Brooklyn/Bedford-Stuyvesant and Flatbush

• Bedford-Stuyvesant is a major African-American neighborhood with some African presence. It is the second largest African-American neighborhood in the country after the city of Detroit. Bed-Stuy, as it is called by most New Yorkers, has been gentrifying lately. However violent crime is still a concern along with the other social problems in the community.
• Flatbush used to be a Jewish, Italian, and Irish neighborhood, and before that settled by members of the Dutch Reformed Church. It is now a largely West-Indian neighborhood, and is the home of Brooklyn College, one of the most beautiful campuses in the area. In the very center is the 18th Century Dutch Reformed Church at the corner of Flatbush and Church Avenues, and its original school house dating to 1787 and originally called Erasmus Hall. Now it is the administration building of the public Erasmus Hall High School, whose own building is over 100 years old. The neighborhood's eponymous commercial main street, Flatbush Avenue, goes from the Manhattan Bridge on the north to the Gil Hodges Marine Parkway Bridge leading to the Rockaway Peninsula section of Queens on the south.
• Crown Heights is largely a mixture of West Indians and Chasidic Jews. Part of the neighborhood is near the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and the Brooklyn Museum. Violent crime is still a concern along with the other social problems in the community, so use caution.
• Midwood is a quiet residential area with some commercial streets, located on the other side of the Brooklyn College campus from Flatbush and extending for some ways to the south. The neighborhood is ethnically mixed, but includes a substantial population of Modern Orthodox Jews and some Chasidim, and many shops are closed on Saturdays and Jewish holidays. The area has one of New York City's largest concentrations of beautiful free-standing hundred-year-old Victorian and Edwardian homes. An interesting example of this is the Avenue H station house on the Q subway line, which was first built a century ago as the local real estate office selling these homes. It is a historic site and a unique fixture of the city's subway system.
• Brownsville is another mainly African-American neighborhood. It is just to the west of East New York, and like East New York, it remains among the more dangerous neighborhoods in New York, though crime statistics have declined. It does not merit a visit from most tourists. Beware passing through here on your way to JFK Airport on the B15 bus.

• 🌍 Brooklyn College, 2900 Bedford Ave (Subway:  2  or  5  [weekdays only] trains to Flatbush Ave or  Q  train to Avenue H), ☏ +1 718 951-5000. Brooklyn College is one of the most beautiful college campuses in the New York area. It is lovingly landscaped and includes classic buildings from the 1930s and 40s. In particular, the iconic library building with its clock tower and chimes can be seen or heard from several blocks away. The best time to visit is in April, when most of the trees are in bloom. Unfortunately, the police officers who as of September 2023 guard the entrances bar entrance to anyone without a Brooklyn College ID who shows up without permission. Free entry if you can obtain permission in advance. 

• 🌍 East Midwood Jewish Center, 1625 Ocean Ave (between Avenue K and Avenue L; Subway:  Q  to Avenue J), ☏ +1 718 338-3800. On the State and National Registers of Historic Places and home to weekly religious services and cultural happenings. 

• 🌍 Di Fara Pizzeria, 1424 Ave J (at E 15th St; Subway:  Q  to Ave J), ☏ +1-718-258-1367. Tu–Su noon–9PM, closed M. An old-school pizzeria. Waiting for Dom, the only pizzaiolo in the shop, to painstakingly make your pizza or calzone is worth it. People returning to the neighborhood stop by here to indulge their nostalgia for quality that never wavers. This is not really cheap pizza, but it is very good pizza. Toppings include baby artichokes, porcini when available, and baby eggplant, as well as more usual toppings that are unusually good. Don't let the worn appearance of the shop's exterior fool you. Cash only. 
• 🌍 Saraghina, 350 Lewis Ave (at Halsey St; Subway:  A  C  to Utica Ave or  C  to Kingston-Throop), ☏ +1-718-758-4079, info@saraghina.com. 4PM–10PM daily. Located in the heart of Bed-Stuy, Saraghina is a fantastic pizza restaurant offering up freshly baked thin-crust pizzas for $16 or less - and that's for a good sized pie that one person could tuck away with some effort, but which is more easily shared by two. Favorites include the classic margherita and the proscuitto i funghi. Their oven is a true wood-burning brick unit, and their ingredients are fresh and succulent. In addition to pizza, Saraghina offers a menu of traditional Italian fare, including burratina, sautéed artichokes, swordfish carpaccio, and spaghetti with ragù di pesce, to name a few. The beer selection is a bit limited, but there are plenty of wines on the list, and the atmosphere - a deceptively small area converted from a storefront with lots of old wood paneling and hidden back dining room and garden - more than makes up for the brevity of the menu. under $30. (updated Apr 2021)
• 🌍 Sugar Hill Supper Club, 217 Nostrand Ave (at DeKalb Ave; Subway:  G  to Bedford-Nostrand Aves), ☏ +1 718 797-1727, toll-free: +1-844-369-6811. noon–8:30PM daily. An old school Bed-Stuy southern/soul food restaurant with outstanding crabcakes and frequent live jazz (always one, at least, on the first thursday of the month) as well as R&B, dance floor downstairs. The atmosphere is simple but elegant—a white tablecloth kind of place. $13-22. (updated Apr 2021)
• 🌍 The Islands, 803 Washington Ave (between Lincoln & Eastern Pkwy; Subway:  2  3  to Eastern Pkwy/Brooklyn Museum), ☏ +1-718-398-3575. noon–10PM daily. A great Caribbean restaurant with superb jerk chicken, ox tail, and other regional specialties. (updated Apr 2021)
• 🌍 Tom's Restaurant, 782 Washington Ave (at Sterling Pl), ☏ +1-718-636-9738. M–F 7AM–5PM, Sa 7AM–9PM, Su 8AM–8PM. A classic diner with an old-school feel and friendly service. They even give you snacks while you wait in the (usually long) line for their famous breakfast/brunch. (updated Apr 2021)

If you are interested in local jazz events in and around Bed-Stuy, a lot of them are held in community centers, churches, etc., so you'll have to look them up. The place to look is the Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium, whose mission and success is to ensure that jazz has a home and future in central Brooklyn. In addition to the following, check the restaurants above to find more jazz venues in the area.

• 🌍 Sista's Place, 456 Nostrand Ave (at Jefferson; Subway:  A  C  to Nostrand Ave and walk 4 blocks north), ☏ +1-718-398-1766. Sista's is central Brooklyn's highest profile jazz venue, with performances at Sa 9PM and 10:30PM in their relatively small, friendly cafe space (performances are sporadic on other nights—call for schedule). It's also a political space, and the collective in charge sponsors Sunday afternoon panels on various issues relevant to the local community. $15-35. 
• 🌍 Sit & Wonder, 688 Washington Ave (between St Marks Ave and Prospect Pl), ☏ +1-718-622-0299. 8AM–7PM daily. Hip little coffee shop serving Stumptown coffee and pastries. A nice place to hang out with free Wi-Fi. 
• 🌍 Washington Commons, 748 Washington Ave (between Park Pl & Sterling Pl), ☏ +1-718-230-3666, washingtoncommonsbrooklyn@gmail.com. M–Th 5–11PM, F 3–11PM, Sa Su 1–11PM. Bar with a good selection of beers as well as a dimly lit but cozy atmosphere. Large outdoor area in the back with picnic tables is great in warm weather. (updated Apr 2021)
• 🌍 Franklin Park, 618 St. Johns Pl / 766 Franklin Ave (at Franklin Ave), ☏ +1-718-975-0196, franklinparkbookings@gmail.com. 1PM–midnight daily. Huge bar with a dance floor, lounge areas, two bars, and outdoor space brings in a diverse crowd (if not predominately hipsters). Connected to the restaurant "Dutch Boy Burger" if you are hungry. (updated Apr 2021)

• 🌍 Akwaaba Mansion (Akwaaba Mansion Inn), 347 MacDonough St (at Stuyvesant; Subway:  A  C  trains to Utica Ave), ☏ +1-718-455-5958, toll-free: +1-866-466-3855. Check-in: 2-7PM. Four guest rooms, each uniquely decorated with a cultural theme, private baths (some with Jacuzzis), air conditioning and clock radio/CD player, wireless internet and business center, guest library, TV and game room, personal concierge to arrange tours, restaurant reservations, etc. $160-175. 

Compared to the 1980s and 1990s, Bedford-Stuyvesant and Flatbush aren't as dangerous as they used to be. Since the late 1990s, the area has been gentrifying and is more patrolled by the NYPD. Of course, when going anywhere, be careful of your surroundings. The neighborhood has its fair share of odd people, and may be more dangerous at night.

• Brooklyn Public Library (Bedford branch), 496 Franklin Ave (at Hancock; Subway:  C  S  (Franklin Shuttle) trains to Franklin Ave or  A  train to Nostrand Ave; LIRR: Nostrand Ave), ☏ +1 718 623-0012. M Tu 10AM-6PM, W 1-8PM, Th 1-6PM, F 10AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. 
• Brooklyn Public Library (Brower Park branch), 725 St. Marks Ave (between Nostrand and New York; Subway:  A  C  trains to Nostrand Ave or  3  train to Nostrand Ave; LIRR: Nostrand Ave), ☏ +1 718 773-7208. M Tu 10AM-6PM, W 1-8PM, Th 1-6PM, F 10AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. 
• Brooklyn Public Library (Brownsville branch), 61 Glenmore Ave (at Watkins; Subway:  L  train to Sutter Ave; LIRR: East New York), ☏ +1 718 498-9721. M 10AM-6PM, Tu 1-8PM, W 10AM-6PM, Th 1-6PM, F 10AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. 
• Brooklyn Public Library (Clarendon branch), 2035 Nostrand Ave (at Farragut; Subway:  2  5  trains to Flatbush Ave-Brooklyn College or Newkirk Ave), ☏ +1 718 421-1159. M 10AM-6PM, Tu 1PM-8PM, W 10AM-6PM, Th 1-6PM, F 10AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. 
• Brooklyn Public Library (Cortelyou branch), 1305 Cortelyou Rd (at Argyle; Subway:  Q  train to Cortelyou Rd or  B  train to Newkirk Ave), ☏ +1 718 693-7763. M-Tu 10AM-6PM, W 1-8PM, Th 1-6PM, F 10AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. 
• Brooklyn Public Library (Crown Heights branch), 560 New York Ave (at Maple; Subway:  2  5  trains to Sterling St), ☏ +1 718 773-1180. M 10AM-6PM, Tu 1-8PM, W 10AM-6PM, Th 1-6PM, F 10AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. 
• Brooklyn Public Library (East Flatbush branch), 9612 Church Ave (at Rockaway Pkwy; Subway:  3  train to Saratoga Ave), ☏ +1 718 922-0927. M 10AM-6PM, Tu 1-8PM, W 10AM-6PM, Th 1-6PM, F 10AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. 
• Brooklyn Public Library (Eastern Parkway branch), 1044 Eastern Pkwy (at Schenectady, Subway:  3  4  trains to Utica Ave-Crown Heights), ☏ +1 718 953-4225. M 10AM-6PM, Tu 1-6PM, W 10AM-6PM, Th 1-8PM, F 10AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. 
• Brooklyn Public Library (Flatbush branch), 22 Linden Blvd (between Flatbush and Bedford; Subway:  B  Q  trains to Church Ave or  2  5  trains to Church Ave), ☏ +1 718 856-0813. M 10AM-6PM, Tu 1-6PM, W 10AM-6PM, Th 1-8PM, F 10AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. 
• Brooklyn Public Library (Macon branch), 361 Lewis Ave (between Halsey and Macon; Subway:  A  C  trains to Utica Ave), ☏ +1 718 573-5606. M 10AM-6PM, Tu 1-8PM, W 10AM-6PM, Th 1-6PM, F 10AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. 
• Brooklyn Public Library (Marcy branch), 617 DeKalb Ave (at Nostrand; Subway:  G  train to Bedford-Nostrand Aves), ☏ +1 718 935-0032. M 1-8PM, Tu-W 10AM-6PM, Th 1-6PM, F 10AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. 
• Brooklyn Public Library (Rugby branch), 1000 Utica Ave (at Tilden; Subway:  2  5  trains to Church Ave, then transfer to B35 bus to Church Ave and Utica Ave, or 3/4 trains to Utica Ave-Crown Heights, then transfer to B46 bus to Utica Ave and Tilden Ave), ☏ +1 718 566-0054. M 10AM-6PM, Tu 1-8PM, W 10AM-6PM, Th 1-6PM, F 10AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. 
• Brooklyn Public Library (Saratoga branch), 8 Thomas S. Boyland St (Hopkinson Ave) (at Macon; Subway:  J  train to Halsey St or  Z  train to Chauncey St), ☏ +1 718 573-5224. M 10AM-6PM, Tu 1-8PM, W 10AM-6PM, Th 1-6PM, F 10AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. 
• Brooklyn Public Library (Stone Avenue branch), 581 Mother Gaston Blvd (Stone Ave) (at Dumont; Subway:  3  train to Junius St or Rockaway Ave, or  L  train to Livonia Ave), ☏ +1 718 485-8347. M 1-8PM, Tu-W 10AM-6PM, Th 1-6PM, F 10AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM.