North 6th St, Williamsburg

North 6th street is one of the liveliest streets in Williamsburg. There are a ton of bars and restaurants and there are always a lot of people on this street. It can be really insane on the weekends. Actually, it can be really insane any day of the week. This part of Willyburg is hipster central. Whereas it used to be all artists and musicians, it's now pretty much all hipsters and students. But, the artist scene is definitely still alive in Willy around the Bedford stop of the L train, and North 6th is no exception.
Some of my favorite places in Willy are on N 6th. When I lived in the neighborhood, I went to The Lovin Cup all the time. It's a dark little bar that's never really crowded during the week and there's a great music venue in the back where I used to always go to watch comedy shows. Speaking of music, The Music Hall of Williamsburg, is also on N 6th. I don't think I'll ever forget seeing Beirut here. It's a relatively small venue so the energy is outstanding. And, so many bands that are now huge got their start there. So, a lot of them come back to do a show there just for the Willyburg set. It's a great venue and people are very loyal to it. Zablozki's is another great bar on N 6th that is very big with the locals and hipster set. But, if you don't go on the weekend, you'll at least escape the Pratt crowd which is nice.
There are a lot of restaurants on N 6th as well. And, because Williamsburg still has a village kind of feel, they have a lot of locals and they're little great eateries side by side that are packed perpetually. Sea is a fantastic thai place that ended up having a Manhattan outpost because so many Manhattanites were coming into Brooklyn for it. It's reasonably priced and really cool.
There's also a lot of shopping on this street. Future Perfect is a really interesting home decor store that people swear by. It's not my taste but I would be remiss if I didn't mention it. There are a couple of great little shoe shops on this street too. I can't remember the names of either of them. But, you know a shoe store when you see one.
Williamsburg is not pretty by any stretch of the imagination. But, the thing I like about it is that it retains that quality of a New York neighborhood that much of Manhattan no longer has. There are mom and pop shops, non-chain restaurants, local haunts and a definite energy. There aren't any massive buildings east of Wythe and it's a really young area. North 6th is a great example of a Williamsburg street because it has a lot to offer in that realm. The only downside to it is the people. There are so many people all the time that the street is dirty and loud all the time. And, if you don't like hipsters, it could be troublesome hanging out around here / living here.