Is Turtle Bay Safe? Manhattan Livability, Crime & Rent
Turtle Bay scores 5.9 composite: a safe, tree-filled Midtown pocket with few housing violations but real noise challenges and a weak commute score.
Turtle Bay has no Neighborhood Tabulation Area of its own. The scores and figures on this page cover the East Midtown-Turtle Bay NTA (MN0604), the same area as the Midtown East guide.
Turtle Bay at a glance
- Borough
- Manhattan
- Livability score
- 5.9/10
- Borough rank (NYC Open Data guides)
- #23 of 33
- ZIP codes (East Midtown-Turtle Bay NTA)
- 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 Turtle Bay Safe?
Turtle Bay, Manhattan scores 5.9/10 for overall livability, ranking #23 of 33 Manhattan neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data. Turtle Bay scores 5.9 composite: a safe, tree-filled Midtown pocket with few housing violations but real noise challenges and 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 Turtle Bay safety page. Safety varies by block — check a specific Turtle Bay 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
Turtle Bay is a high-rise dominated pocket of Midtown Manhattan where you'll walk past an average of 204 trees within 200 meters—despite the vertical cityscape around you. The neighborhood centers on the UN headquarters and radiates quiet for a Manhattan commercial zone; you're surrounded by Tudor City's distinctive art deco charm and tree-lined streets that feel residential rather than touristy. Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, Peter Detmold Park and other parks give you genuine outdoor access (the 3 nearest parks average 425 meters from the neighborhood's center), and the tree density of 7.8/10 means shade is consistent year-round. But this tranquility comes with noise: 2,432 noise complaints over 12 months signal that despite the trees and parks, street-level sound is a persistent feature of the neighborhood.
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 Turtle Bay Is For
Safety-conscious renters or buyers
You're in a neighborhood with a lower crime rate per resident than 77% of Manhattan neighborhoods, with moderate rodent complaints (71), and crime has fallen 11.2% year-over-year.
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Above-median tree coverage citywide
204 trees within 200m radius, 7.8/10 tree density—above the city midpoint
Above-average safety relative to Manhattan
Lower crime rate per resident than 77% of Manhattan neighborhoods; moderate rodent complaints (71)
Direct subway access
Four lines (6, E, F, M) stop at Lexington Av/51-53 Sts, your neighborhood anchor
Riverfront and park access
Dag Hammarskjold Plaza and other parks; the 3 nearest parks average 425m from the neighborhood's center
Trade-offs
Persistent noise complaints
2,432 noise complaints over 12 months is 'Moderate'—expectation-setting for sound tolerance needed
Weak commute score
Commute score of 4 vs. borough median 7.0 reflects a single subway station
High-rise-heavy building stock
Elevator and walk-up apartment buildings (27% of residential tax lots each) outnumber houses; limited low-rise residential character
Score Any Address in Turtle Bay
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in Turtle BayFrequently Asked Questions about Turtle Bay
1Is Turtle Bay safe?
Turtle Bay safety varies by block. DwellCheck provides detailed safety data including NYPD crime statistics, arrest data, and 311 complaints. Check the Turtle Bay safety page for full details.
2What is the average rent in Turtle Bay?
Rents in Turtle Bay, 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 Turtle Bay?
Turtle Bay has a commute score of 4/10. 1 subway stations serve the area: Lexington Av/51-53 Sts.
4What are the best streets in Turtle Bay?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Turtle Bay known for?
Turtle Bay sits in Manhattan and ranks #23 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). Turtle Bay scores 5.9 composite: a safe, tree-filled Midtown pocket with few housing violations but real noise challenges and a weak commute score.
6What is it like to live in Turtle Bay?
DwellCheck scores Turtle Bay, 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). Turtle Bay's composite is 5.9/10. Turtle Bay scores 5.9 composite: a safe, tree-filled Midtown pocket with few housing violations but real noise challenges and a weak commute score. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Turtle Bay address through DwellCheck.
7Where is Turtle Bay?
Turtle Bay is in Manhattan, New York City, inside the East Midtown-Turtle Bay Neighborhood Tabulation Area (MN0604), the same area as DwellCheck's Midtown East guide. That NTA falls in the Census tabulation area that approximates Manhattan Community District 6 (East Midtown-Murray Hill), and its main ZIP codes are 10022 and 10017. Subway stations in that area include Lexington Av/51-53 Sts.
8What ZIP code is Turtle Bay in?
Turtle Bay has no Neighborhood Tabulation Area of its own, so its own ZIP codes can't be separated out. It sits inside the East Midtown-Turtle Bay Neighborhood Tabulation Area (MN0604), which spans ZIP codes 10022 (74% of residential units) and 10017 (26%). Shares are of the 34,205 residential units in that NTA, from NYC PLUTO 26v2 tax-lot records.
9What is the average DwellScore in Turtle Bay?
The composite score is 5.9. The neighborhood is anchored by practical (7/10), ART/Livability (5.4) and outdoor (7.1) scores, offset by a weak commute score (4).
10Is Turtle Bay a safe neighborhood?
Yes, relative to Manhattan. It has a lower crime rate per resident than 77% of Manhattan neighborhoods, with moderate rodent complaints. Total crime (2,149 incidents over 12 months) has fallen 11.2% year-over-year.
11What transit options are available?
Lexington Av/51-53 Sts connects you to the 6, E, F, and M lines. It is the only station in the neighborhood, which keeps the commute score at 4.
12How much green space is there?
You'll find 204 trees on average within 200 meters and a 7.8/10 tree density. The largest parks are Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, Sutton Parks, Peter Detmold Park, MacArthur Playground and Sutton Place Park; the 3 nearest parks average 425 meters from the neighborhood's center.
13What's the noise situation?
2,432 noise complaints over 12 months is rated 'Moderate.' Despite the trees and park access, street-level sound from traffic and urban activity is persistent and should be a serious consideration.
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