Manhattan has Harlem and Brooklyn has Bed-Stuy (short for Bedford-Stuyvesant) – a center for Black New York since the 1920s. The neighborhood is a pop-culture pressure cooker, home to hip-hop legends, cinema stars and inventive restaurants surrounded by a staggering amount of Victorian architecture. Celebrate the scene.
Pop Culture Pilgrimage
Choosing Bed-Stuy's favorite star is like choosing a favorite child. Lena Horne, Jay-Z and Jackie Robinson all spent time here – and that's just the shortlist. But if we had to choose, two cultural kings are visibly venerated above the rest.
Rap legend Biggie Smalls is immortalized at St James Pl and Fulton St – named "Christopher "Notorious BIG" Wallace Way" – and on murals throughout the 'hood. (The Biggie Mural on Quincy St and Bedford Ave is most magnificent). There's also director Spike Lee, who shot his racially heated 1989 film Do the Right Thing on one Bed Stuy block, now named "Do the Right Thing Way."
Black-Owned Businesses
Bed-Stuy's Black population has dwindled in recent years due to rising rents and redevelopment, but the community still prospers in plenty of places. Start at Richard Beavers Gallery, a contemporary arthouse highlighting Black creators. Stop by Sincerely Tommy for womenswear or espresso; nearby peace & RIOT sells funky decor and knickknacks. For affordable food, feast on A&A Bake Doubles & Roti Trinidadian snacks; for a night of West African fine dining, make a reservation at Dept of Culture.