The Times of London Singing Bed Stuy's Praises
It sounds like London Times writer James Doran got quite a deal on his Bedford Stuyvesant brownstone. Given how well-preserved all the details were, $600,000 sounds undermarket to us. And what a great provenance! The story he tells of the former owner, a brewery heiress, is great stuff. The Heath Ledger angle might be a…
It sounds like London Times writer James Doran got quite a deal on his Bedford Stuyvesant brownstone. Given how well-preserved all the details were, $600,000 sounds undermarket to us. And what a great provenance! The story he tells of the former owner, a brewery heiress, is great stuff. The Heath Ledger angle might be a bit of a stretch but, hey, Doran’s at least setting the newspaper-reading public straight about the neighborhood which has caught more than its share of bad press over the years:
Bed-Stuy is more than just an incredible investment opportunity for an adventurous property speculator: it is one of the most fascinating neighbourhoods of New York, steeped in history and close to Manhattan’s sleepless streets, yet no tourist ever sets foot here.
Local blog Bed Stuy Gateway had this to say about the article: Is The Times doing a Lenten penance for the smackdown of an article it published on June 25, 2005 in which reporter Dominic Rushe called Bed-Stuy “a horrible and inconvenient area of Brooklyn with some lovely buildings and a nasty crack habit”?
Big Apple’s Core Appeal [London Times]
The Brits Are Coming [Bed Stuy Gateway]
James – seriously not trying to knock your home or hood – seriously! Further I have no reason to doubt your crime statistics concerning you 4 sq block radius but you wrote about ‘Bed-Stuy’ not a 4 sq block radius. – You are writing to an audiance unfamiliar with the boro (city even) and if your intent was to do some light ‘community interest’ piece you succeded but if your intent was to really portrey Bed-Stuy and Brooklyn do you really think the 1st adjective used to describe Bushwick is accuratly ‘artistic’ – (yes NYT artice and all)
James,
You are misreading the poster identities. Look BELOW the post to determine who wrote it. I am on your side! 🙂
Hey James,
Nice article and thanks for finding this community. I’d just like to point out that I think you are misreading the comments and attributing ron’s comments with linusvanpelt’s comments. Linus is solid.
and gardensgal
I dont believe there is a single town or city in the United states that has a lower gun crime rate than London. You see guns are a little less plentiful over there than over here, there was a film about that subject a couple of years ago….
We did an awful ot of research before we bought this place. I trolled through the police blotters of all NY papers for the past five years searching for Bed Stuy mentiond. Tha majority — and I mean majority — of those stories when pinpointed on a map were not in bed stuy. Many were ludicrously further away in Flatbush or East New York for example. When we paired down the murder rate for our immediate locale — four square blcoks — there were fewr serious violent crimes in this area of bed stuy in the 12 months prior to us buying the house than there were in our previous neighbourhood — CHELSEA!!
so facts, are important when making an investment in a house and a home. We are very ure of ours.
Oh – -Stuy heights is affluent, you should see it, Bushwick is artistic — did you see the NY Times magazine on Saturday? Williamsburg is fashionable have you seen how much they charge for cheese down there?
AND ANOTHER THING>>>>>
sorry but I have to set “linusvanpelt” straight. Do you live in Bed Stuy? if so your experience is very different to mine. I lived in London most of my life and in Manhattan for four years and have never felt safer. My neighbours all along the block are really friendly, and helpful — far more so than Manhattan. I’ve actually spoken to them, more than once! Can you believe it? The only thing bed stuy lacks is a good source of fresh fruit and vegetables. Oh but then there is the MASSIVE yard we can grow them in! I love it here
Ron,
It’s a bit annoying, yet expected that those without knowledge tend to speak up often. I’ve recently purchased a 4 story brownstone in Bed-Stuy on Putnam for under $600 with almost all of the original detail less than 10 months ago. I’ve yet to hear a gunshot or see a drug deal. Now if I wanted to see that or hear that, certainly, I wouldn’t have to drive more than 2 miles into any part of BK. Bed-Stuy, Clinton Hills, Fort Greene or Park Slope for that matter.
Have a visit before you condemn an entire community.
This article is such a puff piece…
Sure Bed-Stuy has some great points but if it is so great why do writers like this have to stretch reality to sell it (I know – the guy has a vested interest).
To gloss over Bed-Stuys crime problem by saying it was equal to “fashionable”Williamsburg (funny wasnt too fashionable in ’89); “affluant” Styvesant Heights and “artisitc” Bushwick totally ignores a really really violent history, and to try to spin its current situation as “there are still robberies, burglaries and the occasional shooting”…seems to minimize a situation that while exponentally better – ignores that Bed-Stuy had more homicides in 2004 than all of London did
Here we go again with people being called “stupid” for the neighborhood choices they make. Why can’t we have differing opinions on this forum without engaging in namecalling? I happen to think the Doran’s got a fantastic deal on their brownstone and that they are “smart” for having done so. Many longtime residents of Bed Stuy, Crown Heights, PLG, and other not-yet-gentrified brownstone neighborhoods hold a strong belief that they live in a “nice” area (which is not synonymous with saying that improvements are not needed.) It wasn’t that long ago when longtime residents of Fort Greene,Clinton Hill and Prospect Heights, also thought they lived in “nice” nabes. Now, most everyone agrees with that opinion.
My question is: why are you “confused” that anyone would describe Bed Stuy as “nice?” No need to be confused. It’s just an opinion with which you are not in agreement. Therefore, you will not buy in these kinds of nabes or try to raise your family in such places. That sounds like a win-win decison for all.
Hi all, Im the guy who wrote the story, and, if you read the table that goes with it, I based my $600k description on what is available now on Lewis Avenue — but well done for finding my house on property shark.
In England we count each floor as a storey, so yes mine is a three storey by your standards, but has four if you include the basement. Sorry for the confusion
Im glad you enjoyed the piece.
J