Sunday, November 3, 2013

The Changing Neighborhood For Bedford Stuyvesant Rentals

By Allyson Burke


It may seem a contradiction in terms to want to find a rental in Bedford Stuyvesant or to be doing anything but buying up properties and getting rid of rentals, but Bedford Stuyvesant rentals raise some of the most interesting questions about the direction of the neighborhood. There was a time when to rent there meant nearly assuring yourself of becoming the victim of crime. Even now with many new properties fixed up or old ones torn down the crime rate is too high for most. Two gentrification efforts have taken place in the twenty-first century, one in 2000 and one in 2010. The neighborhood is changing in good and bad ways.

Predominantly an African-American neighborhood until recently, Bed-Stuy, has been, a place for mostly blacks who could not find livable units in Harlem to live and go to school. There are several public schools nearby, one named after the famous actor and singer, Paul Robeson. This unusual neighborhood is located in the northwest part of Brooklyn, and is known for elegant brownstone townhouses, a favorite to re-do by architects. However its chief population and social problems have always kept gentrification away.

As more and more young, upwardly mobile whites and blacks mingle in the surge towards neighborhood improvement through property ownership, rental opportunities and new business, Bed-Stuy is losing some of its older, disabled, ill and poor residents forced out by new pricing and few laws to protect them. The proximity of Bed-Stuy to the island of Manhattan makes it an especially good place to live and commute to work without paying Manhattan prices. However, older long time residents do not have that option.

many notable African-Americans have been born, grown up and lived in Bed-Stuy. Among them are the politician Shirley Chisholm, singer Lena Horne, musician Richie havens, and actress Vanessa Williams. Rap music has been highly popular and numerous well known rappers have emerged from Bed-Stuy streets. The most noteworthy white person to have grown up there was comedian Jackie Gleason.

What makes this area attractive to the gentrifying class now is the lower prices for property, the transport, schools and overall affordability. It's location near to but outside of Manhattan and history of crime tend to keep it less expensive than other parts of New York. But, for gentrifying elements, it also seems a "frontier." People so want to live in New York that they will move to Brooklyn to start up, fix up, and put up.

The issue with gentrifying any neighborhood is that it tends to drive rents up, units off the market, reduce the number of rental properties available, thus making impossible, lower income people to remain there or go there. It almost always forces out long term residents which is does not sustain community, but causes displacement.

the history of immigration in Bed-Stuy is one of African and Caribbean influx. Many new families there are also black, but upwardly mobile and middle income. Landmarks such as Pratt make for a positive and educated community, one which will also invest in lowering crime and developing.

All in all, some change in a neighborhood can produce benefits to locals, however Bedford Stuyvesant rentals must be secured for those with the lowest-income and longest personal commitment to the community there. Otherwise, you have poor resolution of differences and sustainability is impossible.




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