So, you have made the decision to relocate within New York City and you have chosen Brooklyn as a location for your new home. No wonder, since it’s much more affordable than Manhattan. Not to mention it’s not crammed with people so you can actually get your daily errands done without bumping into countless people and waiting in endless lines. Smart choice. Moving to Brooklyn is definitely a good idea. And moving to Bedford-Stuyvesant even better one.
Maybe you have already heard of this hot Brooklyn neighborhood. There are many upsides to living in Bed-Stuy. We list them out for you here. After reading this article, it will be easier for you to decide if you want to move to Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Bed-Stuy is in an attractive and well-connected location
Located just south of Williamsbourg, Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood also borders with Bushwick in the east, Brownsville in the south and Clinton Hill in the west. This makes it very close to Manhattan, which you will appreciate if you need to commute there to work. And the commute will not be too long due to many public transportation lines that go through it. There are 8 subway trains alone (the J, Z, A, C ,G, L, M and S trains) that will get you to other parts of the city. There’s an abundance of bus lines too, for getting you around the neighborhood. Plus, there are numerous bike lanes. If you move to Bedford-Stuyvesant and you work in Manhattan, you can ride your bike to work across the Brooklyn bridge. Now, how awesome would that be!
The architectural appeal of Bedford-Stuyvesant
What makes this part of the city so attractive to live in are it’s beautiful brownstone houses. Rows and rows of turn-of-the-century houses on tree-filled streets. Even though the prices of real estate have gone up in the recent years, it’s still cheaper to buy or rent in Bed-Stuy than on the other side of the Brooklyn bridge. This cozy Brooklyn neighborhood will charm you with its lack of tall apartment buildings. In stead of them, you’ll find remarkable three-storey houses. Some of them with small gardens in front. In 2016 the city of New York designated the Bedford Historic District, putting 800 buildings under protection for their historic importance. Moving to Bedford-Stuyvesant means that you can feast your eyes on them any day. This neighborhood is home to some distinguished churches, too. Like the lavish Our Lady of Victory church for example.
Moving to Bedford-Stuyvesant means belonging to a close-knit community
If you are moving to Bedford-Stuyvesant from Manhattan, this might surprise you – but people still greet their neighbors here. People know their neighbors, whether they’ve been around for 5 or 50 years. They make the effort to get to know them. You can still see old-timers playing cards or dominoes on their front door steps. You can see parents walking their children to school. And elderly ladies watering their plants while sharing the latest gossip. In the recent years community gardens have popped up across Brooklyn, strengthening the sense of community. Another tradition that contributes to the feeling of closeness is going to church on Sundays. People still get all dressed up and attend the Sunday mass with their families.
People make the close-knit community of this neighborhood
This neighborhood used to be predominantly African-American. Ever since the 1920s and 1930s when they first settled in, up until today. That’s why so many great African-Americans are proud to call Bed-Stuy their home. Many world famous rappers made their first steps right on these streets. Jay Z, Big Daddy Kane, Busta Rhymes, Aaliyah just to name a few. And not just musicians, Bedford-Stuyvesant was home to the first African-American congresswoman – Shirley Chisholm and to Chris Rock, the famous comedian. Black community is very proud of their heritage and culture and they would like to preserve it as they welcome newcomers to their neighborhood.
There are:
- 64.6 % African-American
- 19.9 % Hispanic
- 10.9 % White
- 4.6 % other people living in Bed-Stuy today.
These are the people who make Bedford-Stuyvesant what it is – friendly and welcoming home to over 150,000 people from different walks of life. If you want your kid to live in a diverse and respectful community than you should move to Bed-Stuy. If this neighborhood is out of your price range, here you can find our choice of other kid-friendly Brooklyn neighborhoods.
You can have a lot of fun if you move to Bedford-Stuyvesant
Another tradition that Brooklynites have kept alive and kicking are the amazing block parties. Here people come together to relax and just have some good old-fashioned fun. Once you attend your first one, you’ll quickly become a regular. There is also a great number of festivals taking place in Brooklyn all year round. They vary in theme so you can treat your self to a music festival one weekend, then go to a film fest or arts and crafts festival the next. Or you can attend a food festival. There’s so many of them to chose from, that it won’t be easy.
Once you move to Bedford-Stuyvesant you’ll have loads of restaurants, coffee shops, cafes, snack bars and food stalls to discover. You will fall in love with small local businesses. Besides, they are usually owned by local people so you can bond with your new neighbors over a hot cup of Joe.
Last, but not the least, you can have so much fun chilling, walking your dog or doing sports in one of many gorgeous Bed-Stuy parks. Herbert von King Park, Fulton Park and Saratoga Park are situated in the neighborhood itself, whereas Brooklyn’s biggest park Prospect Park will be just a few train spots away when you move to Bedford-Stuyvesant.
As you can see, the reasons to move to Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant are many! If you’d like some first-hand experience from people already living here you can watch this video. After reading all this the choice is yours. But if you decide to pack up all your belongings and move to Brooklyn than you can find help on finding an apartment in our article How to find an Apartment in Brooklyn.