Commonly known as "Bed-Stuy", this densely populated neighborhood in Brooklyn is a busy residential and commercial area. Surrounded by Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Bushwick and Willaimsburg, the neighborhood has an easy commute to Manhattan and typically offers lower rent than its neighbors, making this a popular place for young professionals and students. Those looking to rent in this neighborhood can expect to find their home on beautifully tree-lined, brownstone filled streets.
Bedford-Stuyvesant is actually made up of several micro-neighborhoods. One of them, Stuyvesant Heights, takes its name from the last Governor of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, Peter Stuyvesant. The other half of the name, Bedford, comes from one of the first major colonies in New Amsterdam. While Bedford was a major settlement, Stuyvesant Heights was largely farmland, and that was the relationship between the two settlements until after the Revolutionary War. In 1834, both settlements were incorporated into the town of Brooklyn.
Four years later, another micro-neighborhood was added to the area. Weeksville was founded in 1838 and was recognized as one of the first free black communities in the United States. The area still remained largely rural until the 1870’s when the famous row houses of Bed-Stuy were constructed. In 1890, as row houses were still being built, the last micro-neighborhood, Ocean Hill, was founded. Once trolly rails and train lines began reaching out there, Bed-Stuy became a popular place for working and middle class families.
Once the Great Depression hit, Bed-Stuy faced some hard times. Discriminatory policy and over policing lead the neighborhood into crime and poverty. Things didn’t begin to change until 1967 when Robert F. Kennedy ordered a study of the neighborhood and found that the city’s largest non-white community revieved little to no federal aid. This led to the creation of the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, America’s first community development program with a very catchy name.
Today, Bed-Stuy is a peaceful community that celebrates its history. Though its demographics are constantly in flux, the aesthetics of Bed-Stuy have remained constant for decades with several landmarks still in place, including the Alice and Agate Court Historic District. Bed-Stuy has also spawned many well-known actors, musicians and athletes.
Bed-Stuy retains the same classic tree-lined, brownstone Brooklyn charm that it had back in the late 1800’s. There’s not much in the way of high rise apartments here, and that’s just how the neighborhood likes it. There are several committees dedicated to preserving these districts and celebrating the history of these brownstones and those who have lived in them.
Bed-Stuy is a huge residential neighborhood that’s mostly pretty quiet. With streets filled with brownstones and green spaces, the neighbrohood is pretty idyllic. There is an emerging nightlife as more bars and restaurants open their doors in the neighborhood and young professionals make their home here. That said, these venues are very respectful of their neighbors and their privacy.
There’s also a growing art scene in Bed-Stuy due to their close proximity to the Pratt institute and Williamsburg. Young creatives are starting to have a presence in the area, and several galleries have been added recently, giving Bed-Stuy a hip and trendy vibe that works well with its historic flare.
Bed-Stuy gets a bad rap due to its past and how it’s often portrayed in the media. However, Bed-Stuy is very community oriented and many families are proud to call it home. Crime is consistently on the decline in the neighborhood and the area provides easy access to schools and hospitals. All in all, Bed-Stuy is a wonderfully diverse, quiet community and great place to raise a family.
The New York subway system services all areas of Brooklyn well and Bed-Stuy is no exception. The northern part of the neighborhood has access to the J, Z, and M trains. The southern part of the neighborhood is accessible via the A and C trains. The G and L trains can also land you close to the neighborhood.
Biking is very popular in this neighborhood due to its quiet streets and miles of bike lanes. Citi Bike also has many docking stations for your convenience.
Driving is also a popular way to get around this neighborhood. The traffic is never bad, the streets are wide, and parking is ample. If you’re lucky, you might even have your own driveway.
| Bedrooms | Rent | Rent / sqft |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,461 | $4.82 |
| 1 BR | $2,800 | $3.56 |
| 2 BR | $3,195 | $3.78 |
| 3 BR | $3,600 | $3.31 |
| 4+ BR | $4,500 | $3.03 |
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Bedford-Stuyvesant is located within Kings County, New York. This area currently has 2,606,852 residents in 938,803 households. Out of the total population, 40.12% of the residents speak another language at home instead of English. The majority of the inhabitants in this county are currently unmarried and have a median age of 35.
When looking at residents older than 25, around 25.80% have graduated from high school, 20.68% have a bachelor's degree, and 13.40% have obtained their master's degree or above. Employment rate is typically around 57.8% and the median income in this county is $50,640.
At least 70.55% of those living in this county are renting their homes. Most residents will commute to work by public transportation with an average commute time of 42 minutes.
Geographically, Kings County, New York is a part of the New York - Newark, NY - NJ - CT Urban Area. This county is currently home to 18,812,161 residents, or 6,707,347 households with a median income of $68,319. the New York - Newark, NY - NJ - CT Urban Area residents have a median age of 38 and 50.07% are currently renting their homes in the area.
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