Is Cobble Hill Safe? Brooklyn Livability, Crime & Rent
Choose Cobble Hill if you want historic residential blocks with few housing violations—but accept noise and commute friction.
Cobble Hill has no Neighborhood Tabulation Area of its own. The scores and figures on this page cover the Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill-Gowanus-Red Hook NTA (BK0601), the same area as the Carroll Gardens guide.
Cobble Hill at a glance
- Borough
- Brooklyn
- Livability score
- 6.1/10
- Borough rank (NYC Open Data guides)
- Not ranked separately
- ZIP codes (Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill-Gowanus-Red Hook NTA)
- 11231 (57%), 11217 (18%), 11215 (15%), 11201 (10%)Share of residential units, NYC PLUTO 26v2
- Subway stations
- 2 (Smith-9 Sts, Carroll St)
- Data updated
- 2026-09-14
Is Cobble Hill Safe?
Cobble Hill, Brooklyn scores 6.1/10 for overall livability; it is not ranked separately because its figures are the Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill-Gowanus-Red Hook NTA's, ranked under Carroll Gardens. Choose Cobble Hill if you want historic residential blocks with few housing violations—but accept noise and commute friction.
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 Cobble Hill safety page. Safety varies by block — check a specific Cobble 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
You're getting a historic neighborhood of brownstone-lined streets. The area sits between two larger, more famous neighborhoods—Carroll Gardens to the south, Brooklyn Heights to the north. Court Street runs through with boutique shops and restaurants, but the overwhelming character is residential.
Livability & Restoration
Trees
163 trees
Expected in a 200m circle (NYC Parks tree inventory) | Density: 4.9/10 (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
29 parks
NYC Parks properties inside the neighborhood | largest: Red Hook Recreation Area | nearest to the center: Admiral Triangle, 207m | 3 nearest average 263m from the neighborhood's center
Acoustic Quality
3/10
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.
Within a point of the Brooklyn median.
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
163
Trees expected in a 200m circle
Tree Density
4.9/10
1,295 trees per km² in NYC Parks' tree inventory (street and park trees); city percentile, 1 = sparsest
Largest Parks In or Near the Neighborhood
- Red Hook Recreation Area
- Coffey Park
- Van Voorhees Playground
- Thomas Greene Playground
- Carroll Park
Nearest to the neighborhood's center: Admiral Triangle, about 207m. The 3 nearest NYC Parks properties average 263m from the center (approximate park centers, not entrances).
Practical Living
Practical (HPD violations): 8/10 (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 5,854 residential tax lots in the neighborhood by PLUTO building class (NYC Department of City Planning).
Who Cobble Hill Is For
Young families
Practical score of 8/10 reflects a low rate of HPD housing violations, and the 3 nearest parks average 263m from the neighborhood's center. Strong residential character and family-oriented vibe.
Those prioritizing neighborhood stability over nightlife
Landmarked blocks and low-rise zoning protect from overdevelopment.
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Nearby parks
Largest parks: Red Hook Recreation Area, Coffey Park, Van Voorhees Playground, Thomas Greene Playground, Carroll Park; the 3 nearest average 263m from the neighborhood's center.
Few housing violations
Practical score of 8/10 reflects a low rate of HPD housing violations per residential building.
Two direct subway lines with multiple stops
Smith-9 Sts (F, G) and Carroll St (F, G) stations provide redundancy and frequent service. F and G trains connect directly to Manhattan without transfers.
Historic brownstone architecture with landmark protection
Landmarked blocks prevent overdevelopment and maintain consistent aesthetic. Attracts buyers seeking long-term neighborhood stability.
Trade-offs
Commute score only at the borough median (5.5/10)
While two subway lines serve the area, commute rating suggests limited alternatives and/or longer travel times.
Composite score of 6.1 signals trade-offs
A strong practical score offset by a middling commute rating. You're optimizing for stability and parks, not walkable nightlife or transit convenience.
Score Any Address in Cobble Hill
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in Cobble HillFrequently Asked Questions about Cobble Hill
1Is Cobble Hill safe?
Cobble Hill safety varies by block. DwellCheck provides detailed safety data including NYPD crime statistics, arrest data, and 311 complaints. Check the Cobble Hill safety page for full details.
2What is the average rent in Cobble Hill?
Rents in Cobble 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 Cobble Hill?
Cobble Hill has a commute score of 5.5/10. 2 subway stations serve the area: Smith-9 Sts, Carroll St.
4What are the best streets in Cobble Hill?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Cobble Hill known for?
Cobble Hill sits in Brooklyn and is not ranked separately on DwellCheck's livability score, because its figures are the Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill-Gowanus-Red Hook NTA's, ranked under Carroll Gardens (6.1/10). It's served by 2 subway stations (Smith-9 Sts, Carroll St). Choose Cobble Hill if you want historic residential blocks with few housing violations—but accept noise and commute friction.
6What is it like to live in Cobble Hill?
DwellCheck scores Cobble 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). Cobble Hill's composite is 6.1/10. Choose Cobble Hill if you want historic residential blocks with few housing violations—but accept noise and commute friction. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Cobble Hill address through DwellCheck.
7Where is Cobble Hill?
Cobble Hill is in Brooklyn, New York City, inside the Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill-Gowanus-Red Hook Neighborhood Tabulation Area (BK0601), the same area as DwellCheck's Carroll Gardens guide. That NTA falls in the Census tabulation area that approximates Brooklyn Community District 6 (Park Slope-Carroll Gardens), and its main ZIP codes are 11231, 11217, 11215 and 11201. Subway stations in that area include Smith-9 Sts and Carroll St.
8What ZIP code is Cobble Hill in?
Cobble Hill has no Neighborhood Tabulation Area of its own, so its own ZIP codes can't be separated out. It sits inside the Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill-Gowanus-Red Hook Neighborhood Tabulation Area (BK0601), which spans ZIP codes 11231 (57% of residential units), 11217 (18%), 11215 (15%) and 11201 (10%). Shares are of the 36,334 residential units in that NTA, from NYC PLUTO 26v2 tax-lot records.
9What's the commute score really telling me?
5.5/10 means transit exists but isn't exceptional.
10What goes into the outdoor score of 6.5?
The outdoor score combines tree density and distance to parks: 163 trees per 200m and the 3 nearest parks averaging 263 meters from the neighborhood's center.
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