Is Midtown East Safe? Manhattan Livability, Crime & Rent
Midtown East scores 5.9—a green, vertical neighborhood with few housing violations, suited to people who work nearby and tolerate institutional sterility despite a weak commute score.
Midtown East at a glance
- Borough
- Manhattan
- Livability score
- 5.9/10
- Borough rank (NYC Open Data guides)
- #21 of 33
- Safety verdict
- Much Safer Than Average
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 2,149
- ZIP codes
- 10022 (74%), 10017 (26%)Share of residential units, NYC PLUTO 26v2
- Subway stations
- 1 (Lexington Av/51-53 Sts)
- Data updated
- 2026-09-14
Is Midtown East Safe?
Midtown East, Manhattan scores 5.9/10 for overall livability, ranking #21 of 33 Manhattan neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data. Midtown East scores 5.9—a green, vertical neighborhood with few housing violations, suited to people who work nearby and tolerate institutional sterility despite a weak commute score.
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 Midtown East safety page. Safety varies by block — check a specific Midtown East 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
Midtown East mixes walk-up and elevator apartment buildings (27% of residential tax lots each) under an office-tower skyline, broken up by surprising pockets of greenery. You'll find an average of 204 trees within a 200-meter radius with 7.8/10 tree density—unusually high for Manhattan's core—around Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, Sutton Parks, and Peter Detmold Park; the 3 nearest parks average 425 meters from the neighborhood's center. The area pulses with institutional presence: Grand Central Terminal anchors the western edge, the United Nations defines the east, and corporate dining dominates street-level commerce. Transit runs through a single station, Lexington Av/51-53 Sts (6, E, F, M), and the neighborhood prioritizes work over wandering—sidewalks fill with professionals, not loungers.
Livability & Restoration
Trees
204 trees
Expected in a 200m circle (NYC Parks tree inventory) | Density: 7.8/10 (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
7 parks
NYC Parks properties inside the neighborhood | largest: Dag Hammarskjold Plaza | nearest to the center: Constance Baker Motley Recreation Center, 275m | 3 nearest average 425m 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.
Within a point of the Manhattan 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
4/10
Borough median: 7/10
Outdoor & Green Space
Avg Tree Count
204
Trees expected in a 200m circle
Tree Density
7.8/10
1,626 trees per km² in NYC Parks' tree inventory (street and park trees); city percentile, 1 = sparsest
Largest Parks In or Near the Neighborhood
- Dag Hammarskjold Plaza
- Sutton Parks
- Peter Detmold Park
- MacArthur Playground
- Sutton Place Park
Nearest to the neighborhood's center: Constance Baker Motley Recreation Center, about 275m. The 3 nearest NYC Parks properties average 425m 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 765 residential tax lots in the neighborhood by PLUTO building class (NYC Department of City Planning).
Who Midtown East Is For
Corporate commuters
Lexington Av/51-53 Sts (6, E, F, M) sits in the neighborhood, though the Commute score of 4 trails the borough median of 7.0.
International professionals
UN proximity, high-rise stock, and corporate dining infrastructure cater to globally mobile workers seeking stability and institutional proximity.
Nature-conscious urbanites with short commute tolerance
Above-median tree density (7.8/10) and nearby parks offset the vertical density, but Commute score of 4 means you're staying close to work or accepting longer travel elsewhere.
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Above-median tree coverage citywide
Average 204 trees within 200m and a 7.8/10 tree density, above the city midpoint
Few housing violations
Stable, institutional anchors
Grand Central Terminal and UN headquarters provide predictable neighborhood character and security infrastructure
Trade-offs
Weak commute score
Commute score of 4 (vs. borough median 7.0) indicates limited easy access to other Manhattan destinations
Office-centric streetscape
Office-tower dominance creates evening emptiness and limited residential-scale retail
Score Any Address in Midtown East
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in Midtown EastFrequently Asked Questions about Midtown East
1Is Midtown East safe?
By NYPD data, Midtown East is rated "Much Safer Than Average", with a lower crime rate per resident than 77% of Manhattan neighborhoods. 2,149 crime incidents and 0 shooting incidents over the past 12 months. See the safety page for the full breakdown.
2What is the average rent in Midtown East?
Rents in Midtown East, 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 Midtown East?
Midtown East has a commute score of 4/10. 1 subway stations serve the area: Lexington Av/51-53 Sts.
4What are the best streets in Midtown East?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Midtown East known for?
Midtown East sits in Manhattan and ranks #21 of 33 Manhattan neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data on DwellCheck's livability score (5.9/10). It's served by 1 subway station (Lexington Av/51-53 Sts). Midtown East scores 5.9—a green, vertical neighborhood with few housing violations, suited to people who work nearby and tolerate institutional sterility despite a weak commute score.
6What is it like to live in Midtown East?
DwellCheck scores Midtown East, 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). Midtown East's composite is 5.9/10. Midtown East scores 5.9—a green, vertical neighborhood with few housing violations, suited to people who work nearby and tolerate institutional sterility despite a weak commute score. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Midtown East address through DwellCheck.
7Where is Midtown East?
Midtown East is in Manhattan, New York City. DwellCheck maps it to the East Midtown-Turtle Bay Neighborhood Tabulation Area (MN0604), which falls in the Census tabulation area that approximates Manhattan Community District 6 (East Midtown-Murray Hill). Its main ZIP codes are 10022 and 10017. Subway stations in the neighborhood include Lexington Av/51-53 Sts.
8What ZIP code is Midtown East in?
Midtown East spans ZIP codes 10022 (74% of residential units) and 10017 (26%). Shares are of the 34,205 residential units in the East Midtown-Turtle Bay Neighborhood Tabulation Area (MN0604), from NYC PLUTO 26v2 tax-lot records.
9Can you walk around Midtown East at night?
Midtown East is classified as "Much Safer Than Average" by NYPD complaint data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 0 shooting incidents and 2,149 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 Midtown East dangerous?
By NYPD data, Midtown East is rated "Much Safer Than Average", with a lower crime rate per resident than 77% of Manhattan neighborhoods. 2,149 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
11What parts of Midtown East 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 Midtown East a good place to live?
Midtown East scores 5.9/10 for overall livability and has a lower crime rate per resident than 77% of Manhattan neighborhoods. Midtown East scores 5.9—a green, vertical neighborhood with few housing violations, suited to people who work nearby and tolerate institutional sterility despite a weak commute score. 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 Midtown East?
5.9 composite. Practical (7.0), ART/Livability (5.4) and outdoor green (7.1) elevate the composite, but a weak Commute score (4.0) holds the composite to 6.0.
14Why is the Commute score so low?
Commute score of 4 (vs. borough median 7.0) reflects a single subway station, Lexington Av/51-53 Sts, inside the neighborhood.
15How green is this neighborhood really?
Very, by Midtown standards: 204 average trees per 200m and 7.8/10 tree density. However, the 3 nearest parks average 425m from the neighborhood's center, so you're relying on trees and plazas (Dag Hammarskjold, Sutton Parks) rather than large park access.
16What's the building stock like?
Of the residential tax lots, 27% are walk-up and 27% elevator apartment buildings, with condominiums on 12%. This creates density and vertical living but minimal street-level residential character. Expect corporate or luxury residential towers.
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