Young family considering Bed-Stuy
I’ve read posts on brownstoner and other blogs and I know this is can be an unpopular subject. I’m pregnant with our 1st baby (due in Nov), and my husband and I are considering moving to Bed Stuy. We currently live in Park Slope. My husband grew up in Bed Stuy, and my mother-in-law still…
I’ve read posts on brownstoner and other blogs and I know this is can be an unpopular subject. I’m pregnant with our 1st baby (due in Nov), and my husband and I are considering moving to Bed Stuy. We currently live in Park Slope.
My husband grew up in Bed Stuy, and my mother-in-law still lives there (grandma to babysit- a huge plus!). We love the sense of community and the gorgeous brownstones in Bed Stuy, and we like that there is less of a “scene” then in the Slope (no disrespect to Park Slope…). At the same time, I’m a little worried about feeling isolated with a baby in Bed Stuy, especially coming from the “baby land” that is Park Slope.
I have a mixed background (Puerto Rican and Jewish), but I definitely “look white” and I’m wondering if I’ll be able to assimilate into and be accepted by the community- especially by other young mothers in the neighborhood. This is not a “safety” issue [I’ve seen many other posts, some offensive, about feeling “safe” as a white person in a black neighborhood. I think that’s ridiculous and that’s NOT what this post is about.] This is much more of a social issue, and a larger question about being a mother and raising kids in Bed Stuy in 2007+.
Are there any other women- especially mothers of babies or young children- who live in Bed Stuy today and can talk about the “motherhood community.” Where do you take your kids? What parks are good? Is it easy to meet other mothers? If you are either of color or are white, do you know mixed families in the neighborhood? What are your feelings about the racial & social diversity in Bed Stuy, as a woman/ mother?
I’d appreciate any honest (and not hater-esque, please) feedback. Thanks!
-Rachel
I realize that these are old posts but would love to hear how Rachel and other moms are doing in Bed-Stuy now that’s it is 2009.
thanks!
Thanks again for all of your great responses. The comments about me mentioning my race in the original post are good, and I appreciate your honest feedback. You’re right- I didn’t have to say I was Puerto Rican and Jewish in the post. But for me, having a mixed-race family background as well as current partnership, bringing race into the conversation is no big deal. Also, I thought if I shared some of my personal life, I would get more personal responses from people.
A small part of my original post was asking about the racial & social diversity of Bed Stuy. I would ask (and have been asking) those important questions about any neighborhood I’d consider raising a family in. Asking those questions is what led us to decide to move out of Park Slope in the first place, in favor of a neighborhood with more community, less opulence (e.g. baby carriage as status-symbol), and, yes- greater diversity on all levels.
The majority of my post, however, was about a desire to reach out to parents in Bed Stuy, be they gay/ straight, black/ white, or even Puerto Rican and Jewish :), and find out what they do with their kids for fun. I’m preparing to become a mother and I’m doing what I can to learn what options are out there.
It’s been great talking with all of you, and I hope to see you around.
-Rachel
First, welcome to the neighborhood. I didn’t appreciate your need to disclose your race. That was a gratuitous attempt to be smug. Anyway, I was not aware of a “mom cutlure” in a town like bedstuy, brooklyn. We’re just mothers who work hard and see to it that our kids have a good upbringing. I have always attributed “mom culture” to places like white suburban neighborhoods where mothers compete to see whose kid got a doll house first. Brooklyn is growing and i’ve seen baby carriages everywhere, mostly in fort greene/clinton hill. I think fort greene is more your style, given your concerns. It has enough people who look like you and perhaps aspire to secure the same saftey net for their kids by stating that they’re “white and jewish”. Bedstuy has more of a burgeoning black lesbian scene. We’re mostly artists and professionals (mothers too),working toward building and securing our community nonetheless. —nic
Miss Piggy, interesting you assume all of these posters are white! I didn’t think that for a second.
Is this the same “Do or Die BedStuy” people are talking about?
Oh lawd white people bringing civilization to black people all over again…..run for cover save your momma
I don’t have kids, but one thing I notice about Bed Stuy that I didn’t see much my final years of living in Park Slope is that kids actually play on the street. It reminds me of my childhood (in Brooklyn). Instead of “playdates” in people’s homes or backyards, the kids just play on the sidewalk, day and night….and the whole block keeps an eye out for them. There’s a real sense of community here that used to exist all over this city. Ah, but I won’t bring up the good ole’ days…..
Try this site for a list of community resources within Bed Stuy:
http://www.trueart.biz/stizzy/text_bed_stizzy.html
A few people mentioned Brownstone Books on Lewis Ave. The owner, Crystal Bobb-Semple, is active in the Stuyvesant Heights Parents association. Pop in and speak to her any time.
I live right by the bookstore on Decatur and I can tell you I see kids all the time in my neighborhood. There’s a little boy on my block who is always riding his tricycle back and forth in the evenings.
August would make a year since my girlfriend and I moved to Bedstuy. We have a 5 year old daughter and another child on the way dew in January. (hopefuly a boy!) Our daughter is dew to start kindergarden this september and we were able to get her in through the charter program at P.S 10. Diversity in a school was our #1 priority. Underwood Park witch has a lot of diversity seems to be my little princess’s favorite, we go there all the time. During the weakend for brunch it takes us less then 5 minutes by car to go down Dekalb and choose any of the little cafes Dekalb avenue has to offer. “Chez Oskar being my favorite”. Bedstuy definately has the feel of an “up and coming neighborhood”. Since Ive moved here many trees have been planted on my block and Im sure on others as well. Just today While I was moving the car for alternate side parking regulations there was a truck with landscapers planting flowers at each tree hub. Working families like mine seem to be sprouting up all over bedstuy. Witch shows why the resurgence of brownstone restoration have become very poular. As propperty value continue to skyrocket the element that is less disirable will soon become more and more obsolete.
have to be brief, but these are all extremely good posts. we live on the border of ch/bed stuy (westbed) with two young kids and love it. as someone said-it is easy to walk to bam/underwood playground/etc. etc. and it is very close to williamsburg as well. i have met so many welcoming families in the short time that we’ve lived here. there is a great vibe and we like that it’s not as overcongested as many other nabes in bk have become. the co-op school is an excellent school for 2 through pre k, and within walking distance from here.