What it's like to live in Williamsburg, a New York City neighborhood that's coming back to life as COVID-19 restrictions ease

The area now known as Williamsburg stretches from Flushing Avenue up to the northern edge of McCarren Park. It was originally occupied by local Native Americans but the land was stolen by the Dutch West India Company in 1638.

At the turn of the 19th century, a developer named Jonathan Williams acquired land along modern-day Metropolitan Avenue and declared the surrounding area "Williamsburgh," after himself. The "h" was later dropped from the neighborhood's name, becoming Williamsburg.

In 1855, Williamsburg was officially annexed into the city of Brooklyn. It became part of New York City in 1898 when Brooklyn was adopted as one of the city's five boroughs.

Over time, the neighborhood developed and became a safe haven for European Jews escaping Nazism and Puerto Rican immigrants who came to work in the many factories popping up in northern Brooklyn.

According to Like a Local Tours, in 1961, Williamsburg had a whopping 93,000 manufacturing jobs. However, by the 1990s, the number had decreased to fewer than 12,000.

Crime in Brooklyn was more of a problem in the 1960s than it is today, but it was also a scene for artists from all over the world to work on and sell their pieces. Today, there is still an artistic element to the culture of Williamsburg.

There is also still a large Jewish population in Brooklyn as a whole and in Williamsburg. According to Hadassah Magazine, 1 in 4 residents in Brooklyn is Jewish. There are also areas of Williamsburg and Brooklyn that are largely populated by the Hasidic community. The area I walked in is not considered part of those neighborhoods but is nevertheless a part of the larger culture here in Brooklyn.

According to AMNY and a report released by NYU's Furman Center in 2016, the average rent cost increased 78.7% between 1990 and 2014, pushing lower-income households out of the neighborhood. According to the same report, average rents citywide increased just 22.1% by comparison.

The average income in Williamsburg has also gone from $53,550 in 1990 (adjusted for inflation) to upwards of $100,000 today.

According to Zumper, the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Williamsburg, New York, is currently $2,600, which is a 20% decrease compared to the average rent this time last year. However, rents are steadily climbing and the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment has risen 8% in the past month alone.

Walking around my neighborhood, you can feel the buzz: The streets are often lined with people, though it's still not so busy that you can't walk at a quick pace. Some areas are busier than others – the area pictured above is right by a lot of businesses, so it's not uncommon to see large groups of people walking around. However, step onto a side street and it's noticeably less crowded.

On the day I did my tour, I noticed substantially fewer people wearing masks than in previous months. People appear to be more relaxed about walking around outside without a mask, per CDC guidelines. However, everyone I encountered was still masked while inside stores. Every employee I encountered, both at restaurants and stores, was also masked the entire time.

It's also worth noting that my positive experience living in Williamsburg is a personal one. Everyone has their own opinions on the incredibly volatile New York City housing market and the harmful effects of gentrification.

However, I decided to nevertheless share what it's like for me to live in Williamsburg. No two experiences are the same, and I recognize I have a certain level of privilege to even be able to call this neighborhood home.

However, as someone who lives in Williamsburg, I've found I personally don't feel the need to venture further afield too often. I love exploring other parts of the city, but if I need groceries or other basic amenities, most are within walking distance.

There are multiple historic buildings in Williamsburg, including the F.J. Berlenbach House on Meserole Street that dates back to 1887. There's even a Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, located on Broadway in the old Kings County Savings Bank building built in 1867, that seeks to educate the community about local artists and give them a global platform.

Many of the neighborhood's oldest buildings have been turned into restaurants, apartment buildings, and stores. I found some spaces are empty — perhaps due to the devastating effects of the pandemic on small local businesses — but others appear to be thriving.

Walking along the streets of Williamsburg, you're likely to encounter packed outdoor dining set-ups on most blocks. I stopped by for a bite at Leo, a spot that's been called the "best pizza place in Williamsburg."

Even in the early afternoon, it was bustling with customers picking up from the restaurant's bakery and sitting down for lunch.

Established in 1975 by Joe Pozzuoli, the pizza institution's original location is in Greenwich Village. However, five other locations now exist throughout the city and in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Joe's Pizza is situated right in the hub of everything on Bedford Avenue, making it a convenient place to eat after a night out at one of Williamsburg's many bars.

The options for dining out and takeout are practically limitless for the residents of Williamsburg, with restaurants and takeout spots lining most streets.

On Bedford Avenue, right by the L subway line, you can find trucks and stalls offering everything from Indian food to tacos and hamburgers.

Depending on where you live in the neighborhood, food shopping is usually never more than a stone's throw away. Aside from Whole Foods, options include Foodtown, City Acres Market, Brooklyn Harvest Market, and more.

In addition to small businesses like Awoke Vintage and ID, there's also an Urban Outfitters, Sephora, and Apple Store less than a mile from each other.

In May 2020, white circles were drawn on the park's AstroTurf in order to promote social distancing. As someone living in Brooklyn at the time, the park provided a much-needed outdoor respite during the pandemic, long before vaccines were available to New Yorkers.

On an average Saturday or Sunday, you can expect Domino Park to be bustling with visitors lounging on the grass, walking by the water, or catching up with friends on the benches that surround the grassed area. However, throw in an unusually warm spring day and the park will be even busier than usual.

On the day I did my tour of Williamsburg, every spot in the park was filled — to the point where some were ignoring the chalk circles intended to keep everyone distanced. People were also sitting in larger groups than when I visited last summer, as well. It appeared that people are much more comfortable meeting up with those outside their "bubble" than ever before.

According to Arch Daily, the park is "one of New York's most iconic industrial waterfront sites" and features 30 large-scale salvaged relics, including 21 original columns from the Raw Sugar Warehouse, cranes, and syrup tanks from the original factory.

Whether they were locals or visitors, everyone seemed to be enjoying the beautiful weather and delicious-looking food at Tacocina.

The CDC now recommends that masks should be worn indoors if you're not vaccinated, but are less important if you're outside in a non-crowded area. Many people seemed to be following those guidelines, as masks were few and far between among the people sitting in the park.

This is just one example of the many vendors you're likely to come across while exploring Williamsburg. If you venture further afield to Bedford Avenue, you'll find people selling art, homemade clothing, and other goods.

Today, however, it was all about the ice pops.

Despite living together in Williamsburg for a few months, this was the first time we had stopped by Domino Park on a warm day. We couldn't stop raving about how lucky we felt to live right there, with so many fun activities to do that don't cost a lot of money.

Walking the waterfront is free, and the pops ran us $7 for the two. Considering we didn't even have to take the subway there, it was a pretty inexpensive and fun day out.

While we were walking along the pier, we could see people out on jet skis enjoying the beautiful weather. If we had wanted to, we could have also walked over to the entrance of the Williamsburg Bridge and actually walked across to the southeastern tip of the island.

No weekend in Williamsburg would be complete without a trip a little further east, where a majority of the neighborhood's nightlife can be found.

In East Williamsburg, a number of bars host drag shows during the week and on the weekends. I stopped by a show that was being hosted by local New York City drag queens Lucia Fuchsia, Jupiter Gallaxxi, and Chase Runaway to see what an average Tuesday night out in Williamsburg would look like — for an attendee of a drag show, that is.

"The Fabulous Mx. Metal" drag competition, which is held at Now And Then NYC among the old warehouses of Williamsburg, is a perfect example of how entertainment and nightlife can thrive during and after the pandemic.

While most Williamsburg clubs have remained closed and bars are only just now allowed to extend their hours past midnight, drag shows have been able to carry on and provide a nightlife experience for those in the LGBTQ+ community and beyond throughout the pandemic.

Home to iconic gay bars like 3 Dollar Bill, The Rosemont, and Metropolitan, describing the culture of Williamsburg couldn't be done without mentioning the influence of the queer community.

"Being able to perform in Bushwick and Williamsburg has been a lifeline because when bars reopened, many Brooklyn bars were open to having shows and a lot of Manhattan bars weren't," drag performer Jupiter Gallaxxi told Insider. "Brooklyn audiences were hungrier for that kind of entertainment."

"The vibe and the audiences in Brooklyn are completely different than in Manhattan," she continued. "Within Brooklyn, it's really our friends and chosen family that we're performing for and alongside, whereas in Manhattan it's a lot of strangers and tourists."

From the moment you wake up in the morning until you fall into bed at night, there are limitless possibilities to how you can spend each day. From walking by the East River to grabbing a slice at a New York institution like Joe's Pizza, Williamsburg offers its residents a host of different activities.

While its roots and development are undeniably controversial, it's easy to see why many people enjoy living in this neighborhood — and why it's so important to buy local, support local artists, and tip your queens.