142 Somers Street

Running across the center of Brooklyn, Bedford-Stuyvesant (often shortened to Bed-Stuy) sits between Williamsburg to its north and Crown Heights to its south. Clinton Hill, to the west of Bed-Stuy, was long considered part of the neighborhood. Clinton Hill and Bed-Stuy still share much in common (though the latter covers a much larger area) as historically important centers of African-American life and a wealth of 19th-century rowhouses. By one count, Bed-Stuy has almost 9,000 buildings constructed before 1900. As recently as the first decade of this century, many New Yorkers were wary of Bed-Stuy, but crime rates have dropped dramatically and at the same time the neighborhood has become increasingly diverse. The appeal is obvious — tree-lined streets with stately homes waiting to be restored to their original splendor. Now the neighborhood can also boast new restaurants and bars that have made Bed-Stuy a destination alongside Fort Greene and Williamsburg.