Bedford Stuyvesant Brooklyn

Founding

The name of the neighborhood, Bedford–Stuyvesant, is a combination of two distinct areas: the former hamlet of Bedford and the Stuyvesant Heights neighborhoods. Initially, these were separate neighborhoods that gradually merged together over time.

The 17th-century hamlet of Bedford derived its name from the market village of Bedford in England. On the other hand, Stuyvesant Heights was named in honor of Peter Stuyvesant, who served as the last governor of the colony of New Netherland.

17th and 18th centuries

In the latter half of the 17th century, the lands that now make up the present-day neighborhood were owned by three Dutch settlers: Dirck Janse Hooghland, who operated a ferryboat on the East River, along with farmers Jan Hansen and Leffert Pietersen van Haughwout. During the pre-revolutionary era in Kings County, Bedford served as the first significant settlement east of the Village of Brooklyn, positioned along the ferry road leading to the town of Jamaica and eastern Long Island. On the other hand, Stuyvesant Heights primarily consisted of farmland and began to develop into a community after the American Revolutionary War.

During its early history, Stuyvesant Heights was considered part of the outlying agricultural area of the small hamlet of Bedford. Bedford, settled by the Dutch during the 17th century within the incorporated town of Breuckelen, initially began as a group of Breuckelen residents seeking to improve their farm properties behind the Wallabout section. This area gradually evolved into a prominent produce center and market. Governor Stuyvesant approved the petition to establish Bedford as a new hamlet in 1663, with Thomas Lambertsen, a carpenter from Holland, being its leading signer. However, a year later, the English capture of New Netherland marked the end of Dutch rule. Bedford was mentioned as a settlement within the Town of Brueckelen in Governor Nicolls’ Charter of 1667 and the Charter of 1686. Bedford hamlet already had an inn by 1668, and in 1670, the residents of Breuckelen acquired additional common lands from the Canarsie Indians in the surrounding area.

19th century

In 1800, Bedford was designated as one of the seven districts of the Town of Brooklyn. Later, in 1834, it became part of the seventh and ninth wards following the incorporation of the City of Brooklyn. The establishment of the Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad in 1833, running along Atlantic Avenue, led to the development of Bedford as a railroad station situated near the intersection of present-day Atlantic Avenue and Franklin Avenues. In 1836, the Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad was acquired by the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), which, in 1878, gained a connection to the northern terminal of the Brooklyn, Flatbush, and Coney Island Railway.

Furthermore, the Weeksville subsection, established in 1838, was recognized as one of the earliest free African-American communities in the United States.

The present street grid of Bedford–Stuyvesant was laid out in 1835, as evidenced by the Street Commissioners map of 1839, which divided the blocks into lots. This new street grid led to the abandonment of the Brooklyn and Jamaica Turnpike in favor of extending Brooklyn’s Fulton Street. However, the lands for the street grid were not sold to the City of Brooklyn until 1852.

In the same year, when Charles C. Betts purchased Maria Lott’s tract of land, it marked the end of two centuries of Dutch patrimonial holdings in the area. Although most of the streets were not opened until the 1860s, Bedford–Stuyvesant’s streets were eventually named after prominent figures in American history.

20th century
1900s to 1950s

In 1907, the completion of the Williamsburg Bridge facilitated the immigration of Jews and Italians from the Lower East Side of Manhattan to Bedford–Stuyvesant.

During the 1930s, significant changes occurred due to the Great Depression. The neighborhood experienced an influx of immigrants from the American South and the Caribbean, which increased the black population to around 30,000, making it the second-largest Black community in the city at that time.

The Brooklyn Navy Yard’s operations during World War II attracted many black New Yorkers to Bedford–Stuyvesant due to employment opportunities. Additionally, the relatively prosperous war economy allowed many Jewish and Italian residents to relocate to Queens and Long Island. By 1950, the black population had risen to 155,000, comprising about 55 percent of Bedford–Stuyvesant’s residents.

In the 1950s, real estate agents and speculators utilized blockbusting tactics to generate profits. Consequently, formerly middle-class white homes were sold to poorer black families. By 1960, approximately eighty-five percent of the population in Bedford–Stuyvesant was black.

1960s

In 1961, gang wars erupted in Bedford–Stuyvesant, leading Alfred E. Clark of The New York Times to dub it “Brooklyn’s Little Harlem.” This period also saw one of the first urban riots of the era, fueled by social and racial divisions in the city. The strained relationship between the NYPD and the black community was exacerbated by perceptions of the NYPD as oppressive and racially biased. At that time, there were few black policemen in the force.

Predominantly black neighborhoods, including Bedford–Stuyvesant, experienced disproportionately high rates of arrests and prosecutions for drug-related crimes. Additionally, the NYPD’s 79th Precinct in Bedford–Stuyvesant was one of the only three police precincts in the NYPD where black police officers were assigned.

The racial tensions culminated in race riots in 1967 and 1968, reflecting the broader political and racial tensions in the United States during that era. These tensions were aggravated by persistent high unemployment among blacks, ongoing de facto segregation in housing, and perceived failures to enforce civil rights laws.

1970s and 1980s

In the late 1980s, efforts to combat illegal drug dealing in Bedford–Stuyvesant included innovative approaches. According to Rita Webb Smith, one tactic involved coordinating with a civilian Sunni Muslim patrol to monitor several blocks near a mosque for 40 days following police arrests. This same group had previously been involved in evicting drug sellers from properties at a landlord’s request. However, this effort led to arrests of the Muslims for charges including “burglary, menacing, and possession of weapons,” resulting in a probationary sentence.

Recent history
2000s

Beginning in the 2000s, Bedford–Stuyvesant started to undergo gentrification, driven by two main factors: the availability of affordable housing, particularly brownstone rowhouses on quiet, tree-lined streets, and a significant decrease in crime rates. Renovation of properties became common in the early 21st century, and new retailers began establishing themselves in the neighborhood. The belief was that these changes would benefit all residents, enhancing neighborhood safety, creating more local job opportunities, and increasing retail demand along major commercial strips. Consequently, both the Fulton Street and Nostrand Avenue commercial corridors became part of the Bed-Stuy Gateway Business Improvement District, initiating a beautification project.

As part of this initiative, large outdoor murals known as “wallscapes” were created to honor notable community members, including activist and poet June Jordan, community organizer Hattie Carthan, and rapper The Notorious B.I.G. The goal of this campaign was to highlight the positive achievements of the area.

However, some long-time residents and business owners expressed concerns about being priced out by newcomers, whom they sometimes derogatorily referred to as “yuppies and buppies” (black urban professionals), according to one neighborhood blog. They feared that the neighborhood’s ethnic character would be eroded. Despite these concerns, Bedford–Stuyvesant experienced less displacement of its black population compared to other Brooklyn neighborhoods like Williamsburg and Cobble Hill.

Instead, Bedford–Stuyvesant saw an increase in upwardly mobile middle-class African American families, as well as immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean. The surrounding neighborhoods in northern and eastern Brooklyn, with a combined population of approximately 940,000, are roughly 82% black, making them the largest concentration of African Americans in the United States.

2010s to present

Despite the significant recession that struck the United States, gentrification in Bedford–Stuyvesant continued steadily, with particular impact on the blocks west of the Nostrand Avenue/Fulton Street intersection and north of Fulton Street and Stuyvesant Avenue. This transformation was evident in various ways. For instance, in 2011, Bedford–Stuyvesant boasted three Zagat-rated restaurants for the first time, and by 2014, this number had increased to over ten Zagat-rated establishments. Additionally, in June 2013, a property at 7 Arlington Place, famously featured as the setting for Spike Lee’s 1994 film Crooklyn, was sold for over its asking price, fetching $1.7 million.

2020s

According to the 2020 census data from the New York City Department of City Planning on the neighborhood’s racial demographics, western Bedford-Stuyvesant now exhibits an almost equal population of White and Black residents, with each racial group comprising between 30,000 and 39,999 residents. Additionally, there are between 10,000 and 19,999 Hispanic residents in the area.