Bread Stuy, a Bed-Stuy purveyor of lattes, Panini and time-wasting WiFi came this close to closing recently (the place was saved grace of three customer-run fundraisers), but does that really mean that gentrification in the neighborhood is failing? In an area that houses a good number of cafes, but also its fair share of bodegas and bullet-proof Chinese, Bread Stuy somehow became the ultimate symbol of the neighborhood’s efforts to nice-up. “It’s no longer just a place for people to go in and drink their coffee — it’s part of the fabric of the community,” said Crystal Bobb-Semple, whose own a nearby store, Brownstone Books. “It’s all about creating a better neighborhood.”
The café opened in 2004, but faced tax problems in 2008 when its clientele was cut into by the recession. As a result, it was shut down by the government and not allowed to reopen until it paid $10,000 in penalties. Customers rallied to help it raise the needed funds. Along the way they got some big ideas in their heads. Was it because of the adorable name?
They say no. In gentrifying areas coffee shops provide a place for like-minded people to meet and also encourage other businesses to open up shop. “It brings a flock of people to a street — everyone likes a good cup of coffee — and it gives them a chance to sit down and bump into each other,” said one customer succinctly. OK, ear bud plugged in, eyes glued to glowing screen, coffee-shop sitting may not be the most social activity, but sociologist Ray Oldenburg gets even headier. He says that hang-out spots like Bread Stuy develop “a sense of place, civic engagement and democracy,” reports the NY Times. In this age of technological isolation, they give an opportunity “to share an experience in public.”
With inflated theories floating around like balloons, it's no wonder that Bread Stuy’s co-owner is a man on a mission. “Every day, I am making coffee with a purpose,” he said. “Like, ‘I am going to make the best cup of coffee in America.’ We’re going to make this happen.”
