Everywhere in Bedford-Stuyvesant there are bits of the past: four frame houses from Weeksville, a community of African-American freemen set up in the 1830s; the Siloam Presbyterian Church, a stop on the Underground Railroad; and retailer F.W. Woolworth's brownstone at 209 Jefferson Avenue.

As for the present, it's diverse and vibrant, partly because of the area's great subway access on the A, C, G, J and M trains. The Center for Art and Culture of Bedford-Stuyvesant was designed by I.M. Pei; Brownstone Books holds a children's story hour every Saturday; Lewis Avenue between Macdonough and Decatur was named the 'Greenest Block in Brooklyn.'

Housing options are varied too. Brownstone lovers can be satisfied, and renters will find period details like fireplaces and moldings at a bargain. If you're a modernist, don't worry: there are the light-and-bright The Lofts on Dekalb, condos offering black marble countertops and a common roof terrace.

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