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Neighborhood Tour Delves into Central Brooklyn's History and Heritage

By Camille Bautista | October 16, 2015 8:49am
"Inside Bed-Stuy," a new neighborhood tour, examines the area's history and heritage, highlighting sites like Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration.
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DNAinfo/Paul DeBenedetto

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — A new tour seeking to spotlight Brooklyn’s black heritage sites and culture makes its neighborhood debut this weekend.

4Urban’s “Inside Bed-Stuy” aims to share the contributions of African-Americans in the borough from 16th-century Dutch history to present-day, according to founder and organizer Chimene Montgomery.

Through her work in the tourism and hospitality industry, Montgomery said she noticed that black communities weren’t being “promoted and elevated.”

“People don’t know the history in neighborhoods like Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights and Flatbush, where a lot of Caribbean people and African-Americans from the south migrated to,” she said.

“They were working as blacksmiths, barbers, lawyers and professionals and owning some of the beautiful brownstones people see today.”

The tours will focus on the stories behind the buildings, art and landmarks, with an emphasis on prominent individuals’ contributions to New York City, including figures like Jackie Robinson, Biggie Smalls and Lena Horne.

The bus tour kicks off at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration and the Billie Holiday Theatre, and continues to locales like Arlington Place Bed-Stuy and Breakfast, the brownstone setting for Spike Lee’s “Crooklyn.”

Participants will also get a chance to visit local businesses such as Calabar Imports and Sincerely Tommy, and sample West African cuisine at Joloff Restaurant.

“People will really get an intersection of the African-American, Caribbean and New York experience and taste, explore, shop and feel the real Brooklyn,” Montgomery said.

“Inside Bed-Stuy” also looks to support small businesses and contribute to the local economy, she added.

Montgomery developed 4Urban as part of the CUNY Center for Student Entrepreneurship Incubator program.

“I wanted to foster a sense of community pride with heritage tourism,” she said.

“It’s something that a lot of people don’t necessarily consider when they travel. I think if they included that in their itineraries, they’d have so much more of an authentic and rich experience.”

During Saturday’s tour, a DJ will play tunes from the specific time period being discussed.

Guided visits of Crown Heights and Flatbush are planned for the future and the operator hopes to expand to other cities, including Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

“When people know and hear about it, a lot more pride and respect comes to these neighborhoods,” Montgomery said.

“Bed-Stuy shouldn’t have this connotation of “Bed-Stuy, do or die.’ You have great history, galleries and amazing restaurants that need to be projected and highlighted for a greater appreciation of these destinations.”

“Inside Bed-Stuy” will be hosted on Saturday, Oct. 17 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online here.

For more information, visit the 4Urban website.