Is Gravesend Safe? Brooklyn Livability, Crime & Rent
Gravesend scores 7 composite on transit and parks, though 6 shootings lower its safety verdict.
Gravesend at a glance
- Borough
- Brooklyn
- Livability score
- 7/10
- Borough rank (NYC Open Data guides)
- #3 of 28
- Safety verdict
- Higher Than Average
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 4,874
- ZIP codes
- 11223 (56%), 11214 (25%), 11229 (10%), 11235 (8%)Share of residential units, NYC PLUTO 26v2
- Subway stations
- 6 (25 Av, Bay 50 St, Avenue U)
- Data updated
- 2026-09-26
Is Gravesend Safe?
Gravesend, Brooklyn scores 7/10 for overall livability, ranking #3 of 28 Brooklyn neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data. Gravesend scores 7 composite on transit and parks, though 6 shootings lower its safety verdict.
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 Gravesend safety page. Safety varies by block — check a specific Gravesend 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'll find a large residential area of two-family and one-family houses: two-family houses are 45% of residential tax lots, one-family 24% and walk-ups 22%. DwellCheck measures Gravesend over its three 2020 NTAs, Gravesend (West), Gravesend (South) and Gravesend (East)-Homecrest.
Transit is strong, with six subway stations on the D, F and N: 25 Av and Bay 50 St (D), Avenue U (F, N), 86 St (N), and Avenue P and Avenue X (F). Commute scores 8.5/10. There are 17 NYC Parks properties inside it, among them McDonald Playground, Kelly Park Playground and the Old Gravesend Cemetery; Lady Moody Triangle is the nearest to the center, 414m away.
On crime, Gravesend has a lower crime rate per resident than 83% of Brooklyn neighborhoods, but 6 shootings in 12 months lower DwellCheck's verdict to higher than average.
Livability & Restoration
Trees
158 trees
Expected in a 200m circle (NYC Parks tree inventory) | Density: 4.5/10 (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
17 parks
NYC Parks properties inside the neighborhood | largest: McDonald Playground | nearest to the center: Lady Moody Triangle, 414m | 3 nearest average 446m from the neighborhood's center
Acoustic Quality
5/10
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
8.5/10
Borough median: 5.5/10
Outdoor & Green Space
Avg Tree Count
158
Trees expected in a 200m circle
Tree Density
4.5/10
1,255 trees per km² in NYC Parks' tree inventory (street and park trees); city percentile, 1 = sparsest
Largest Parks In or Near the Neighborhood
- McDonald Playground
- Kelly Park Playground
- Police Officer John G. Scarangella Park
- West Playground
- Old Gravesend Cemetery
Nearest to the neighborhood's center: Lady Moody Triangle, about 414m. The 3 nearest NYC Parks properties average 446m 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 14,911 residential tax lots in the neighborhood by PLUTO building class (NYC Department of City Planning).
Who Gravesend Is For
Subway commuters
Commute scores 8.5/10 against a borough median of 5.5, with stations on the D, F and N.
Families in houses
Two-family (45%) and one-family (24%) houses lead the residential tax lots, and Practical scores 8/10 against a borough median of 7.5.
People who want parks nearby
Outdoor scores 6.5/10 against a Brooklyn median of 5.9, with 17 NYC Parks properties inside the neighborhood.
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Three subway lines
Six stations on the D, F and N; commute 8.5/10.
Low crime rate per resident
A lower crime rate per resident than 83% of Brooklyn neighborhoods; trend stable (-4.8%).
Parks above the borough
Outdoor 6.5/10; the 3 nearest NYC Parks properties average 446m from the center.
Trade-offs
Shootings lower the safety verdict
6 shootings in 12 months lower the verdict to higher than average.
Moderate tree cover
Tree density 4.5/10, about 158 trees in a 200m circle; ART/Livability 4.3 against a borough median of 4.4.
Large area, uneven blocks
The figures cover three NTAs and 14,911 residential tax lots, so conditions vary by block.
Score Any Address in Gravesend
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in GravesendFrequently Asked Questions about Gravesend
1Is Gravesend safe?
By NYPD data, Gravesend is rated "Higher Than Average", with a lower crime rate per resident than 83% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 4,874 crime incidents and 6 shooting incidents over the past 12 months. See the safety page for the full breakdown.
2What is the average rent in Gravesend?
Rents in Gravesend, 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 Gravesend?
Gravesend has a commute score of 8.5/10. 6 subway stations serve the area: 25 Av, Bay 50 St, Avenue U.
4What are the best streets in Gravesend?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Gravesend known for?
Gravesend sits in Brooklyn and ranks #3 of 28 Brooklyn neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data on DwellCheck's livability score (7/10). It's served by 6 subway stations (25 Av, Bay 50 St, Avenue U). Gravesend scores 7 composite on transit and parks, though 6 shootings lower its safety verdict.
6What is it like to live in Gravesend?
DwellCheck scores Gravesend, 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). Gravesend's composite is 7/10. Gravesend scores 7 composite on transit and parks, though 6 shootings lower its safety verdict. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Gravesend address through DwellCheck.
7Where is Gravesend?
Gravesend is in Brooklyn, New York City. DwellCheck maps it to the Gravesend (West), Gravesend (South) and Gravesend (East)-Homecrest Neighborhood Tabulation Areas (BK1103, BK1301, BK1501), which fall in the Census tabulation area that approximates Brooklyn Community District 11 (Bensonhurst-Bath Beach), the Census tabulation area that approximates Brooklyn Community District 13 (Coney Island-Brighton Beach) and the Census tabulation area that approximates Brooklyn Community District 15 (Sheepshead Bay-Gravesend (East)). Its main ZIP codes are 11223, 11214, 11229 and 11235. Subway stations in the neighborhood include 25 Av, Bay 50 St and Avenue U.
8What ZIP code is Gravesend in?
Gravesend spans ZIP codes 11223 (56% of residential units), 11214 (25%), 11229 (10%) and 11235 (8%). Shares are of the 51,652 residential units in the Gravesend (West), Gravesend (South) and Gravesend (East)-Homecrest Neighborhood Tabulation Areas (BK1103, BK1301, BK1501), from NYC PLUTO 26v2 tax-lot records. 2 other ZIP codes each hold under 5%.
9Can you walk around Gravesend at night?
Gravesend is classified as "Higher Than Average" by NYPD complaint data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 6 shooting incidents and 4,874 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 Gravesend dangerous?
By NYPD data, Gravesend is rated "Higher Than Average", with a lower crime rate per resident than 83% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 4,874 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
11What parts of Gravesend 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 Gravesend a good place to live?
Gravesend scores 7/10 for overall livability and has a lower crime rate per resident than 83% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. Gravesend scores 7 composite on transit and parks, though 6 shootings lower its safety verdict. 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 Gravesend?
The composite score is 7. Commute (8.5), Outdoor (6.5) and Practical (8) are above the Brooklyn medians of 5.5, 5.9 and 7.5; ART/Livability (4.3) is just below the median of 4.4.
14Is Gravesend safe?
It has a lower crime rate per resident than 83% of Brooklyn neighborhoods, with 4,874 crimes in 12 months, but 6 shootings in that period lower DwellCheck's verdict to higher than average.
15Which subway lines serve Gravesend?
The D (25 Av, Bay 50 St), the F (Avenue U, Avenue P, Avenue X) and the N (Avenue U, 86 St).
16What area does DwellCheck measure as Gravesend?
Three 2020 Neighborhood Tabulation Areas: Gravesend (West), Gravesend (South) and Gravesend (East)-Homecrest.
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