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Hi- I am about to move to Bedstuy Brooklyn (giving my security deposit this Friday) The apartment is on Halsey Street between Stuyvesant and Lewis. I got a really cool one bedroom in the top floor of a Brownstone for $1,100 with alot of orginal detailing. I even have a bench window seat. It is an older family that just wanted a quiet working person upstairs. It is a five block walk to Utica Avenue station (A,C) and a little bit longer to Kingston,Troop (C train) I have been to Bedstuy several times and loved it when I visited. I have friends who live there and say that part of town is pretty safe (being that the section closer to the A,C is being gentrified) and that the worst parts of Bedstuy are going more north towards Bushwick and closer to hosusing Projects. There projects are no close to this block. Let me disclaim that I am not expecting Bedstuy to be the Upper East Side, and I am moving from East Orange, NJ for goodness sakes (nothing happened to me there, knock on wood, one more week to go)
A little background on me
[Single 24 year old black guy, working in Manhattan, I am not “flashy” at all (I don’t display my iphone, ipod, etc) but I do dress kind of on the preppy side (sweater, khakis, etc) One of the things about NYC that I love is you can be yourself without MUCH judgment (but of course there is an occasional jerk), in East Orange my style got me weird looks (thankfully nothing worse) I have been to Bedstuy with not as much as a second look, unless I got a complement.
LIFESTYLE- I work M-F 8-5 and go straight home after. I’ve outgrown the partying scene early (thank goodness) so I would rarely be coming from parties, etc late at night, I would be going out and strolling around mostly during the day: I am not the one to run out at 2 am just to get a soda from the corner store. I am kind of a “homebody” , on the rare occasion I do go out and would be coming home at 2-3 am, I have no qualms about paying that extra money to take cab ride home vs being a cheapo and riding the subway putting my safety at risk. I am a friendly guy, I will make eye contact and say hello passing a random stranger on the street, so I don’t start trouble.
Judging by that do you think I will be ok to LIVE in this particular part of Bedstuy? I LOVE Bedstuy and love this apartment, the street I am on is visually beautiful, but I know not to be fooled by gorgeous Brownstones when it comes to safety. Please people who live/ have lived in Bedstuy or know someone who has. Not people who judge mostly black neighborhoods as “death traps”.
That section of Bed-Stuy is not quite gentrifying like the Western part of the neighborhood and you'll definitely find hood elements, though like you mention visually the buildings are gorgeous. However, I see you're coming from EO, NJ. If you were fine living there, then you should know how to handle yourself in the Stuy. So overall, I wouldn't worry. I hope you enjoy your move to BK!
You're in the buppy part of Bed Stuy. I think that area will suit you well. The [black] business owners in the area that own Brooklyn Swirl and one of the wine stores over there (Olinvino I think it's called) are really nice. When I was at Brooklyn Swirl several months back the owner was talking to me about doing open mic/spoken word nights but I'm not sure if it was ongoing or a one time event. There are also some nice dining establishments along the southern stretches of Lewis and Marcus Garvey that are great for brunch, dinner or coffee. It's not till you get to Malcolm X that things start to get "meh". I have a friend around where you are on Jefferson and she never parks her car on Malcolm X Blvd. In her words she "doesn't want a crack head breaking into her car to steal some ball point pens." She's kidding of course, as they really just like Apple products You already seem to be aware that a few blocks north of you is also "meh" since there is some type of public housing around Gates but overall I think you'll be totally fine and would like the area.
That section of Bed-Stuy is not quite gentrifying like the Western part of the neighborhood and you'll definitely find hood elements, though like you mention visually the buildings are gorgeous. However, I see you're coming from EO, NJ. If you were fine living there, then you should know how to handle yourself in the Stuy. So overall, I wouldn't worry. I hope you enjoy your move to BK!
100% not true. It *is* gentrifying but people don't notice as much as in W. Bed Stuy because these gentrifiers are black. Who do you think the coffee shops, frozen yoghurt shops, wine stores and new restaurants with "weekend" brunch in that area are catering to? Certainly not to Pookie and RayRay. They are going after the black guy who wears a bow tie and the black woman with the curly afro. If you look at an income map of Bed Stuy, by block, you'd see there is a clear higher income associated with the area the OP is moving into.
100% not true. It *is* gentrifying but people don't notice as much as in W. Bed Stuy because these gentrifiers are black. Who do you think the coffee shops, frozen yoghurt shops, wine stores and new restaurants with "weekend" brunch in that area are catering to? Certainly not to Pookie and RayRay. They are going after the black guy who wears a bow tie and the black woman with the curly afro. If you look at an income map of Bed Stuy, by block, you'd see there is a clear higher income associated with the area the OP is moving into.
100% not true. It *is* gentrifying but people don't notice as much as in W. Bed Stuy because these gentrifiers are black. Who do you think the coffee shops, frozen yoghurt shops, wine stores and new restaurants with "weekend" brunch in that area are catering to? Certainly not to Pookie and RayRay. They are going after the black guy who wears a bow tie and the black woman with the curly afro. If you look at an income map of Bed Stuy, by block, you'd see there is a clear higher income associated with the area the OP is moving into.
How is what I posted 100% not true?! Come on now, pure BS! If you actually read what I posted, I said it's not gentrifying as much as the Western part of Bed Stuy, which is true. There is improvement, yes, but not at the rate as the Nostrand, Franklin, etc.
IMO still the hood. If you want the train you gotta go to Utica Avenue and around there isn't gentrified one bit. If you choose to hang in your neighborhood you will stay in your little Lewis Avenue bubble and that's it. Because if you go immediately north or east of your apartment, things deteriorate - downright fast. And if you're not used to the hood you'll feel confined.
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"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
Question about this "Saragina" place: Please don't take this as a stupid question. I have been told by several Bed-stuy residents that this place is a classic example of a white owned establishment that moves into a minority neighborhood and only wants to cater to it's ideal demographic (white yuppie/hipster) and treat the native people poorly. I have always wanted to check it out, but that deterred me. Can anyone validate/disagree with this? Maybe the people who told me went on a bad day?
IMO still the hood. If you want the train you gotta go to Utica Avenue and around there isn't gentrified one bit. If you choose to hang in your neighborhood you will stay in your little Lewis Avenue bubble and that's it. Because if you go immediately north or east of your apartment, things deteriorate - downright fast. And if you're not used to the hood you'll feel confined.
I agree Utica and after is kind of rough for me, even coming from East Orange. I was supposed to see an apartment on Ralph Ave. but I saw the area and was not a fan. I do agree that the apartment is on the "cusp" I see no reason to go north except to visit my friend who lives on Hart Street and Throop, I actually looked at a studio in his building but the deal feel though. Maybe for a reason, I felt uneasy about the area.
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She's kidding of course, as they really just like Apple products 
You already seem to be aware that a few blocks north of you is also "meh" since there is some type of public housing around Gates but overall I think you'll be totally fine and would like the area.
