
Additionally, in some good news for the IBX plan, transit crime in the neighborhood has continued to slip, according to the police department. It is down nearly 50% compared to the same time last year and over 33% compared to 2023.
Overall, Bushwick offers a fun blend of experiences, from its thriving art scene and quirky businesses to its abundance of bars and restaurants. Supporters of the IBX hope the train will enhance the neighborhood’s appeal, making the community even more accessible for visitors.
amNewYork will bring readers to the next planned stop on the IBX: Atlantic Avenue.
