School Colors Ep. 1: Old School

Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn is one of the most iconic historically Black neighborhoods in the United States. But Bed-Stuy is changing. Fifty years ago, schools in Bed-Stuy’s District 16 were so overcrowded that students went to school in shifts. Today, they’re half-empty. Why? In trying to answer that question, we discovered that the biggest, oldest questions we […]

Third Rail Eps. 53 Central Brooklyn Food: Unifier or Gentrifier?

Food, one of the most potent cultural forces in American life, represents our ability to come together across tribal lines, especially during the holidays. At the same time, in Central Brooklyn and other gentrifying cities, where restaurants and groceries stores are not just markers of distinct tastes and cuisines, but of race and class privilege, […]

Brooklyn Deep is LIVE on Kickstarter – And We Need You To Act

We are proud to announce our first-ever crowdfunding campaign, now live on Kickstarter.   Here’s the thing: this is an ALL OR NOTHING campaign – if we don’t hit our goal of $15,000, we don’t get a dime.   That $15k will help us keep Third Rail going, hire additional journalists, and help us lay […]

Airbnb as a Racial Gentrification Tool?

A new study by the Airbnb activist project, Inside Airbnb was released today, and is being made exclusively available, on the Brooklyn Deep web-site. The study claims that it has data which shows that Airbnb acts as a racial gentrification tool in New York City’s predominantly Black neighborhoods. “Across all 72 predominantly Black New York City neighborhoods, Airbnb hosts are […]

Learning Curves: A New Generation of Parents and Educators Take on Change in Bed-Stuy’s District 16

Shaila Dewan, a reporter for the New York Times who covers the criminal justice system, moved to Bedford-Stuyvesant with her husband in 2012, when she was “very pregnant” with their first child. “I didn’t really know that much about the schools,” she said, “except that nobody I knew went to any of them. I asked […]

Then & Now: Bedford Corners

The northeast corner of Bedford Avenue and Fulton Street is part of an intersection known historically as Bedford Corners. Although the life of Bedford Corners tells a vivid story about the commercial fortunes of Central Brooklyn’s Black community, it is a subtle gentrification narrative in reverse. On this one corner, over time, we witness residential […]

Brooklyn Community Gardeners React to De Blasio Admin. Deal

Abdul Muhammad has seen developers looking at the New Harvest community garden next to his Bedford-Stuyvesant home for a long time, yet nothing ever happened. He kept on cleaning the lot and planting crops as the neighborhood changed around him. Residents that couldn’t afford fresh produce could get it at the garden. All were welcome. […]

Bed-Stuy is Focus of Concerns Over Fate of Community Gardens

Ena McPherson working at Brooklyn’s Tranquility Farm / Photo: Andrew Caringi Ena McPherson always noticed the catalpa tree when she walked by the vacant lot on the corner of Throop Avenue. Despite barren surroundings, and nearby boxes of rat poison, the tree still grew. When she gained access to the lot in 2011, volunteers hauled […]

Third Rail Local: Bedford Corners

On this first edition of “Third Rail Local,” Brooklyn Deep Reporter, Monica Melton, join us to discuss her reporting on the northeast corner of Bedford Avenue and Fulton Street– historically known as Bedford Corners. Head to Brooklyn Deep to read Monica’s piece, told through four images of what is now 1205 Fulton Street, as well as […]

Brooklyn Deep :: Telling Our Truth

Welcome to Brooklyn Deep, an independent project of the Brooklyn Movement Center. Brooklyn Deep is a digital journalism platform produced by people who have a personal stake in the future of Central Brooklyn. Trained journalists and untrained residents alike publish investigative news, analysis, and data that chronicle neighborhood change in Central Brooklyn and bring transparency […]