YES!!!!!! I LIVED IN BEDFORD STYVESANT IN PULASKI AND LEWIS PRACTICALLY ALL MY LIFE. WHEN I GOT MARRIED AND HAD MY CHILDREN I GOT OUT OF THERE FOR MY CHILDREN SAKE. THIS AREA IS FULL OF VIOLENCE, DRUGS, SEXUAL PREDATORS AND MORE. 90 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THIS AREA ARE RUDE, MEAN AND DIRTY. IF YOU SAY GOOD MORNING TO SOMEONE OR HELLO THEY THOUGHT YOU WERE ABOUT TO ASK FOR SOMETHING. GOD PROTECTED ME FROM HARM WHILE I LIVED THERE. EVEN THOUGH I CONSTANTLY GOT "JUMPED" BY GROUPS OF GIRLS IN JHS 57 FOR NO REASON AND VERBALLY SEXUALLY HARRASED WHEN I WAS 10 YRS OLD AND UP BY THE BODEGA MEN IN THE CORNERS WHEN I USE TO GO GET MILK OR ANYTHING FOR MY MOM.

Last year in the 81 precinct alone, which only covers the Eastern half of Bed-Stuy and a population of approx 62,000, there were 91 people shot. The majority of these shootings occurred in the Malcolm X and Bainbridge region. There were also a cluster of incidents in northeren region near the housing developments on Myrtle ave.

Also, just because the incidents are not in the news does not mean it didn't happen. For example, yesterday someone was shot on Decatur St and Stuyvesant Ave and yet it was not reported on.

Hi Stephan,

I have lived near the Bedford-Nostrand G stop for six months now. The only crimes I have personally witnessed are...

1. Several instances of neighborhood children sitting on cars and throw glass bottles at passing vehicles. Thankfully, they haven't hurt any cyclists or for that matter, themselves - just minor damages to cars and city buses. The police do not respond when asked to put a stop to this dangerous behavior.
2. People urinating in public and sometimes even in daylight.
3. I am verbally sexually harassed at least twice a week.
4. My basement was broken into by someone attempting to steal copper wires. They busted a pipe and caused a natural gas leak into my building... It wasn't fun.

As for the crimes I haven't witnessed... Within the last month...
1. A taxi driver was shot in the face on the corner of Lafayette and Franklin. He did not die.
2. A club goer was shot and killed at Sputnik on Taaffe and Myrtle.
3. My neighbor was held up at gunpoint while walking her dog.

The bottom line is that when these are all listed together, it probably seems a little extreme. However, all of this could happen in any neighborhood in any big city. There is a correlation between poverty and crime and Bed-Stuy is a very poor neighborhood. This is not to say there aren't families and parks and cafes and other neighborhood staples - there are! But it is always a good idea to educate yourself before moving into ANY neighborhood, regardless of its stigma, reputation perceived risk or actual atmosphere.

This website is a good resource to learn about everything from building permits to restaurant violations to graffiti: http://nyc.everyblock.com/locations/zipcodes/11205/

I hope this helps!

Hi Stephan, I don't live in the area, but I do have some advice. Prior to purchasing in any city, go to the Megan's law web site and also contact the local police to see how much crime is in the area.

Best of luck,

Dave Tapper
Burlingame Ca.

Bedford Stuyvesant is a large neighborhood. Take a close look at the map and you will see that Bed Stuy is outlined by the A line in the south, G line in the north-west and J line in the north-east. Generally speaking, safer areas are located in the vicinity (4 - 5 blocks) of the train lines. Property values do reflect that. Properties in the middle of Bed Stuy are less desirable for the same reason.

And yes, I live in Bed Stuy myself. :)

Stephan,

Try contacting the local police department or county cheriffs department. They have access to the most up to date and accurate information and are normally helpful.

good luck,

Although crime is much lower than it was 15 years ago, shootings and homicides are stil a concern in many parts of the community. In 2007 the two precincts that cover Bed-Stuy (the 79th and 81st) recorded a combined total of 38 homicides, up from 27 in 1998. The 2000 census claims that Bed-Stuy has a population of approx 143,000, which equates to a murder rate of over 26 per 100,000. Comparatively, according to the FBI the national murder rate is around 6 per 100,000.

Sources: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/lucds/bk3profile.pdf (NYC City Department of City Planning
http://home2.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/crime_prevention/crime_s… (NYPD Web Site)
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2007/data/table_16.html (FBI)

Hi Stephan,

Bedford Stuyvesant had a notorious reputation for criminality 25 years ago. Today, it is the fastest growing neighborhood in New York City, with new residential development second only to Harlem. In addition, the neighborhood's buzz has grown beyond its national borders with residents from Japan, Amsterdam, Germany and other parts of Europe and South America.

Bedford Stuyvesant is fast replacing Harlem as cultural epicenter in Brooklyn and the City as a whole.

Crime is a diminished legacy of this great neighborhood, far in its past.

I would suggest you visit the following web sites to get a more objective opinion, as my firm not only specializes in residential sales and leasing in Bedford Stuyvesant, its where I grew up and lived for the first 21 years fo my live.

Take a moment to visit http://www.bedstuyblog.com, http://www.CorleyRE.com and http://www.shopbedstuy.com to learn more about the neighborhood.

This is a family-oriented neighborhood with many local neighborhood groups dedicated to keeping the areas safe.