Bedford-Stuyvesant (often shortened to Bed-Stuy) is a neighborhood that could only exist in New York City. A sizeable, trapezoid-shaped chunk out of north Brooklyn, the community in Bed-Stuy is a tight-knit world unto itself while still being an inextricable part of the borough’s fabric. The aesthetic appeal of Bed-Stuy is obvious as historic, ornately detailed homes sit along its tree-lined streets. Construction of these stately homes began in the 1870s, and they remain largely intact and untouched to this day. In fact, the number of buildings constructed before the turn of the 20th century reaches upwards of 8,000. Subway service covers several letters of the alphabet: The A and C run under Fulton Street near the neighborhood’s southern boundary, the JMZ travels above its northeastern border of Broadway, and the G slides down and out through Marcy and Lafayette avenues.