Is Red Hook Safe? Brooklyn Livability, Crime & Rent
Red Hook rewards people who choose it deliberately—remote workers, artists, waterfront seekers—but punishes traditional commuters and those who value neighborhood density.
Red Hook 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.
Red Hook 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 Red Hook Safe?
Red Hook, 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. Red Hook rewards people who choose it deliberately—remote workers, artists, waterfront seekers—but punishes traditional commuters and those who value neighborhood density.
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 Red Hook safety page. Safety varies by block — check a specific Red Hook 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
Distance from the subway means you're trading commute convenience for something rarer: a working waterfront, art-forward community, and genuine geographic separation from the borough's density. You'll find wide industrial streets, converted warehouses, food destinations like the Ball Fields and Fairway, and waterfront parks that actually feel like waterfronts. The neighborhood works because people choose to be here, not because transit forces them through.
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 Red Hook Is For
Remote workers and flexible commuters
A 5.5/10 commute score is a dealbreaker for traditional 9-to-5 office schedules, but manageable if you work from home or have irregular schedules. The isolation becomes an asset.
Creative professionals and artists
Converted studio spaces, galleries, and an arts-forward community attract people who value culture over convenience. The neighborhood's identity is built on creative density.
Waterfront lifestyle seekers
Louis Valentino Jr Park and Red Hook Recreation Area offer direct water access. Outdoor score is 6.5, above the borough median of 5.9.
People who value tight-knit community
The geographic isolation creates a self-selecting population. You're joining a neighborhood, not passing through one.
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Genuine waterfront access
Art and culture ecosystem
Concentration of galleries, studios, and creative spaces built into the neighborhood's identity—attracts artists seeking affordable, authentic space.
Trade-offs
Commute friction is real
5.5/10 commute score. The B61 bus is the local option. Not viable for Manhattan-dependent workers.
Geographic isolation cuts both ways
The separation that creates community also means limited nightlife spillover, fewer spontaneous social connections with adjacent neighborhoods, and car dependency for some errands.
Industrial character isn't for everyone
Wide streets, warehouses, and working waterfront create character but lack the tree-lined brownstone charm of Carroll Gardens or Park Slope. Can feel empty during off-hours.
Score Any Address in Red Hook
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in Red HookFrequently Asked Questions about Red Hook
1Is Red Hook safe?
Red Hook safety varies by block. DwellCheck provides detailed safety data including NYPD crime statistics, arrest data, and 311 complaints. Check the Red Hook safety page for full details.
2What is the average rent in Red Hook?
Rents in Red Hook, 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 Red Hook?
Red Hook 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 Red Hook?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Red Hook known for?
Red Hook 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). Red Hook rewards people who choose it deliberately—remote workers, artists, waterfront seekers—but punishes traditional commuters and those who value neighborhood density.
6What is it like to live in Red Hook?
DwellCheck scores Red Hook, 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). Red Hook's composite is 6.1/10. Red Hook rewards people who choose it deliberately—remote workers, artists, waterfront seekers—but punishes traditional commuters and those who value neighborhood density. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Red Hook address through DwellCheck.
7Where is Red Hook?
Red Hook 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 Red Hook in?
Red Hook 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.
9How bad is the commute really?
The nearest F/G trains are at Smith-9 Sts. Doable for flexible schedules or reverse commutes, impossible for daily 8am office arrivals. The B61 bus is the local option.
10How many trees are there?
About 163 per 200m, a tree density of 4.9/10: mid-range among the neighborhoods DwellCheck tracks. The count covers trees in NYC Parks' inventory, along streets and in maintained park landscapes.
11Is waterfront access actually worth the commute trade-off?
Depends on your lifestyle. If you work remote and value water access, yes. If you commute daily to Midtown, no.
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