Bedford Stuyvesant Brooklyn: A Patchwork Quilt Built Out of Pride

Bedford-Stuyvesant Brooklyn (Bed Stuy) is one of the most interesting, vibrant and beautiful neighborhoods in the borough. If you've never been there and only heard about it that statement may make you scratch your head. Bed Stuy certainly does have a difficult and complicated past, and that past was the only part of the neighborhood that most outsiders saw. What they didn't see were the residents filled to bursting with neighborhood pride, brownstones lovingly restored by people of all shapes, colors and backgrounds, and an indomitable spirit. Today, people of all backgrounds are striving to become a part of the fabric of the neighborhood.

Quality of Life in Bedford Stuyvesant

Living in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn is wonderfully easy, especially since more and more national and local businesses are doing business in the area. Organic grocery stores and farmers markets have sprung up all over the place to cater to the needs of longtime residents who've long clamored for high-quality produce and grocery options and the demands of recent transplants who expect them. Long-time bodegas that mostly sold tired-looking vegetables (if they sold them at all) and high-priced yet low-quality dry goods have had to up their game and provide neighborhood residents with fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, all-natural snacks and everything else people want and need to live healthy lives. If you're busy working all day and don't have time to shop, you simply need to order from online grocery delivery sites like Fresh Direct. Instacart is awesome because it delivers food that you order online from major top-shelf grocery stores like Whole Foods and Fairway as well from favorite local shops. Many local residents are pet owners, and services like Instacart can deliver on-demand pet food and supplies from Petco. If they have the time to shop themselves, they can get everything they need from top-rated local pet stores like Who's Your Doggie. New coffee shops, bars and restaurants open every day, while old favorites are always welcoming new fans. If you're looking for that all-important cup of java to help you start your day, neighborhood faves like Daily Press and the Outpost are just two of the places you can find the perfect cup. If you're looking for an amazing spot to sip wine or your favorite cocktails at the end of the day, there isn't enough room on this page to list all of the awesome joints available to the neighborhood residents. The same thing goes for the neighborhood's restaurants. When it comes to safety, the reason that more and more people feel comfortable moving into the neighborhood is because they feel comfortable living there. It is NYC, and, like in any other major city, people will always need to be on the lookout for miscreants, but many of the area's newer residents are surprised at how comfortable they feel here.

Bedford Stuyvesant Home Pride

One of the most interesting things about Bed Stuy is that long-time residents and new neighborhood transplants alike are passionate about living here. People care about their homes and work hard on turning them into showplaces. Once-crumbling or long-forgotten brownstones have been turned into interior design masterpieces as people work hard to restore brownstones and mansions that have been around for nearly 200 years. If people who buy classic brownstones want to modernize the interiors, they tend to blend and add contemporary features into the homes without destroying vintage details. The results are usually nothing short of spectacular. If you want to see proof of all of this Bed Stuy pride, you can get a literal front row seat at the annual Bed Stuy Brownstone tour, a spectacular event where local residents open up their homes to the public so that people can see for themselves how much time, care and effort they've taken into restoring their homes. It's a must-see event for people who are dying to get a glimpse into the interiors behind those grand brownstone facades. The $25 ticket price ($20 if your order in advance) is more that worth the price of admission. People who take the tour run the gamut from local residents on the hunt for ideas for their own residences to people who are thinking of buying in the area to interior and architectural design nuts who are always on the lookout for house porn. The tour often includes stops at several of the area's local businesses, so participants end the day with a well-rounded view of what the community is like as a whole.

Bedford Stuyvesant Vibe

If you walk down the street, you're apt to see visitors from all over the world pulling their suitcases down the street as they head to or leave from the brownstones that they've rented for short stays via websites like Airbnb. People from around the world are drawn to Bed Stuy for the music, the arts and the hip vibe that have been made famous from musicians, artists and writers past and present. Many outsiders got their first glimpse of the neighborhood through the music of the late Notorious B.I.G (Biggie Smalls, nee Christopher Wallace), the rapper who introduced a global audience to the neighborhood's pride, passion and tensions. Artists like writers, painters, sculptors and musicians have always been an integral part of the fabric of the community, a fact that is true to this day. Every month, local artists host gallery walks where people can get a close-up look with the latest happenings in the Bed Stuy art scene. Events like the walks give local artists exposure and give local residents and visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the people that make up the neighborhood's colorful fabric. The Bed Stuy vibe is like a rich and colorful patchwork quilt, filled with different textures, colors, fabrics and sizes. The neighborhood will continue to succeed if people work together to mix the old with the new. The leaders, movers and shakers who are helping move Bed Stuy forward realize that the best recipe for success is to work together for the benefit of all.