How A Bad Area in Brooklyn Became One of Its Hottest
In the mid-1960s, the Central Brooklyn neighborhood known as Bedford-Stuyvesant (Bed-Stuy for short) was a disaster, with high unemployment, abandoned buildings, and little help from local or federal governments. After Senator Robert Kennedy visited Bed-Stuy in early 1966, he spearheaded legislation to pour resources into the community. Knowing government action would not be sufficient by itself, he also garnered support from philanthropic organizations, major businesses, and local leaders. The result was formation of the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, the first community development corporation in the country.
Senator Robert Kennedy (far right) visiting Bed-Stuy in 1966
A community development corporation is a public-private partnership formed to revitalize and provide ongoing support for a struggling neighborhood. As a nonprofit organization, it can receive funding from both government and nongovernment sources, such as foundations. Generally, the local community identifies programs that will improve life in the neighborhood. The model has proven so successful that since creation of Restoration, the Bed-Stuy community development corporation, about 700 such groups have formed in New York City, more than 1,000 in the state, and about 16,500 throughout the country.
The Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation has undertaken many different initiatives. Here is a sampling:
SAT prep classes for high school students
Workplace readiness training
Job placement—Since its inception, Restoration has helped more than 24,000 youth and adults find jobs
Provision of fresh, locally grown food to preschoolers through the Farm to Early Care initiative
An art gallery and theater to bring culture directly to the neighborhood
More than 2,000 new or renovated housing units, both rented and owned, and help with mortgage financing
Thanks in no small part to the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, Bed-Stuy has gone from one of Brooklyn’s most blighted neighborhoods to one of its hottest. Currently, the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment there is $2,725. That’s a 21% increase since before the pandemic but about $1,000 less than the average price for a one-bedroom in Manhattan.