The Times of London Singing Bed Stuy's Praises
It sounds like London Times writer James Doran got quite a deal on his Bedford Stuyvesant brownstone. Given how well-preserved all the details were, $600,000 sounds undermarket to us. And what a great provenance! The story he tells of the former owner, a brewery heiress, is great stuff. The Heath Ledger angle might be a…
It sounds like London Times writer James Doran got quite a deal on his Bedford Stuyvesant brownstone. Given how well-preserved all the details were, $600,000 sounds undermarket to us. And what a great provenance! The story he tells of the former owner, a brewery heiress, is great stuff. The Heath Ledger angle might be a bit of a stretch but, hey, Doran’s at least setting the newspaper-reading public straight about the neighborhood which has caught more than its share of bad press over the years:
Bed-Stuy is more than just an incredible investment opportunity for an adventurous property speculator: it is one of the most fascinating neighbourhoods of New York, steeped in history and close to Manhattan’s sleepless streets, yet no tourist ever sets foot here.
Local blog Bed Stuy Gateway had this to say about the article: Is The Times doing a Lenten penance for the smackdown of an article it published on June 25, 2005 in which reporter Dominic Rushe called Bed-Stuy “a horrible and inconvenient area of Brooklyn with some lovely buildings and a nasty crack habit”?
Big Apple’s Core Appeal [London Times]
The Brits Are Coming [Bed Stuy Gateway]
Linus you are right I agree with that advice completley.
My point about statisics was in response to the anon poster who repeated that ridiculously cliche quote about lies, damn lies and statistics.
I should add that while statistics are ‘facts’, quality of life is subjective. One can have a good or not-so-good quality of life in a neighborhood with whatever statistics you want to measure.
James Doran,
I also enjoyed your piece, and am very glad you live in Bed Stuy, and are letting the rest of the world know that it is a good place to live. I have to also confess to a London connection, I spend a lot of time there for business and pleasure, and I’m lucky enough to stay in a friend’s flat in Notting Hill, near The Tabernacle and Portobello Rd. Being in Notting Hill actually is very much like being in Brooklyn in many ways, as it used to be a predominantly Black Caribbean neighborhood that was suddenly “discovered” and gentrified big time in the last 30 years. The parallels in the architectural styles and the history of the neighborhood make me feel quite at home in both places.
When I saw this story this morning, I knew it would be a hot topic, but I was unable to get back here until this afternoon, and it has been quite interesting. The people like Ron early in the thread will always believe that BS is a crime ridden pit, and will stick to that no matter what. I believe what Anon 2:42 (great post) says is true – there is more than one stardard of what makes a place great for that particular person. I lived in Bed Stuy for 17 years, and am just next door in Crown Heights, and sure, I heard plenty of gunshots, but I personally had no problems whatsoever, was never mugged, never robbed, and went where I wanted to whenever I wanted to. I loved my block, and my house, and am proud that it is now one of the premier blocks in that part of Bed Stuy. That’s what people don’t realize – Bed Stuy, is HUGE. There are parts that are great, parts that are horrible, and everything in between. You learn where the dodgy (great word) blocks are and you avoid them. You develop street smarts, which anyone who moves to any part of this city better have. But Bed Stuy is a very special place. I love the architecture, of course, and I love the multitude of churches, some of which are masterpieces of sacred space. I love that you can be walking along, and run into a castle. (the armory on Jefferson)And there is life in these streets. I enjoy the tenacity of the people I have met. I know prefessional people in every discipline, and I know factory workers and civil servants. I have never met anyone who is a recent arrival to BS who has not been amazed at the generousity and welcoming spirit of most of their neighbors. Newsflash – Black people are just like everyone else, we come in good, bad and everywhere in between. We are rich, we are poor, and everywhere in between. But not for one moment do I excuse or downplay the crime or the dire poverty that is also a part of Bed Stuy. It’s a disgrace and a shame, and needs to be addressed, but I digress.
Having been the raisin in the cream of wheat, so to speak, for most of my life, I know what it’s like to be the only (fill in the nationality) in a room. I understand what a lot of white people feel when they get out of the subway at Nostrand and Fulton and find themselves in a place very different from where they may have come from. Some people are afraid, some are totally unconcerned. Those who are afraid aren’t the ones who move here, and that’s fine. I don’t understand the need to tear the place down, though. If James Doran and his fiance choose this as their home, as do many, many others, why is that a bad choice? Why are they wrong? It should be possible to say Bed Stuy with out the word “crime” in the same sentence. Why can’t we be neighborhood boosters and not be accused of glossing over the bad points? Why do we who live in Bed Stuy, Crown Heights, etc, have to be constant apologists for the short comings of our neighborhoods? We are not responsible for the crime. We are all doing our best to improve our neighborhoods. Do Williamsburg residents have to apologize for toxic waste issues in every sentence while they praise their homes? Of course not. All I am saying is that everyone should be given the benefit of the doubt when they say they are proud of, and enjoy their home.
Oh – and Mr.Doran, I am having serious house envy! Congratulations, and I hope to run into you and your fiance someday. I’d like to lift a pint sometime too, even though I’m only an adopted Brit.
David, that was me @4:37. I see no connection between your one witness scenario and my post. In fact you are EXACTLY incorrect, and I’m surprised you feel you know me well enough to make such an adamantly confident mischaracterization.
Hi congrats to the Brits who now live in Bedsty.
Listen, my girlfriend lived in bedstuy for over 30yrs and we use to go there anytime at night and never saw anything.(70’s) My friend still lives there and is so sick and tired of the bad rap that Bedsty gets. We just purschased a home in bedstuy and you would not believe how friendly the people in the nieghborhood are.For those of you who criticize BS I doubt if any of you ever really been there. Have you seen the beautiful homes there? Have you seen Styvesant Heights have u seen the churches? Most of the people work and are professionals and yes the crime rate has gone down. Do any of you know Park slope 20yrs ago? You couldn’t even Park your car outside.No body wanted to buy those Brownstone there in the 60’s 70’s because it was considered a slum. Just like many people sold their homes and left BS.So please please lets remember NYC on a whole the crime rate has gone down. I’m happy for the Brits Good luck in your new home and I’m glad you didn’t listen to all those people with their negative views and stereotype.
“If your street is a mess, clean it up. If you see prostitutes and crack heads call the police over and over and over again until something gets done….”
It’s funny, I was just thinking I’ve seen David write more or less exactly the same thing many times here: i.e., take the bull by the horns and report crime, don’t wave it off as intractable or a “cool” part of living in the city or as an expression of someone’s culture, etc. I think you two agree more than you realize.
sorry david, Im not sure what point you’re trying to make, But I do agree with you that statistics are very helpful. Crime rates falling by more than 60 per cent in the past 13 years i this neighbourhood for example.
Anon @ 04:37 – no offense but your the EXACT same person who would acquit on a perfectly good (broad daylight etc…)one witness identification case due to the unreliability of individual identification. Point= statistics may not be perfectly reliable but they are far more reliable than anecdotes when determining crime rates
no david, you miss the point entirely.
There are always bad elements who will succeed unless the good elements act together to defeat them.