Throughout the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, brownstones and tree-lined streets are being destroyed to make way for anonymous glass new luxury buildings, whose skyrocketing rents displace neighbors and further contribute to the neighborhood's gentrification.

In the northwest corner of Bed-Stuy, Willoughby Ave and Hart St between Nostrand and Marcy Aves stand alone as the two remaining blocks of exclusively brownstones. They should be landmarked and should be protected.

Many brownstones in this pocket of Brooklyn have been passed down through family lineage, raising many generations of New Yorkers. It is this familiarity with this place and dedication to continuing the spirit of community here, in addition to its exemplary position alongside the rest of “brownstone Brooklyn”, that contribute to this area’s significant sense of place, making it perfect for landmarking.

This proposal is specifically for landmarking the numbers 441-511 Willoughby Aves on the north side of the street, 444-510 on the south side of the street (including the Red Gate Garden to the east), as well as 1-75 Hart St on the north side of the street, and 2-76 Hart St on the south side of the street. The site of the former Dangler Mansion at 441 Willoughby should be included in this list as Landmarks was unable to protect the structure as it stood, despite overwhelming support at the public hearing dated July 12, 2022. The rest of the block is comprised of contiguous brownstones, some three stories and some four stories, which were all constructed in the late 19th century. These two sprawling tree-lined streets have distinctive streetscapes that anchor them to the history and culture of the rest of historic Bedford-Stuyvesant, distinct from rapid architectural change that has occurred on Vernon Ave and Myrtle Ave to the north, Pulaski St and Dekalb Ave to the south, as well as west of Bedford Ave or east of Marcy Ave. Willoughby Ave and Hart St between Nostrand Ave and Marcy Ave remain a pocket to the past in northwestern Bedford-Stuyvesant that would preserve a valuable piece of Black history and 19th century architecture in a New York that is quickly transforming.