Bedford-Stuyvesant, or
Bed-Stuy, is a mainly black community in the central portion
of Brooklyn. Not long ago it was known as one of the largest
ghettos in the United States. During and after World War II
many African-American immigrants from the southern parts of
the country moved into this neighborhood, often preferring
it to the available housing in Harlem. The 1960s and 1970s
were a difficult time for New York and it impacted Bed-Stuy
seriously, urban riots took place there and crime rates
climbed up. After the national Crack-Epidemic in the late
1980s, the neighborhood began to experience a renaissance
which continues to the present day. Despite the gradual
improvements, Bedford-Stuyvesant still has a bad reputation,
the image "Bed-Stuy, Do-or-Die" remains in the public
consciousness and white people tend to stay away from the
neighborhood. In 2005 Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared the
neighborhood the most dangerous neighborhood of
Brooklyn, in the same year police protection was increased
in the community, centered at the intersection of Fulton
Street and Nostrand Avenue, and since then crime has
decreased 15% from the previous year. Since New York City
has become one of the safest cities in the United States
during the last ten years, Bedford-Stuyvesant is not that
dangerous either, as one might think, and I've
never felt unsafe when visiting it during the day.
Today the area is
becoming increasingly racially and ethnically diverse. Also
some white people want to move to Bed-Stuy because of cheap
housing rents and the proximity to Manhattan. This
gentrification is not welcomed by everyone, some fear that
this will raise rents and houses would get less affordable
for many black families.
Bed-Stuy has beautiful
brownstone buildings and historical sites, since it is one
of the oldest neighborhoods of Brooklyn. The commercial
center of the neighborhood is located at the intersection of
Nostrand Avenue and Fulton Street, with many stores and
fast-food restaurants. Famous Hip-Hop artists, such as
Fabolous, Jay-Z, Lil' Kim and Notorious B.I.G. have come out
of Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Photos of the intersection of Fultion
Street and Nostrand Avenue >>
Color Photo of Bedford-Stuyvesant >>
