For the past few years I've made an annual " Brooklyn Neighborhood Exploration" list. Each year, I've designated a Brooklyn neighborhood that I want to explore more in depth; Williamsburg and Greenpoint have been two spots that I have explored heavily and am continuing to do so. This year Bedford Stuyvesant is now my focus. After reviewing history of Bed Stuy, as it is colloquially referred to, there is a lot to explore! Here is a neighborhood snap shot: 1. Compass: Bed Stuy borders on Flushing Avenue (North), Classon Avenue ( West) , Broadway ( East) and Atlantic Avenue ( South) 2. Main Shopping: Fulton Street 3. Architecture: Victorian, 8800 buildings built @1900 and many beautiful brownstones can be found here 4. Films: Spike Lee's " Do The Right Thing", great film and filmed on Stuyvesant Street now renamed "DTRT Way" and another fave, "French Connection" 5. Famous Folks: Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G., Lena Horne, Chris Rock to name a few 6. Landmarks: Brooklyn Tabernacle, 6x Grammy winning choir, originally Loew's Metropolitan Theatre, Bed Stuy Historic District, Billie Holiday Theatre, Bed Stuy Walls, Shirley Chisholm Circle 7. Restaurants: Peaches Hothouse, C'mon Everybody, David's Brisket House, Ursula, Fan-Fan Doughnuts 8. Community Gardens: there are a wealth of these and most are free to access via NYC Parks Access Green Thumb. So far I've passed Quincy Street Community Gardens ( so lovely) and Madison Hall. No wonder Bainbridge, Macon and Chauncey were named greenest streets. And a wealth of parks: Saratoga and Fulton. 9. Mass Transit: A, C and G with the G stopping at Bedford- Nostrand Avenue station. Bus: B7, B15, B47 10. "Bed-Stuy represents something of a paradox: one of the largest neighborhoods in Brooklyn, it is practically a city within the borough, yet offers an intimate, slow-paced, small-town vibe." There's so much to discover and the rest of the year to do it. Bed Stuy, I'm ready for ya! More to come! read more

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Indianapolis is my home and one of my favorite places, however since my brother and his wife moved here about three years ago I am quickly falling in love. Bed-Stuy is an amazing area of Brooklyn with a rich history, one certainly worth studying. Without going on a tangent the brownstones and buildings are beautiful. Looking at people's decorations during different holidays is always fun. The public art murals are awesome, I wish I had some talent but I am just a happy spectators There's so many different tasty restaurants the variety is amazing and I can say I've never had a bad restaurant experience when I visit. I know my perspective is just one from quick visits, but I wanted to share my love of this area and I look forward to exploring and learning more about this area. read more

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Had a great time walking around Bed Stuy! Tons of vintage stores to enjoy and of course beautiful archictecture. read more

Bedford-Stuyvesant - Local Flavor Near Me

Trendy! Even covered in 2 ft of snow, this is one of the "hot spots" in Brooklyn. There's no place like home! read more

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I've lived here for 18 years now and I will say I don't think I'd move to another neighborhood readily. As of late, there have been folks coming in without the manners we have here and hopefully they will go away or learn how to be community minded. At the minimum, Say 'hello' and keep it moving. Carry the rudeness elsewhere. There are a plethora of restaurants, boutiques, coffee shops, bars, etc all around, it's nice to have so many options close to home. Keep in mind, this has bee a comfort zone for many POC: immigrants from abroad and the South, alike. We do have an issue with crime in spots, with the NIMBY folks pushing shelters and outpatient clinics into our area, are contributing to these issues. Despite all the changes in the area: shelters, gentrification/ residents being pushed out, clinics, structural issues, Airbnb taking over real apartments, parking issues, etc. I still would choose to live here with hopes of our popularity dying down and getting back to normal. My neighbors are friendly With the occasional airbnb client giving you dirty looks... its Bedstuy, so you give it right back with a classically, nuanced FOH, lol. The corner stores most of them are still intact, a few have become smoke shops. read more

This review was prompted by Ms. Christina S. Lol I live in Valley Stream LI But I'm always all over Brooklyn. Rolling stone. Hahaha. Years ago I spent time in Flatbush and these days I'm in Clinton Hill so it's safe to say I'm an adopted Brooklynite. (Wait! I should be checking into Clinton Hill right?!) As far as I can see Bedford-Stuyvesant or Bedstuy is the same as the rest of Brooklyn yet different. I see, smell, taste a strong Caribbean influence here but it's integrated by so many more cultures most of which I'm only now becoming familiar with. I've been told gentrification is big business here. Once a piece of the soul is left I really don't have a problem with that. Should I? Will they? I heard Biggie was from here Uhhhhhh. And "Everybody hates Chris" was filmed here! *jumps up and down* I've already witnessed (and I use that term loosely) the popo stop and search for no apparent reason other than they can. That said, I feel safe walking here by myself after a night out. I was rattled when a mentally sick guy shot 2 policemen but the rattling stopped. I'm careful but I'm brave too. I love Fulton street! And I'm also pleased with myself as only this morning Sunday 8th Feb 2015 I discovered the "C" line. Do you have any idea how much chula I'll be saving? $2.50 v $8.00 is an enormous difference. I used to think for a great evening out one had to go into the city. I was wrong, dead wrong. Bedstuy has a VERY MUCH thriving night life. I've been to more restaurants, bars, pubs, lounges, than I can remember.......even before being on yelp. Uhhhhhh for some of the not so good spots, where were yelp reviews when I needed them? I'm a nature lover, a wild thang...by choice and concrete jungle IS Bedstuy but home is also where the heart is and most times I feel really at home here. The End. read more

Bedford-Stuyvesant - "Bedstuy do or die" BROOKLYN! - Local Flavor Near Me

When I first moved to Bed-Stuy, I was not thrilled. Stuck off the G-train and I wasn't in Manhattan anymore, Toto. Sigh. A little over two years later and I have a hard time imagining ever moving from this little slice of BK. I'm a total convert. Bed-Stuy is what I imagine Brooklyn is supposed to be. I say hi to my neighbors on the streets. I shop at my local bodegas but also have access to chains like Duane Reade and Dunkin Donuts (bleh). There are a million & one bars within walking distance. About a mile away is a nice Key Foods (and Ft Greene Park!). There are some *great* southern-style restaurants peppered around the neighborhood. Clinton Hill is a short walk away so even if I want 'hip' Brooklyn, I don't have to look far. It's the perfect location. It's near so much but far enough into Brooklyn that I can hide out whenever I want! This place is everything I'd want in a neighborhood...now if only the G-train ran faster/more regularly. A girl can dream, right? Do or die, Bed-Stuy, my friends! read more

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Bedford - Stuyvesant, known for its beautiful One Million dollar worth Brownstones houses . and its creation is the greatest in the rap games: Biggie Smalls, Jay-z, Lil Kim, Maino, Lil MAMA , Oh yeah and Fabulous the rapper , and etc rappers. all call Bedford -stuyvestant home. Bedford -Stuyvesant is well known African -American Neighborhood is being gentifty just like the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. All over Fulton Street and Nostrand Avenue, there is plenty of black-owned business and Carver Federal savings bank has a branch on Fulton street and New York avenue. There are many several Subway Lines that run in the Bedford -Stuyvesant area like the : A,C,G,J,Z- Trains all run in the Bed-Stuyvesant neighborhood, and there several buses that run in the Bedford -Stuyvesant area: B44,B49,B38,B25, B57,B26 ,B46,B48 and etc buses. The Long Island Rail Road (L.I.R.R) has a stop on the Atlantic Branch -Nostrand Avenue Train station. Bedford- Stuyvesant has beautiful houses ( Private houses and Brownstone houses ) & Apartment buildings and Condos in the Area. Beautiful African - American neighborhood its consider Harlem but the Brooklyn version, Bedford -Stuyvesant has Brooklynites say "do or die" lol. you can find fast-food restaurants in the area, Soul Food restaurants (Southern food), Caribbean Food restaurants (West-Indian ) , and etc ethnic background food restaurants, if you watch the Cosby show- the huxbel family his show was based in Brooklyn with the beautiful brownstone house . !!!! P.S. (During the George flyold rally the mayor of NYC and the Brooklyn borough president painted "Black Lives matter" Protest Paint in yellow on the street ground. near Fulton street and New York avenues thru Kingston and Throop avenues) "Brooklyn all day , and every day" "definition of Brooklynite ": a person who was born and raised and grew up in the borough- from kid thru an adult, not the hipsters lol, lol I guess the hipsters can get a green light pass too lol read more

Bedford-Stuyvesant - Art work of black man with poetry of being black man on Bedford avenue and Jefferson ave near the B44 bus stop ( bed-stuy area) - Local Flavor Near Me

What can I say about the neighborhood that showed me what it meant to be a Brooklynite? The part of town that took in a refugee from the city who was going through some serious sh%t and taught him what an amazing and wonderful place this borough was. It's been almost two years that I've called Bed-Stuy home; I've waited an eternity for the G to show up (and took shuttle buses at 2 am when it was down), drank champagne at the Swan on too many Wednesdays to count, practically survived on Mohammed's bodega food for days on end, sipped craft beer by the fire at cash only record bars, watched hipsters wait on long lines for pseudo good bread, watched Nostrand Ave be ripped to pieces (and never really fixed), found the most accommodating keg/beer shop in the city - and am so grateful for the opportunity to have experienced all of it. Yes things are changing in Bed-Stuy (and fast). But we still have something that other parts of the city have somehow lost; a feeling that the people and the place are unique, not trying to be anyone or anything they are not. If you have not had a chance to visit, come by and check it out - who knows how long this little oasis will be around before it is (inevitably) swallowed by the hipster wave that is Williamsburg, and chopped into four or five new neighborhoods (each complete with their own Whole Foods of course). You welcomed me with open arms Bed-Stuy, thanks for the love. read more

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I have spent many days in the neighborhood of "Do or Die Bed Stuy", with countless experiences. It's a new day for the area but it still holds its character. One of my craziest memories is being approached on the corner of Fulton Street by then rapper Old Dirty Bastard and him bluntly saying "yo ma you a virgin?" WTF *runs away* ohh and I can't forget the house party I was not supposed to be in as a teenager, that ended up having gunfire ring out. Yes Brooklyn has given me insane memories but I wouldn't trade it in for any place else. Now as an adult I see and appreciate the transformation the neighborhood has taken, being a cool and trendy place to eat, play and sleep. To the newcomers: Welcome! Enjoy the charm, enjoy the beautiful tree lined streets and circling the block for parking. Don't mind the folks that have a hard time embracing change, when great things start to become out of your grip it's hard to remain calm. We can all live together harmoniously, give it time. Bedford Stuyvesant is an awesome neighb and I foresee there is more to come! read more

I love Bedford-Stuyvesant. Born and bred. I love the rich culture of the neighborhood. It has always been here and will never change .Gentrification has made a mark, but not enough to make me sell my brownstone. It will stay in my family for generations to come. Where else can I walk to the train and hear the smooth sounds of Monk as l sway to the music as l still hear it down below. I come home and I know all the shop keepers. Now, old and new. I look at the improvements from the block association which I am apart of . I remember the days of Christmas gone, when we rode our bikes outside on Christmas day. Football games in the snow. Hopscotch, Skelly, Red Light Green Light 123. Miss Mary Mack. Lets not forget tag and double dutch. Johnny pumps open wide on hot summer days. Those are the days, when a block party was a block party. Going to b ball tournaments and music in the park. Now, its my turn to enjoy going to the Billy Holiday Theater, Jazz concerts, art events in Fulton Park. Being a union and community activist and meeting my neighbors for brunch at one if the newest restaurants in Bedford Stuyvesant, yeah, thats me, born and bred and I represent it well. Still going to Mass on Saturday evening, or during the week, which ever is easier. Brooklyn would not be Brooklyn with out Bed Stuy and one of my most favorite summer events House Music, all night long!...... read more

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I love my community of Bedford Stuyvesant because it has so much to offer its residents. Over the past few years, Bedford Stuyvesant has undergone many changes. Infact, Brooklyn has undergone many changes over the past few years. When I arrived in Brooklyn many years ago, its surprising to see the wonderful changes. Changes that have upped the ante on several scenes; culinary, art, cultural, just to name a few. read more

I've never lived here, but I've held memberships to various things more than anywhere else. Bed Stuy. I love you. You remind me of the South Side of Chicago, with folk from the South or Native New Yorkers. I love the food, the fact I can get fried catfish at more than one place, or that I can get various kinds of collards. Restoration Plaza - where I learned how to Sabar, Bellydance, Kickbox Fulton Street - where any and everything is YMCA - i was a member when the basketball court was also the "dance studio", when the weight room was also the exercise room. I loved you before the housing boom, the predatory loans and I love you after. I walk into various brownstones on the Brownstone Tour. I say hi to folks who have never been neighbors but have always been familiar faces. I wish I could have afforded a place to live on your streets, but alas, it didn't work out that way. I still visit you often. read more

I'll admit I was a little shaken when I first moved here. Living in a brand new city for the first time can shake anyone up. Yes, there were some downs. Shenanigans with my apartment and the G train tested my patience on many days. Now, I miss it. Now that I'm living somewhere that is remarkably less "colorful and vibrant" than BedStuy, I can say that I miss the liveliness and diversity. Wandering into Black Swan on a whim, meandering on Fulton and walking around in awe of the gorgeous brownstones. Portraits of Notorious B.I.G met me in many spots I rolled up in, Spike Lee showed love with his block party and fried chicken (my favorite) was never too far away. Until I return, BedStuy, respect. read more

This used to be a pretty dangerous neighborhood, but it has calmed down in the last twenty years. (Only) Part of the reason is gentrification, you can find a number of hipster cafes and artisanal stores here now. Lots of energy and you can feel the presence of people moving in from all over. read more