Is Upper West Side Safe? Manhattan Livability, Crime & Rent
Upper West Side scores 7.3: excellent for transit and green space, constrained by rising crime and noise realities.
Upper West Side at a glance
- Borough
- Manhattan
- Livability score
- 7.3/10
- Borough rank (NYC Open Data guides)
- #2 of 33
- Safety verdict
- Higher Than Average
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 6,922
- Subway stations
- 6 (Cathedral Pkwy (110 St), 103 St, 96 St)
- Data updated
- 2026-09-14
Is Upper West Side Safe?
Upper West Side, Manhattan scores 7.3/10 for overall livability, ranking #2 of 33 Manhattan neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data. Upper West Side scores 7.3: excellent for transit and green space, constrained by rising crime and noise realities.
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 Upper West Side safety page. Safety varies by block — check a specific Upper West Side 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 walk tree-lined blocks where 353 trees per 200 meters create a tree density that ranks among Manhattan's densest. The neighborhood strings together parks — Theodore Roosevelt Park, Joan of Arc Park, Frederick Douglass Playground, Happy Warrior Playground and Booker T. Washington Playground; the 3 nearest parks average 341 meters from the neighborhood's center —giving you genuine green space options without traveling far. Transit access is exceptional: you're within walking distance of six subway stations (Cathedral Pkwy (110 St), 103 St, 96 St, 86 St, 81 St-Museum of Natural History, and 79 St), offering the 1, 2, 3, B, and C trains. Walk-up apartment buildings sit on 56% of residential tax lots and elevator apartment buildings on 22%, creating an urban but not overwhelming street wall. Note: this is a busy neighborhood. You'll hear it—10,041 noise complaints over 12 months reflect the reality of major transit hubs and consistent foot traffic.
Livability & Restoration
Trees
353 trees
Expected in a 200m circle (NYC Parks tree inventory) | Density: 9.9/10 (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
16 parks
NYC Parks properties inside the neighborhood | largest: Theodore Roosevelt Park | nearest to the center: St. Gregory's Playground, 260m | 3 nearest average 341m 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.
More than a point above the Manhattan median: denser trees, fewer 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
9/10
Borough median: 7/10
Outdoor & Green Space
Avg Tree Count
353
Trees expected in a 200m circle
Tree Density
9.9/10
2,812 trees per km² in NYC Parks' tree inventory (street and park trees); city percentile, 1 = sparsest
Largest Parks In or Near the Neighborhood
- Theodore Roosevelt Park
- Frederick Douglass Playground
- Happy Warrior Playground
- Joan Of Arc Park
- Booker T. Washington Playground
Nearest to the neighborhood's center: St. Gregory's Playground, about 260m. The 3 nearest NYC Parks properties average 341m from the center (approximate park centers, not entrances).
Practical Living
Practical (HPD violations): 6/10 (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 3,203 residential tax lots in the neighborhood by PLUTO building class (NYC Department of City Planning).
Who Upper West Side Is For
Transit-dependent professionals
Commute score of 9 (above borough median of 7.0) and six nearby subway stations with multiple line redundancy make this ideal if your job requires frequent movement across the city.
Parents prioritizing outdoor access
The 3 nearest parks average 341m from the neighborhood's center and 353 trees per 200m provide accessible recreation; the outdoor score of 8.9 is among the highest in Manhattan.
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Exceptional transit access
Commute score of 9 and six subway stations within the neighborhood, with lines 1, 2, 3, B and C all represented.
High tree density and multiple parks
Average 353 trees per 200m radius with 9.9/10 tree density; the 3 nearest parks average 341m from the neighborhood's center.
Substantial building stock
3,203 residential tax lots in a well-established residential area.
Trade-offs
Moderate noise activity
10,041 noise complaints over 12 months (Moderate category); you're near transit hubs and high foot traffic.
Crime trend is worsening
Total crimes over 12 months: 6,922; the trend shows a +5.5% change, and 5 shooting incidents pull the safety verdict to higher than average.
High rodent complaints
874 rodent complaints over 12 months, among the higher counts in Manhattan.
Score Any Address in Upper West Side
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in Upper West SideFrequently Asked Questions about Upper West Side
1Is Upper West Side safe?
By NYPD data, Upper West Side is rated "Higher Than Average", with a lower crime rate per resident than 81% of Manhattan neighborhoods. 6,922 crime incidents and 5 shooting incidents over the past 12 months. See the safety page for the full breakdown.
2What is the average rent in Upper West Side?
Rents in Upper West Side, 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 Upper West Side?
Upper West Side has a commute score of 9/10. 6 subway stations serve the area: Cathedral Pkwy (110 St), 103 St, 96 St.
4What are the best streets in Upper West Side?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Upper West Side known for?
Upper West Side sits in Manhattan and ranks #2 of 33 Manhattan neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data on DwellCheck's livability score (7.3/10). It's served by 6 subway stations (Cathedral Pkwy (110 St), 103 St, 96 St). Upper West Side scores 7.3: excellent for transit and green space, constrained by rising crime and noise realities.
6What is it like to live in Upper West Side?
DwellCheck scores Upper West Side, 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). Upper West Side's composite is 7.3/10. Upper West Side scores 7.3: excellent for transit and green space, constrained by rising crime and noise realities. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Upper West Side address through DwellCheck.
7Where is Upper West Side?
Upper West Side is in Manhattan, New York City. DwellCheck maps it to the Upper West Side (Central) and Upper West Side-Manhattan Valley Neighborhood Tabulation Areas (MN0702, MN0703), which fall in the Census tabulation area that approximates Manhattan Community District 7 (Upper West Side). Its main ZIP codes are 10025, 10024 and 10023. Subway stations in the neighborhood include Cathedral Pkwy (110 St), 103 St and 96 St.
8What ZIP code is Upper West Side in?
Upper West Side spans ZIP codes 10025 (51% of residential units), 10024 (42%) and 10023 (7%). Shares are of the 84,308 residential units in the Upper West Side (Central) and Upper West Side-Manhattan Valley Neighborhood Tabulation Areas (MN0702, MN0703), from NYC PLUTO 26v2 tax-lot records.
9Can you walk around Upper West Side at night?
Upper West Side is classified as "Higher Than Average" by NYPD complaint data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 5 shooting incidents and 6,922 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 Upper West Side dangerous?
By NYPD data, Upper West Side is rated "Higher Than Average", with a lower crime rate per resident than 81% of Manhattan neighborhoods. 6,922 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
11What parts of Upper West Side 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 Upper West Side a good place to live?
Upper West Side scores 7.3/10 for overall livability and has a lower crime rate per resident than 81% of Manhattan neighborhoods. Upper West Side scores 7.3: excellent for transit and green space, constrained by rising crime and noise realities. 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 Upper West Side?
The composite score is 7.3. Strengths: Commute (9) and Outdoor (8.9) scores above borough medians. Weakness: Practical (6) sits at the borough median.
14How accessible is public transit here?
Commute score is 9, the highest of any category tracked. Six subway stations serve the neighborhood (Cathedral Pkwy (110 St), 103 St, 96 St, 86 St, 81 St, 79 St) with redundant lines (1, 2, 3, B, C).
15What are the safety and noise realities?
The neighborhood has a lower crime rate per resident than 81% of Manhattan neighborhoods, and 5 shooting incidents put its safety verdict at higher than average. Total crimes: 6,922 over 12 months with a worsening trend (+5.5%). Noise complaints are moderate at 10,041—expect continuous urban ambient sound.
16Why is there no price or investment score?
Price and investment data are not available in NYC Open Data, so DwellCheck does not score them for this neighborhood. Consult external pricing databases for property cost and investment analysis.
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