Tourists in Bedford Stuyvesant

A few years ago, I was riding in a cab in Paris, France, and on the radio the DJ said in French, "I just came from the coolest place on earth, Bed-Stuy."

Today, Bedford-Stuyvesant has this hip reputation with young Europeans. So where is this popularity coming from?

Two days ago I was in the small town of Modena, Italy, and I had a brief conversation with a young man that went something like this: 

American? Yes. Where in the US? New York.  Then he said with a big smile "Jay-Z, Bed-Stuy YEA!" 

I had to laugh. I thought to myself, I don't think Jay-Z has been on Hancock Street and Nostrand Ave in years.

As I write from my Pied-à-terre, I have noticed how I am treated as a visitor in Europe, which is very cool. I think, does being an African-American who lives mainly in New York have  a lot to do with the good treatment?

Thanks to sites like Home Away and others, Bedford-Stuyvesant has become a very popular destination with foreign tourist. 

I think that it is nice that Bedford-Stuyvesant has these "hip tourist" that do not stay at the hotels in mid-town, but rather prefer to spend money living in Bedford Stuyvesant's many townhouses.

How do the residents of Bedford-Stuyvesant feel about our visitors?