Neighboring Retail

Commonly called “Bed-Stuy”, this central Brooklyn neighborhood has witnessed a vast and not uncontroversial transformation which began in the early 2000’s as developers and speculators began to renovate and build new housing stock among the quiet tree-lined and historic brownstone blocks the neighborhood is best known for. As the demand for developable land and property increased, some residents and civic organizations bemoaned the rapid changes that often resulted in older residents selling their home and long-time retail stores closing in favor of new, higher rent paying retail ventures. Despite the changes to demographics and new retail options, Bed-Stuy retains much of its reputation as the cultural center for African-American Brooklynites much like Harlem in Manhattan.