Is Flatiron Safe? Manhattan Livability, Crime & Rent
Flatiron is a transit-first, high-rise urban neighborhood (composite score 6.0) built for people who prioritize commute speed over outdoor amenities or cultural density.
Flatiron at a glance
- Borough
- Manhattan
- Livability score
- 6/10
- Borough rank (NYC Open Data guides)
- #19 of 33
- Safety verdict
- High Activity Area
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 7,293
- ZIP codes
- 10001 (33%), 10016 (25%), 10010 (20%), 10011 (15%), 10003 (8%)Share of residential units, NYC PLUTO 26v2
- Subway stations
- 7 (14 St-Union Sq, 34 St-Herald Sq, 28 St)
- Data updated
- 2026-09-14
Is Flatiron Safe?
Flatiron, Manhattan scores 6/10 for overall livability, ranking #19 of 33 Manhattan neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data. Flatiron is a transit-first, high-rise urban neighborhood (composite score 6.0) built for people who prioritize commute speed over outdoor amenities or cultural 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 Flatiron safety page. Safety varies by block — check a specific Flatiron 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 Manhattan neighborhood guides.
Neighborhood Character
You'll find yourself in a Manhattan district dominated by high-rise office and residential towers, anchored by the iconic triangular Flatiron Building. The neighborhood feels engineered for transit access—you're never more than a few blocks from a major subway station, with 14 St-Union Sq offering eight different lines and Herald Square providing another eight. Trees are sparse—an average of 109 within 200 meters of any address, a tree density of 2.0/10—but you're within walking distance of four parks — Union Square Park, Madison Square Park, Worth Square, and Greeley Square Park — and the 3 nearest parks average 266 meters from the neighborhood's center. The streetscape alternates between commercial corridors, tech company offices (the neighborhood anchors Silicon Alley), and food destinations like Eataly.
Livability & Restoration
Trees
109 trees
Expected in a 200m circle (NYC Parks tree inventory) | Density: 2/10 (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
4 parks
NYC Parks properties inside the neighborhood | largest: Union Square Park | nearest to the center: Worth Square, 69m | 3 nearest average 266m from the neighborhood's center
Acoustic Quality
2/10
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 below the Manhattan median: sparser trees, more 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
9.5/10
Borough median: 7/10
Outdoor & Green Space
Avg Tree Count
109
Trees expected in a 200m circle
Tree Density
2/10
865 trees per km² in NYC Parks' tree inventory (street and park trees); city percentile, 1 = sparsest
Largest Parks In or Near the Neighborhood
- Union Square Park
- Madison Square Park
- Worth Square
- Greeley Square Park
Nearest to the neighborhood's center: Worth Square, about 69m. The 3 nearest NYC Parks properties average 266m from the center (approximate park centers, not entrances).
Practical Living
Practical (HPD violations): 7/10 (Manhattan median 6). It measures HPD housing violations per residential lot over the last 12 months (higher = fewer violations).
Building Mix (Residential Tax Lots)
Share of the 502 residential tax lots in the neighborhood by PLUTO building class (NYC Department of City Planning).
Who Flatiron Is For
Commuters prioritizing transit speed
Commute score of 9.5 (well above the borough median of 7.0) with 13 subway lines and multiple stations within a short walk
Those seeking a built-environment neighborhood with manageable green space
Outdoor score of 5.4 is reasonable for a high-rise district with four parks nearby; not a park-dense neighborhood, but usable
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Exceptional transit connectivity
Commute score of 9.5 with access to 14 St-Union Sq (8 lines) and Herald Square (8 lines)
Few housing violations
Practical score of 7 (borough median 6.0) reflects a low rate of HPD housing violations per residential building
Four parks; the 3 nearest average 266m from the center
Union Square Park, Madison Square Park, Worth Square, and Greeley Square Park provide regular access to open space
Strong commercial and cultural anchor
Home to Flatiron Building, Eataly, and Silicon Alley tech presence creates consistent neighborhood identity and foot traffic
Trade-offs
Below-median ART/Livability score
ART/Livability score of 1.5 trails the borough median of 4.7
Below-average outdoor access
Outdoor score of 5.4 is modest; parks exist but are compact and shared with heavy foot traffic
All high-rise building stock
Elevator apartment buildings (32% of residential tax lots) and condominiums (23%) outnumber walk-ups (13%)
Score Any Address in Flatiron
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in FlatironFrequently Asked Questions about Flatiron
1Is Flatiron safe?
By NYPD data, Flatiron is rated "High Activity Area", with a lower crime rate per resident than 4% of Manhattan neighborhoods. 7,293 crime incidents and 2 shooting incidents over the past 12 months. See the safety page for the full breakdown.
2What is the average rent in Flatiron?
Rents in Flatiron, Manhattan 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 Flatiron?
Flatiron has a commute score of 9.5/10. 7 subway stations serve the area: 14 St-Union Sq, 34 St-Herald Sq, 28 St.
4What are the best streets in Flatiron?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Flatiron known for?
Flatiron sits in Manhattan and ranks #19 of 33 Manhattan neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data on DwellCheck's livability score (6/10). It's served by 7 subway stations (14 St-Union Sq, 34 St-Herald Sq, 28 St). Flatiron is a transit-first, high-rise urban neighborhood (composite score 6.0) built for people who prioritize commute speed over outdoor amenities or cultural density.
6What is it like to live in Flatiron?
DwellCheck scores Flatiron, Manhattan 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). Flatiron's composite is 6/10. Flatiron is a transit-first, high-rise urban neighborhood (composite score 6.0) built for people who prioritize commute speed over outdoor amenities or cultural density. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Flatiron address through DwellCheck.
7Where is Flatiron?
Flatiron is in Manhattan, New York City. DwellCheck maps it to the Midtown South-Flatiron-Union Square Neighborhood Tabulation Area (MN0501), which falls in the Census tabulation area that approximates Manhattan Community District 5 (Midtown-Flatiron-Union Square). Its main ZIP codes are 10001, 10016, 10010, 10011 and 10003. Subway stations in the neighborhood include 14 St-Union Sq, 34 St-Herald Sq and 28 St.
8What ZIP code is Flatiron in?
Flatiron spans ZIP codes 10001 (33% of residential units), 10016 (25%), 10010 (20%), 10011 (15%) and 10003 (8%). Shares are of the 21,029 residential units in the Midtown South-Flatiron-Union Square Neighborhood Tabulation Area (MN0501), from NYC PLUTO 26v2 tax-lot records.
9Can you walk around Flatiron at night?
Flatiron is classified as "High Activity Area" by NYPD complaint data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 2 shooting incidents and 7,293 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 Flatiron dangerous?
By NYPD data, Flatiron is rated "High Activity Area", with a lower crime rate per resident than 4% of Manhattan neighborhoods. 7,293 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
11What parts of Flatiron 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 Flatiron a good place to live?
Flatiron scores 6/10 for overall livability and has a lower crime rate per resident than 4% of Manhattan neighborhoods. Flatiron is a transit-first, high-rise urban neighborhood (composite score 6.0) built for people who prioritize commute speed over outdoor amenities or cultural density. 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 Flatiron?
The composite score is 6.0. Strength lies in Commute (9.5) and Practical (7) categories; weaker in ART/Livability (1.5) and Outdoor (5.4).
14How much green space is actually nearby?
You'll average 109 trees within 200 meters of any address with 2.0/10 tree density, plus four parks (Union Square, Madison Square, Worth, Greeley); the 3 nearest average 266 meters from the neighborhood's center.
15What transit access should I expect?
Exceptional: 14 St-Union Sq station offers 8 lines (4,5,6,L,N,Q,R,W); Herald Square offers 8 lines (B,D,F,M,N,Q,R,W). You're also within walking distance of 28 St, 23 St, and 33 St stations. This drives the 9.5 Commute score.
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