Community News

Brownstones



Bed-Stuy has changed throughout the years. They neighborhood has become more mixed. More hispanics and whites have moved over here now. All the local residence are concerned with the prices of the rent going up with the neighborhood becoming more diverse. Just like any other neighborhood Bed-Stuy has the drugs and violence in the community. The crime rate has gone down but some crimes still take place. A few years back a teenager was shot by the police while he was on the roof of his building, he was unarmed. A father was killed when he was getting out of his car, this occurred during the summer. The youth has been a target in many of the police arrest in the area.

Fulton Street Upgrade

Many new businesses are being built along Fulton Street. Fulton Street will be a strip of new and improve shopping, dining and entertainment facilities. Restoration Plaza is being done over. Pathmark is no longer there and they have built a Foodtown. Applebee’s has been built along with a parking lot. Billie Holiday Theater is undergoing an upgraded after 35 years of business. T-Mobile and Radioshack is now located on Fulton and Nostrand. More stores have been and will be added. Fulton Street will be they neighborhood mall strip of tomorrow.


Killing of Chanel Petro-Dixon

Chanel Petro-Dixon was murdered at the age of 16. She went missing last father’s day, June 18, 2006, after living her home at 1605 Fulton Street, where my grandmother lives, to meet her friend and had an interview scheduled at the Applebee’s that had just been opened. Her body was found June 22, 2006 in front of 212 Kingston Ave. in a trash bag. She was strangled to death but the reports said that she was not sexually abused. Her killer was never found. Rallies were held to ask people to come out and show the police that this isn’t another crime to be pushed aside without being solved.

This is close to home for me because my grandmother lives in that building and I used to spend most of my spare time over there. Although I never met Chanel but I was told she was a very kind spirit and bright. Still as of today her case is not solved there have been reward money offered to anyone that knows anything but no information has been given unfortunately.

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2006/11/24/2006-11-24_its_time_to_tame_the_beast_chanels_kille.html

Hospitals & Clinics

One of the local hospitals, St. Mary’s was shut down. Before and since then there has been a lack of good clinics and hospitals in the neighborhood. The local hospital St. Johns is over crowded with patients. Patients are not treated will the respect and care as they should be and I have witnessed this myself plenty of times. A family friend of mine Tevin Harris was killed because of the improper care and medicine. Health Clinics are very limited and the ones that are available are very overcrowded and full through the day. The problem is going unsolved and more has to be done for the future.

Affordable Housing

As the days go by more and more affordable housing is being put up. The amounts of homeless people are at an all time high and affordable housing along with section 8 may help them. The houses that are being built are majority two family housing. They look more modern. They don’t resemble the brownstones or even their quality but they are just as good for living. The community is expanding with more housing and allowing others to move in.