In Bedford-Stuyvesant, murders are down by nearly 54
percent, robberies are down almost 73 percent and all crimes overall have
dropped by double digits. And that has new residents, businesses and tourists
popping up. NY1's Jeanine Ramirez filed the following report.
A bed and breakfast called the Akwaaba Mansion opened in
Bedford-Stuyvesant in 1995. Akwaaba means "welcome" in a dialect
spoken in Ghana.
But in 1997, the city said the business was not welcome
on this residential block, saying it violated zoning laws. The place was closed
down.
Owner Monique Greenwood reached out to the community for
support and fought back. Now, she recalls that unstable time.
"It was pretty touch and go there for a
minute," she said. "We did get shut down for a short period of time
by the buildings department because really the city had no specific codes as it
related to bed and breakfasts. It's still tricky but we are able to operate
legally."
Greenwood, who uses the home as her primary residence, is
allowed to stay open as long as there are no more than four guest rooms booked
at one time. Attracting those guests in the early years was another challenge.
"People were under the stigma of 'Bed Stuy, Do or
Die,'" she said. "They thought it was violent and we constantly
fielded every other question from guests calling to stay with us, saying 'Is
the neighborhood safe? Is the neighborhood safe?'"
Since the Akwaaba Mansion's opening, New York City Police
Department statistics show crime has dropped by double digits. And community
and business leaders began to promote the area as a cultural destination.
Over the years, campaigns were launched to change the
"Do or Die" slogan into something more positive. "Bed Stuy And
I'm Proud of It" was one attempt. The new slogans didn't catch on but the
neighborhood did, attracting new residents and businesses.
"It's affordable and it's the housing stock and it's
just a wonderful neighborhood," said resident Dennis George.
"I grew up in a small town in South Dakota and in
Brooklyn, I feel like i'm in small town again," said resident Tom Schwans.
It's that small-town feel that's made Akwaaba so
successful. Greenwood has now opened five more bed-and-breakfast businesses
across the country. She said they're also in historic neighborhoods bursting
with potential.
Posts
Post a Comment