Is Roosevelt Island Safe? Manhattan Livability, Crime & Rent
Roosevelt Island scores 2.4 on the two dimensions DwellCheck can measure there—a single subway station and many housing violations per residential lot—so weigh the island's waterfront setting yourself.
Roosevelt Island has no Neighborhood Tabulation Area of its own; it is part of the Upper East Side-Lenox Hill-Roosevelt Island NTA (MN0801). Subway and housing-violation figures on this page cover Roosevelt Island only. Crime, 311 noise complaints and the acoustic score cover the whole NTA, most of which is Lenox Hill. The island's streets and parks are run by the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation and New York State, so NYC Parks' tree and parks inventories don't cover them: there is no outdoor or ART score for Roosevelt Island.
Roosevelt Island at a glance
- Borough
- Manhattan
- Livability score
- 2.4/10
- Borough rank (NYC Open Data guides)
- #33 of 33
- Safety verdict
- Exceptionally Safe
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 2,087
- Subway stations
- 1 (Roosevelt Island)
- Data updated
- 2026-09-14
Is Roosevelt Island Safe?
Roosevelt Island, Manhattan scores 2.4/10 for overall livability, ranking #33 of 33 Manhattan neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data. Roosevelt Island scores 2.4 on the two dimensions DwellCheck can measure there—a single subway station and many housing violations per residential lot—so weigh the island's waterfront setting yourself.
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 Roosevelt Island safety page. Safety varies by block — check a specific Roosevelt Island 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
Roosevelt Island is a narrow island in the East River between Manhattan and Queens, reached by the Roosevelt Island Tramway, one bridge from Queens and a single subway station. It has no Neighborhood Tabulation Area of its own: its subway and housing-violation figures cover the island, while its crime and noise-complaint figures come from the NTA it shares with Lenox Hill. The streetscape is dominated by high-rise residential towers and planned open space rather than varied block-by-block architecture, with fewer storefronts than most of Manhattan. The East River shoreline frames daily life, with views across to Queens and Manhattan.
Livability & Restoration
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. This neighborhood has no ART score: the data behind it doesn’t cover the neighborhood. An address report has no ART score. It runs the Wellness checks below, and their points go into the address’s overall score.
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
3/10
Borough median: 7/10
Outdoor & Green Space
The island's streets and parks are run by the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation and New York State, so NYC Parks' tree and parks inventories don't cover them: there is no outdoor or ART score for Roosevelt Island.
Practical Living
Practical (HPD violations): 2/10 (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 14 residential tax lots in the neighborhood by PLUTO building class (NYC Department of City Planning).
Who Roosevelt Island Is For
Professionals seeking a safe base near Midtown
The NTA it shares with Lenox Hill has a lower crime rate per resident than 92% of Manhattan neighborhoods, with crime down 17.2%; island-only crime figures are not published.
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Waterfront access
Promenades line much of the island's East River shoreline. NYC Parks data doesn't cover the island's parks, so DwellCheck has no outdoor score here.
Trade-offs
Limited cultural and dining options
Single-island footprint means venues don't cluster; most entertainment requires leaving the island.
Geographic isolation creates dependency
Accessible via the Tramway, one bridge from Queens and a single subway station; the commute score is 3 (borough median 7.0).
High rate of housing violations per residential lot
Practical score of 2 (borough median 6.0). The score counts HPD violations per residential tax lot, and the island's housing sits on a few very large lots, so each lot accumulates many violations.
Score Any Address in Roosevelt Island
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in Roosevelt IslandFrequently Asked Questions about Roosevelt Island
1Is Roosevelt Island safe?
By NYPD data, Roosevelt Island is rated "Exceptionally Safe", with a lower crime rate per resident than 92% of Manhattan neighborhoods. 2,087 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 Roosevelt Island?
Rents in Roosevelt Island, 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 Roosevelt Island?
Roosevelt Island has a commute score of 3/10. 1 subway stations serve the area: Roosevelt Island.
4What are the best streets in Roosevelt Island?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Roosevelt Island known for?
Roosevelt Island sits in Manhattan and ranks #33 of 33 Manhattan neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data on DwellCheck's livability score (2.4/10). It's served by 1 subway station (Roosevelt Island). Roosevelt Island scores 2.4 on the two dimensions DwellCheck can measure there—a single subway station and many housing violations per residential lot—so weigh the island's waterfront setting yourself.
6What is it like to live in Roosevelt Island?
DwellCheck scores Roosevelt Island, 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). Roosevelt Island's composite is 2.4/10. Roosevelt Island scores 2.4 on the two dimensions DwellCheck can measure there—a single subway station and many housing violations per residential lot—so weigh the island's waterfront setting yourself. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Roosevelt Island address through DwellCheck.
7Can you walk around Roosevelt Island at night?
Roosevelt Island is classified as "Exceptionally Safe" by NYPD complaint data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 0 shooting incidents and 2,087 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.
8Is Roosevelt Island dangerous?
By NYPD data, Roosevelt Island is rated "Exceptionally Safe", with a lower crime rate per resident than 92% of Manhattan neighborhoods. 2,087 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
9What parts of Roosevelt Island 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.
10Is Roosevelt Island a good place to live?
Roosevelt Island scores 2.4/10 for overall livability and has a lower crime rate per resident than 92% of Manhattan neighborhoods. Roosevelt Island scores 2.4 on the two dimensions DwellCheck can measure there—a single subway station and many housing violations per residential lot—so weigh the island's waterfront setting yourself. 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).
11What is the average DwellScore in Roosevelt Island?
2.4 composite, built from Practical (2) and Commute (3) only: NYC Parks data doesn't cover the island, so there is no outdoor or ART score. Both measured scores sit well below the Manhattan medians (6 and 7).
12How noisy is Roosevelt Island?
DwellCheck's acoustic score (5/10) comes from noise complaints filed across the whole NTA the island shares with Lenox Hill, so it does not isolate the island.
13How many subway lines can you realistically access from Roosevelt Island?
One subway station is on the island: Roosevelt Island, listed with the M in the MTA station data.
14Is there enough green space for outdoor recreation?
City data can't answer that: the island's streets and parks are run by the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation and New York State, and NYC Parks' tree and parks inventories don't cover them.
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