Bed Stuy Getting a P.R. Makeover
Some local Bed Stuy-ers are dropping a cool $150,000 on a rebranding effort aimed at making the nabe’s dangerous rep a thing of the past. The business and community leaders behind the effort are hoping the long-time motto “Bed Stuy Do or Die” will soon be replaced by “Bed Stuy and Proud of It.” We…
Some local Bed Stuy-ers are dropping a cool $150,000 on a rebranding effort aimed at making the nabe’s dangerous rep a thing of the past. The business and community leaders behind the effort are hoping the long-time motto “Bed Stuy Do or Die” will soon be replaced by “Bed Stuy and Proud of It.” We know which one we think is catchier! For the more real estate-inclined, we’d suggest a couple of alternatives: “Bed Stuy, Prices are High” or “Bed Stuy, Buy, Buy, Buy!” Any other suggestions?
Say It Loud: Bed Stuy and Proud [NY Daily News]
Bed Stuy Debuts “Proud” Slogan [NY Post]
Wow. This is the most comments I have seen for any topic on this blog. It is enlightening to read the comments people have about my neighborhood. Drugs, crime must not happen in other parts of the city. When I read the police blotter and see things happening in Park Slope, Prospect Heights and Clinton Hill those things must be made up. I have been in Bed-Stuy since 99 and you will be amazed by the change. The part people call “Clinton Hill†use to be known as Bed-Stuy. Ask anyone that lived there before 1996. Some realtors came in and changed the name and you have everyone from NYC trying to move there. Now I look at the Clinton-Washington stop on the C line and people of all ethnic backgrounds get on the train and that situation is moving further back onto the C line, all the way to Utica Ave. As someone already posted look at history people Harlem, LES (Lower East Side), Hells Kitchen, Fort Green, and even those 5 blocks that are really Clinton Hill were all places people did not want to live. Look at them now. People are basically taking out two mortgages and selling a body part to live there now. Bedford Stuyvesant is going through the same change those areas already have gone through. The brownstones in Bed Stuy, especially the ones in Stuyvesant Heights are the same as the rest of Brooklyn. Gentrification is happening. Check out the rents on Craigslist for Bedford Stuyvestant/Stuyvesant Heights. Check out the prices of the brownstones from a year ago. Check out the people buying the brownstones. Recently we had 2 white families moved onto my block. There are new shops opening up along Lewis and Stuyvesant Avenues. And I read an article that the neighborhood with the largest rise in families making over 100K is Bedford Stuyvesant. If those aren’t signs of gentrification I don’t know what is. So keep doubting and you will have to move to all the way out to East NY or Brownsville to afford a home. I live in Bed Stuy, and I am proud of it!!!
n a new homeowner in Bed-Stuy for almost 18 months now and I’ve had a tremendously positive experience with the neighborhood. The quality and quantity of house (or apartment) one can get for the dollar in the neighborhood still compares very favorably with other areas. Most of the neighbors on my block have been friendly and welcoming. My biggest beef with the neighborhood (mentioned by others above) is the lack of services and commercials options. That seems to be slowly changing with new restaurants/shops on Lewis, Tompkins and Stuyvesant. BTW, the “yuppies†I see going home in the evening seem to do alright without breaking into a sprint to their doors.
SEB–learn to spell and get a better job…mebbe you wont be so bitter if you had decent work that would allow you to live on a decent block in the area instead of commuting to a crappy one.
Ok no problem you want to say i do not know what i am talking about fine. Go live there in bed stuy and raise a family there and get back to me in 15 yrs. There is no Gentrification people hello. There is no STARBUCKS in Bed Stuy, you want to believe there is sorry it is all in your head. As you already know the area has a Very High rate of homicides and drug activity so to whoever wants to be a hero and pretend they are superman go ahead and move to bed stuy and put your son or daughter in there schools and on your streets and let them get use to becoming street smart. Because i hope for there sake that they learn what to do before god forbid anything happens to any inicent child. You all can act like Yuppies and it might be the greatest thing in the world when you buy your brownstone and feel like you are changing the world, but guess what your next door neighbor who does not want your white yuppie self living there is not going to give a damn about you when you walk down the street on Gates ave and just happen to get caught in the crossfire from some bullet flying thru the air. Good luck with all your brownstones and one last thing. Dont forget to put your filter masks every day when you step inside of the house why? guess what is in between all of those walls asbestos, everyone of those brownstones is filled with it. oh i don’t hAVE to worry they renovated mine. There is even more to worry about now the particles are airbourne. Oh and guess what once it goes in your lungs it never ever ever comes out.
SEB –
THANKS (ok i’ll drop the all caps now) for bringing it all back home and pinning whatever it is going on anywhere in the Jews.
You are wrong, about the Gentrification, the “daily” homicides and about the Jews (and if you work near Pratt you’re also wrong about working in Bed-Stuy), but I appreciate the effort.
Most indiviudals don’t see the bigger picture regarding Bed-Stuy and surrounding areass. The Real Estate Giants, i.e. Ratner (Atlantic Terminal) and the Navy Yard( Largest East Coast Studio) are weaving a fine monopoly for the Borough of Brooklyn, and Bedford Stuyvesant is part of the formula. 15 plus years ago, Park Slope, Fort Greene, and Clinton Hill resembled the likes of areas in Bed-Stuy. Drugs, mugging, murders and anti-social activities were culturally entrenched in CH,FG,PS. However, Look now, Middle Class income families can not afford CH,FG and PS now. And 30 plus years ago, Brooklyn Heights around Atlantic Ave were saturated with prostitution, drugs and muggings. Look at the history of Brooklyn neighbors, and with the combination of Prices of Manhattan real estate. Bedstuyvesant will be the next Park Slope in 10 plus years. So buy buy buy the beautiful brownstones. I’m on my 2rd brownstone and looking to buy another 2. Don’t pass up the opportunity, or you will see yourself and your family moving out of state. Prime example, Look at the Lower East Side, Harlem, Hell’s Kitcen which was culuturally entrenched with drugs,intense crime. LOOK AT HISTORY.
i recently moved to the stuyvesant heights area from clinton Hill (Clinton Hill co-ops) I can say that I have had no problems, and in fact find the area quite peacefull. You can hear a pin drop at night on my block. The houses are turning over extremely fast, and i see new neighbors all the time. Certain blocks here in the historic district feel just like fort green. The architecture here is second to none anywhere in the city. I would put the walk from the A train through Fulton Park and up Stuyvesant avenue ahead of the walk north up clinton Avenue to Myrtle from the G train in terms of architectual beauty, simply for the diversity. I would also venture to say that the new Solomons porch on Stuyvesant is as nice or nicer than anything on Myrtle, or anything on “resteraunt row” on Dekalb. You can also find parking more easily here. The A train will get you to Manhattan from here faster than waiting on the G train in Clinton Hill, or taking the C train in Clinton Hill. I get to work much faster now even though it is farther away physically. Also a pro which many people don’t realize in that the historic area is zoned R5, meaning the density is realitively low. One more thing, I saw many more “scary” incidents on Myrtle Avenue in Clinton Hill than in my new neighborhood.
That being said, i did enjoy the diversity of people in Clinton Hill/Fort Green more, and I liked being closer to Fort Green Park. The services in Clinton Hill are also much better, but let’s remember that the bulk of good stuff on Myrtle is within the last 3 years. Good commercial always lags the residential gentrification. The huge brownstones in the historic district in Stuyvesant Heights are getting close to the million dollar mark, thus you will see more places like soloman’s porch, or the art boutique that just opened directly across the street.
that’s my two cents. I think the historic distric here is more of an obvious no-brainer than people think. People’s contiuned shock over the increasing prices suprises me. I think the prices in Central Harlem for brownstones are more of a shock.
Maybe you’re offended, but its true. It is still not a safe area. Even in Stuy Heights, you have to watch, your back. According to a detective friend of mine the park near Boys and Girls HS (which conveniently enough is near the train station closest to Stuy Hts)is a regular place for mugggings, drug deals, and the occasional murder (though the murders are mostly between the “unemployed” young men loitering about during the day and night. Seriously, if they want to improve the neighborhood, let’s see a drop in crime, big or otherwise, and get those jokers out of the park.
i don’t live in bed-stuy, but i read this thread with interest because i’ve heard a lot about the area. i have to say, though, i found that comment about “yuppies running to their door to live another day” offensive. it’s insulting and doesn’t belong here.