Bed-Stuy and Shopping on Fulton St.
I was just reading the Brownstoner forum discussion about shopping and amenities (or lack of) in Bed-Stuy from 2009 and wanted to kind of re-open that discussion. Fulton Street is basically all of the regular shopping for the neighborhood, besides some specialty shops along Tompkins, Lewis, and Stuyvesant (and no, I don’t really consider spending…
I was just reading the Brownstoner forum discussion about shopping and amenities (or lack of) in Bed-Stuy from 2009 and wanted to kind of re-open that discussion. Fulton Street is basically all of the regular shopping for the neighborhood, besides some specialty shops along Tompkins, Lewis, and Stuyvesant (and no, I don’t really consider spending $14 after tax and tip for lunch a place I patron regularly). I wanted to see what people would like to have added to the area, especially along Fulton where it makes the most sense for businesses to locate, and see how that has changed from that 2009 forum discussion at all. Any thoughts?
I know I just spent an hour and a half trying to find fresh veggies last night walking home from the Kingston/Throop stop at 8pm. Bodega guys laughing every time I asked. I finally found some frozen brocolli at a newish bodega on Halsey and Throop. I like Foodtown and I like Tony’s Natural Foods, but what else is there? And stuff is not exactly close to south-east Bed-Stuy or open in the evening?
@broadwayron – I love walking in south Stuy Heights (eastern Bed-Stuy) because each block has so many different architectural dreams to look at! It’s not the same as Smith or Court, but the homes here have such a diversity in scale, age, color, and the relationships between each other and the street work perfectly. Basically anything south of Halsey and east of Tompkins or Throop. I really love the north-side of Saratoga Park, of course Stuyvesant Ave., parts of MacDonough and Bainbridge, too. Check out Our Lady of Victory Church and some of the old office buildings on Throop. Walk north on Nostrand from Fulton and you will have like five historic register buildings. The old girls and boys school on Marcy and one of my favorite stand-alones are on Marcy and Hancock and Macdonough between Tompkins and Throop.
These are not your retail/restaurant/bar hang out areas, these are not your lofts and live-work spaces, these are not your cobbled together trendy artist places, this is real, family, slow-walking, residential neighborhood. Hands-down, favorite neighborhood in NYC.
@ hunt4middle – My first place when I moved to the city was actually on Washington and Fulton. Loved the area: lots of great architecture to the north and west. P.S. the bodega on the southeast corner of Fulton and Washington has the best pre-packaged organic oatmeal raisin cookies. And that Bhutanese ‘green planet’ market has a decent bulk section, too!
My personal impression is that 1) unlike some of the other major intersections along Fulton further east, there is less density. There isn’t the same large amount of supporting residential south of Fulton and Atlantic as a lot of the blocks to the east (it’s also not an a-train stop). Our residential row-house blocks can hold a few thousand people; in that area to the immediate south, you are missing quite a few as compared with the Crown Heights area to the east. Less people = less customers. Keep following Washington south of Dean and you will see the density and shopping both pick up again. 2) Another issue I think is that it is kind of in the middle of three or four other shopping ‘districts’ that have their own thing going on. Within an easy walk you have the Lafayette/Fulton intersection as well as Dekalb, and a bit further, Myrtle Ave. These are really growing with restaurants and bars. Within a longer walk or short bus ride, you are at the Fulton mall and downtown. Definitely got its own thing going on, too. Then just to the east, past Franklin, you have an awesome stretch of unique shopping along Fulton all the way until about Lewis Ave. It is interesting to note that section of Washington/Fulton falls just outside the historic district – note some of the newish developments. As far as businesses, there just seems to be lacking a destination anchor, or a critical mass of places, in one form or another.
Compared to other areas, appreciation may be slower, but Clinton Hill has nowhere to go but up over the long-term. Outpost still manages to hold on, and from what I understand, the bar Fulton and Grand is doing well. Olivino is a great nook and Hot Bird is quite a draw. Sisters hardware is epic and has been there a while, and a real draw is (honestly) the Post Office. I do miss Kush restaurant. Now if we could just pedestrianize Putnam by that Fulton Triangle and program it – now we would be talking!!!
I might be too late for this thread, but on a related topic… are there any stretches in Bed Stuy which are similar to Smith St or Court St?
I live in Cobble Hill, and have only walked THROUGH BS on my way somewhere else, like W’burg (and, I’ve been to Home Depot a couple times). But, I’ve never gone to BS to just walk around, and figured it might be worthwhile.
@ putnam: what is your impresison of the upward potential for Fulton around the Clinton/Washington stop? We’re looking at a few places around there, and other than the supermarket, a crepe place and a bar or two, the area is lacking quite a few amenities. As you said, most development seems to be focused on the South side of Atlantic in Pros. Heights – vanderbelt, underhill, washington. We’re a bit concerned about property appreciation in the area immediately surrounding Fulton & Washington. There are a lot of empty store fronts and new places seem to only last 6-8 mos. before they run out of operating funds.
The space was completely renovated for Butternut and then there was a fire in the building and it lost most of its roof. The process working with the landlord took quite a long time, caused damage and was problematic to say the least. There still exists DOB issues with the building.
Amzi posted here that something similar to Choice Market would move into the old Brownstone Books space. Not sure if that means Choice Market is opening up a new business. Incidentally, it’s not a market. It’s a deli and cafe.
Well, I must say that with all the stops and starts over the last few years, I am not surprised that Butternut Market is finally dead in the water. Hopefully someone can take over the space at 307 Stuyvesant Avenue and actually open up real life business – instead of moving a banner around the neighborhood saying opening soon. I am sorry it didn’t work out. I know opening up a business is hard, but I definitely as not surprised.
On a different note, I notice that work seems to be starting at the old brownstone books site and the old creative blossoms site on Lewis Avenue. Anyone have any news? In understand the Brownstone Books site will be some kind of food establishment.
Thanks for all of the comments.
Yeah, to the western portion of Fulton, especially near Nostrand, there are heaps of choices, and I have seen decent quality and fair prices. I live pretty close to the Associated by Marcus Garvey and the produce there is dreary. I only go there if it is a necessity.
So, from what I hear, a diner, a (good) bagel place, healthy grocer with prepared meals, pet-food store, sit-down restaurants, and an organic/free-range/local meat seller are the real tickets. It is too bad about Butternut, that would have been nice.
Hunt – I am not sure if anywhere east of Fulton/Lafayette would be the target of Atlantic Yards-related development. We’ll probably see more stuff growing southward – and have you walked down Vanderbilt lately? I can’t believe how much that has changed!
News – You are right about Clinton Hill. West of Washington,
your options get kind of sparse and/or expensive.
Montrose- I am definitely going to check out that Weeksville place, I am a member of the bed-stuy CSA (by bread-stuy), so that kind of stuff is great.
Stuy Hghts really is beautiful and has a couple of nice, scattered, boutique-style places, but there isn’t really a solid street where I can do my shopping. I will just have to put on my walking shoes and head west down Fulton for now.
Too bad about Butterbut. Especially when the name would have worked so well with neighbor Sarah’s Vagina.