Is Clinton Hill Safe? Brooklyn Livability, Crime & Rent
Clinton Hill scores 6.4—excellent green space offset by noise and moderate commute options.
Clinton Hill at a glance
- Borough
- Brooklyn
- Livability score
- 6.4/10
- Borough rank (NYC Open Data guides)
- #9 of 28
- Safety verdict
- Safer Than Average
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 1,149
- Subway stations
- 2 (Clinton-Washington Avs, Classon Av)
- Data updated
- 2026-09-14
Is Clinton Hill Safe?
Clinton Hill, Brooklyn scores 6.4/10 for overall livability, ranking #9 of 28 Brooklyn neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data. Clinton Hill scores 6.4—excellent green space offset by noise and moderate commute options.
The livability score draws on HPD housing violations, subway access, NYC Parks' tree inventory and parks, and 311 noise complaints per resident from NYC Open Data, refreshed periodically rather than live. It does not include crime; NYPD complaint and shooting figures are on the Clinton Hill safety page. Safety varies by block — check a specific Clinton Hill address below for a block-level breakdown.
Score Overview
Vertical line = borough median. Scale: 0-10.
Practical measures HPD housing violations per residential lot over the last 12 months (higher = fewer violations). Borough medians are computed across DwellCheck's Brooklyn neighborhood guides.
Neighborhood Character
Clinton Hill wraps you in tree cover—you'll find an average of 228 trees within a 200-meter radius with a tree density of 8.6/10, making tree-lined blocks the default here. The neighborhood centers on Pratt Institute's campus and Victorian mansions along Clinton Avenue, anchoring a growing dining scene. You're walking mostly past walk-up apartment buildings (41% of residential tax lots) and two-family houses (31%), with elevator buildings scattered in. Parks are close: Underwood Park is about 183 meters from the neighborhood's center, and the 3 nearest parks average 296 meters; Taaffe, Classon, Greene and Pratt playgrounds are nearby too. Transit runs via the C and G trains at Clinton-Washington Avenues and the G at Classon Avenue—reliable but not abundant. The tradeoff is noise: you'll register 1,679 noise complaints on the books, though it has a lower crime rate per resident than 64% of Brooklyn neighborhoods and crime is trending down (-18.8% over 12 months, 1,149 total crimes recorded).
Livability & Restoration
Trees
228 trees
Expected in a 200m circle (NYC Parks tree inventory) | Density: 8.6/10 (city percentile)
In Toronto, 10 more trees on a city block went with a rise in self-rated health comparable to being 7 years younger (Kardan et al., 2015, Scientific Reports). In a cross-sectional study of London boroughs, each additional street tree per km of street went with 1.18 fewer antidepressant prescriptions per 1,000 residents (Taylor et al., 2015, Landscape and Urban Planning).
Park Access
9 parks
NYC Parks properties inside the neighborhood | largest: Taaffe Playground | nearest to the center: Underwood Park, 183m | 3 nearest average 296m from the neighborhood's center
Acoustic Quality
4/10
Noise proxy score (higher = quieter)
Environmental noise exposure increases the occurrence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease; WHO's night-noise guidelines call average outdoor night noise above 55 dB increasingly dangerous for public health (Basner et al., 2014, The Lancet).
What is the ART Score?
ART stands for Attention Restoration Theory (Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989) — the framework environmental psychologists use to measure whether a place helps your brain recover from mental fatigue, or pushes it deeper into overload. Cities deplete directed attention (the effortful focus you use at work); exposure to restorative environments replenishes it.
DwellCheck uses the idea in two separate places, and they measure different things. The neighborhood ART score below comes from neighborhood-wide data: up to 5 points from tree density (a city percentile) and up to 5 from how few 311 noise complaints there are per resident. An address report has no ART score. It runs the Wellness checks below, and their points go into the address’s overall score.
More than a point above the Brooklyn median: denser trees, fewer noise complaints per resident, or both.
What an address report checks instead (Wellness)
- ±Sensory environment. A calm score minus a busy score, each starting at 50. Busy: a firehouse within 100m (+15) or 200m (+8), and 311 noise complaints within 200m over 6 months (15+ adds 5, 40+ adds 12, 80+ adds 20, and 3 more at 20+ complaints that include vehicle or street noise). Calm: a library (+15), community garden (+12) or public plaza or atrium (POPS; +15 indoor, +8 outdoor) within 200m, and a park within 300m (+10; +15 at 1+ acre; +20 at 5+ acres). A difference of +20 or more adds 8 points; −10 to −29 costs 2; −30 or less costs 4. Bars, museums, tourists and foot traffic are not counted.
- +Third places (Oldenburg, 1989). Public libraries, public plazas and atriums (POPS) and community gardens within 400m: 1–2 add 5 points, 3 or more add 10. Cafés and community centers are not counted. In a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies, loneliness or social isolation went with a 29% higher risk of incident coronary heart disease (Valtorta et al., 2016, Heart).
- 0Street vitality (Jacobs, 1961). Permitted block parties, farmers markets and similar community events in the borough over the past 12 months. The event data has no coordinates, so this is a borough-wide count shown for context. It doesn’t change the score.
Health mechanism. The theory holds that natural settings let directed attention recover. The evidence is mixed: a systematic review of 31 studies (Ohly et al., 2016, Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B) found that time in natural environments improved 3 of 13 pooled attention measures (Digit Span Forward, Digit Span Backward and Trail Making Test B) and showed no marked benefit on the other 10.
Theoretical foundations. Kaplan & Kaplan (1989), The Experience of Nature; Jacobs (1961), The Death and Life of Great American Cities; Oldenburg (1989), The Great Good Place.
Transit & Commute
Subway Stations
Commute Score
5.5/10
Borough median: 5.5/10
Outdoor & Green Space
Avg Tree Count
228
Trees expected in a 200m circle
Tree Density
8.6/10
1,815 trees per km² in NYC Parks' tree inventory (street and park trees); city percentile, 1 = sparsest
Largest Parks In or Near the Neighborhood
- Taaffe Playground
- Classon Playground
- Underwood Park
- Pratt Playground
- Greene Playground
Nearest to the neighborhood's center: Underwood Park, about 183m. The 3 nearest NYC Parks properties average 296m from the center (approximate park centers, not entrances).
Practical Living
Practical (HPD violations): 7/10 (Brooklyn median 7.5). It measures HPD housing violations per residential lot over the last 12 months (higher = fewer violations).
Building Mix (Residential Tax Lots)
Share of the 2,029 residential tax lots in the neighborhood by PLUTO building class (NYC Department of City Planning).
Who Clinton Hill Is For
Tree-focused urbanists
Tree density of 8.6/10 and 228 avg trees per 200m radius help give Clinton Hill an outdoor score of 7.4, against a borough median of 5.9. You get substantial green infrastructure.
Walk-to-work commuters near C/G lines
Direct transit access via Clinton-Washington and Classon stations makes car-free living feasible, and the commute score of 5.5 equals the borough median.
Arts-adjacent professionals
Pratt Institute presence and a growing restaurant/bar footprint shape the neighborhood; ART/Livability score is 5.8 (vs. borough median 4.4).
Pros & Cons
Strengths
High tree density and park access
8.6/10 tree density and 228 trees within 200m; the 3 nearest parks average 296m from the neighborhood's center
Livability and arts momentum
ART/Livability score of 5.8 exceeds borough median of 4.4; Pratt Institute and emerging dining/cultural venues add momentum
Walkable building stock
Walk-up apartment buildings (41% of residential tax lots) create a street-level pedestrian experience
Trade-offs
Moderate noise complaints
1,679 noise complaints recorded—a material quality-of-life factor to account for
Commute score only at the borough median
Commute score of 5.5 equals the borough median; C and G line service is adequate but not premium
Limited transit redundancy
Only two subway lines serving the area (C/G at Clinton-Washington, G at Classon) with no express alternatives
Score Any Address in Clinton Hill
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in Clinton HillFrequently Asked Questions about Clinton Hill
1Is Clinton Hill safe?
By NYPD data, Clinton Hill is rated "Safer Than Average", with a lower crime rate per resident than 64% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 1,149 crime incidents and 1 shooting incident over the past 12 months. See the safety page for the full breakdown.
2What is the average rent in Clinton Hill?
Rents in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn vary significantly by building and apartment type. Market pricing isn't aggregated for this neighborhood yet; use DwellCheck to research specific addresses for HPD registration, HPD violations, and other building-level records. DwellCheck doesn't show rent-stabilization status; request the apartment's rent history from DHCR for that.
3How is transit access in Clinton Hill?
Clinton Hill has a commute score of 5.5/10. 2 subway stations serve the area: Clinton-Washington Avs, Classon Av.
4What are the best streets in Clinton Hill?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Clinton Hill known for?
Clinton Hill sits in Brooklyn and ranks #9 of 28 Brooklyn neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data on DwellCheck's livability score (6.4/10). It's served by 2 subway stations (Clinton-Washington Avs, Classon Av). Clinton Hill scores 6.4—excellent green space offset by noise and moderate commute options.
6What is it like to live in Clinton Hill?
DwellCheck scores Clinton Hill, Brooklyn from NYC Open Data on practical (HPD housing violations per residential lot over the last 12 months (higher = fewer violations)), commute (subway stations and lines in the neighborhood), ART (tree density and 311 noise complaints per resident), outdoor (trees and park proximity). Clinton Hill's composite is 6.4/10. Clinton Hill scores 6.4—excellent green space offset by noise and moderate commute options. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Clinton Hill address through DwellCheck.
7Where is Clinton Hill?
Clinton Hill is in Brooklyn, New York City. DwellCheck maps it to the Clinton Hill Neighborhood Tabulation Area (BK0204), which falls in the Census tabulation area that approximates Brooklyn Community District 2 (Downtown Brooklyn-Fort Greene). Its main ZIP codes are 11238 and 11205. Subway stations in the neighborhood include Clinton-Washington Avs and Classon Av.
8What ZIP code is Clinton Hill in?
Clinton Hill spans ZIP codes 11238 (58% of residential units) and 11205 (42%). Shares are of the 14,977 residential units in the Clinton Hill Neighborhood Tabulation Area (BK0204), from NYC PLUTO 26v2 tax-lot records.
9Can you walk around Clinton Hill at night?
Clinton Hill is classified as "Safer Than Average" by NYPD complaint data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 1 shooting incident and 1,149 total crime incidents. Walking at night carries the same risk profile as anywhere in NYC: stay on commercial corridors with foot traffic, avoid empty side streets after midnight, and prefer subway lines that run 24/7.
10Is Clinton Hill dangerous?
By NYPD data, Clinton Hill is rated "Safer Than Average", with a lower crime rate per resident than 64% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 1,149 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
11What parts of Clinton Hill should I avoid?
NYPD complaint records carry approximate incident coordinates, but a neighborhood total can't tell you which blocks drive it, so we don't publish an "avoid this street" list. For a specific block, use DwellCheck's address-level safety score, which counts NYPD crime complaints within a 300m radius of the building over the latest 12 months of published data and compares that count with the borough average.
12Is Clinton Hill a good place to live?
Clinton Hill scores 6.4/10 for overall livability and has a lower crime rate per resident than 64% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. Clinton Hill scores 6.4—excellent green space offset by noise and moderate commute options. Whether it's a good fit depends on what you weight: families, solo renters, and remote workers each prioritize different factors (noise, transit access, parks, building quality).
13What is the average DwellScore in Clinton Hill?
The composite score is 6.4. Outdoor and Practical score highest (7); Commute (5.5) is the weakest dimension.
14How safe is Clinton Hill?
Clinton Hill has a lower crime rate per resident than 64% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. Over the past 12 months, 1,149 crimes were recorded, and crime has fallen 18.8% year-over-year. Noise complaints are moderate at 1,679. Rodent complaints are very high (206).
15What transit is available?
You have the C and G trains at Clinton-Washington Avenues and the G train at Classon Avenue. The commute score of 5.5 reflects adequate but not superior regional connectivity compared to the borough median of 5.5.
16How much green space and parks are nearby?
Clinton Hill has an exceptional 8.6/10 tree density with an average of 228 trees within 200 meters. The largest parks are Taaffe, Classon, Greene and Pratt playgrounds and Underwood Park; the 3 nearest parks average 296 meters from the neighborhood's center. The Outdoor score of 7.4 exceeds the borough median of 5.9.
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