National Sawdust

Top choice in Brooklyn: Williamsburg, Greenpoint & Bushwick


Covered in wildly hued murals, this cutting-edge space for classical and new music has come a long way since its days as a sawdust factory, with artists as diverse as Pussy Riot and Yo La Tengo performing within. The angular, high-tech interior stages contemporary opera with multimedia projections, electro-acoustic big-band jazz and concerts by experimental composers, alongside less-common genres.

National Sawdust's raison d'être is shining a light on emerging artists and helping offbeat genres and performers find their audience. Browse their events calendar to decide between Indian classical, ambient 'sound baths' or light-shows with a soundscape of synth.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Brooklyn: Williamsburg, Greenpoint & Bushwick attractions

1. East River State Park

0.18 MILES

This 7-acre waterfront park is a slice of greenery with sublime views of Manhattan and cobbled vestiges of its cargo-handling past. It's home to plenty of…

2. Brooklyn Brewery

0.27 MILES

Harking back to a time when this area of New York was a beer-brewing center, the Brooklyn Brewery not only brews and serves tasty local suds but also…

3. City Reliquary

0.45 MILES

You knew Brooklyn was bizarro, but this repository for New York–related ephemera is something else. Tenderly curated displays exhibit objects from the…

4. Brooklyn Art Library

0.53 MILES

Enjoy an intimate glimpse into the creative minds of artists, both professional and amateur, at Brooklyn Art Library, which has assembled the world's…

5. Domino Park

0.54 MILES

Opened to the public in 2018, five-acre Domino Park has a riverside walkway with big Manhattan views and a playground styled like big metal pipes –…

6. McCarren Park

0.63 MILES

The grassy 35-acre McCarren Park makes a good picnic spot, and barbecues and bikinis define the action on warm summer weekends. On sweltering days you…

7. Williamsburg Bridge

0.64 MILES

Built in 1903 to link Williamsburg and the Lower East Side (at Delancey St), this steel-frame suspension bridge helped transform the area into a teeming…

8. East River Park

0.69 MILES

In addition to the great ballparks, running and biking paths, 5000-seat amphitheater that hosts concerts, and expansive patches of green, this park has…