Bedford-Stuyvesant
Bedford-Stuyvesant (known also as "Bed-Stuy") is a neighborhood in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. The neighborhood has a large African-American and Afro-Caribbean population, and a high poverty rate. Bed-Stuy is currently in transitional change as the neighborhood is under the process of gentrification.
Renowned for its tree-lined blocks of beautiful brownstones and other fine architectural properties, the community's relatively affordable housing has brought in a significant number of Manhattan expatriates who can no longer afford its exorbitant rents. Adding to the primarily African and Caribbean American population, the influx of people, of varying backgrounds, has added to the diversity of the community. The strong base of block associations and churches invites both single and family life to flourish within the neighborhood. It is not uncommon to see, during the evenings, neighbors sitting on each other's stoops playing cards or dominos, or just talking. Similarly, during the day, children are often seen, playing back-in-the-day games like skelly, hopscotch, and stickball.
The neighborhood is bounded by Flushing Avenue on the north, Broadway and Saratoga Avenue on the east, Atlantic Avenue on the south, and Classon Avenue on the west.
Transportation
The main streets of the neighborhood are Fulton Street, Atlantic, Bedford, and Nostrand Avenues.
Bedford-Stuyvesant is accessible by transit via A, C, and G subway trains, and the Long Island Rail Road at Nostrand Avenue; the M and J trains at Myrtle Avenue; and the Franklin Avenue shuttle.
Rents
Average monthly rent for a studio apartment is around $650 USD, a one-bedroom is around $850, and a two-bedroom is around $1050. The average price for a one-bedroom co-op is $90,000, a two-bedroom co-op ranges between $100,000 and $120,000, while a three-bedroom co-op can be anywhere from $120,000 and up. Prices of brownstones vary, with a one-family generally starting in the high $200,000s and two- to four-families priced into the $400,000s. As demand increases, of course, so too are the rents.
Events
Every Fourth of July weekend, Boys and Girls High School, on Fulton Street, hosts the International African Arts festival. Over 300 vendors display the best in African arts and crafts while performers like Third World and Lauryn Hill serenade the public. In October, the community shows off its real estate with the annual Brownstones of Bed-Stuy House Tour.
Landmarks
Many neighborhood buildings have been landmarked, including the exquisite Alhambra Apartments, located on Nostrand Avenue. This terra-cotta structure was designed by 19th-century architects Morris & Freeman. Four wood-framed cottages at 1698-1708 Bergen Street are the remains of a historic settlement of free blacks called Weeksville. The site is now a museum of African American history. Bed-Stuy is also home to one of two landmarked trees in New York, the magnolia-grandiflora at 679 Lafayette Avenue.
Cultural Institutions
A late-1960s visit led senators Robert Kennedy and Jacob Javits to create the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, the first community-development nonprofit in the U.S. Today, Restoration Plaza on Fulton Street houses the popular Billie Holiday Theatre, the Skylight Gallery, and the Restoration Dance Theatre. In 1899 two Victorian mansions were turned into the first children's museum in the country. The Brooklyn Children's Museum, at 145 Brooklyn Avenue, offers an array of exhibits and programs. The Magnolia Tree Earth Center is responsible for the planting of 1500 trees throughout the area including sycamores, ginkgos, and honey locusts. The center also created several community gardens that produce flowers and fresh fruit.
Famous Residents
Local prodigies include Woodstock legend Richie Havens, Shirley Chisholm (the first black woman to serve in Congress), and Lil' Kim. Current residents include hip-hop artist and Top Dog/Underdog star Mos Def and Essence magazine's former editor in chief Monique Greenwood. Norman Mailer and Isaac Asimov were raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Local Politicians
Congressman Edolphus Towns, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Assemblywoman Annette Robinson, City Councilman Albert Vann.
