Is Long Island City Safe? Queens Livability, Crime & Rent
Long Island City scores 6.3: exceptional for commuting, held back by noise and above-average crime.
Long Island City at a glance
- Borough
- Queens
- Livability score
- 6.3/10
- Borough rank (NYC Open Data guides)
- #7 of 27
- Safety verdict
- High Activity Area
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 2,587
- ZIP codes
- 11101 (89%), 11109 (11%)Share of residential units, NYC PLUTO 26v2
- Subway stations
- 6 (Queens Plaza, Court Sq-23 St, 21 St)
- Data updated
- 2026-09-14
Is Long Island City Safe?
Long Island City, Queens scores 6.3/10 for overall livability, ranking #7 of 27 Queens neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data. Long Island City scores 6.3: exceptional for commuting, held back by noise and above-average crime.
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 Long Island City safety page. Safety varies by block — check a specific Long Island City 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 Queens neighborhood guides.
Neighborhood Character
Long Island City is a rapidly densifying waterfront neighborhood defined by glass high-rises and active street life. You'll find an average of 120 trees within a 200-meter radius with a tree density of 2.3/10. Residential tax lots mix walk-up apartment buildings (27%), two-family houses (22%), condominiums (16%) and elevator buildings (11%), under a visibly vertical skyline with Manhattan views. Street-level, you're navigating constant construction, heavy foot traffic, and a mix of industrial remnants alongside new development. Parks are accessible but modest: Murray Playground, Andrews Grove, Court Square Park, and Notorious LIC Park are close by (the 3 nearest parks average 263 meters from the neighborhood's center), though noise complaints (2,486 in 12 months) reflect the reality of a high-activity commercial and residential zone.
Livability & Restoration
Trees
120 trees
Expected in a 200m circle (NYC Parks tree inventory) | Density: 2.3/10 (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
9 parks
NYC Parks properties inside the neighborhood | largest: Murray Playground | nearest to the center: Murray Playground, 114m | 3 nearest average 263m from the neighborhood's center
Acoustic Quality
3/10
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 Queens 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: 3.5/10
Outdoor & Green Space
Avg Tree Count
120
Trees expected in a 200m circle
Tree Density
2.3/10
959 trees per km² in NYC Parks' tree inventory (street and park trees); city percentile, 1 = sparsest
Largest Parks In or Near the Neighborhood
- Murray Playground
- Andrews Grove
- Court Square Park
- Notorious LIC Park
- Vernon Mall
Nearest to the neighborhood's center: Murray Playground, about 114m. The 3 nearest NYC Parks properties average 263m from the center (approximate park centers, not entrances).
Practical Living
Practical (HPD violations): 7/10 (Queens median 8). It measures HPD housing violations per residential lot over the last 12 months (higher = fewer violations).
Building Mix (Residential Tax Lots)
Share of the 663 residential tax lots in the neighborhood by PLUTO building class (NYC Department of City Planning).
Who Long Island City Is For
Commuters prioritizing transit access
Commute score of 9.5 is among the highest in Queens, with eight subway lines (E, F, R, 7, G, M, N, W) within walking distance via Queens Plaza, Court Square, and Queensboro Plaza stations
Art and culture seekers
MoMA PS1 anchors emerging cultural infrastructure, though the neighborhood remains more commercial than cultural; the ART/Livability score, built on trees and quiet, is 2.2 (borough median 4.1)
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Exceptional transit connectivity
Commute score of 9.5 (borough median: 3.5); eight subway lines serve six stations with minimal walking distance
Park access
The 3 nearest parks average 263m from the neighborhood's center
Cultural amenities and waterfront
MoMA PS1, waterfront parks, and Manhattan views differentiate the neighborhood from surrounding industrial Queens
Trade-offs
Moderate noise levels
2,486 noise complaints in 12 months reflect active construction, traffic, and high population density
Above-average crime
Crime held stable over 12 months (-1.5%); 2,587 total crimes give a lower crime rate per resident than 4% of Queens neighborhoods
Score Any Address in Long Island City
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in Long Island CityFrequently Asked Questions about Long Island City
1Is Long Island City safe?
By NYPD data, Long Island City is rated "High Activity Area", with a lower crime rate per resident than 4% of Queens neighborhoods. 2,587 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 Long Island City?
Rents in Long Island City, Queens 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 Long Island City?
Long Island City has a commute score of 9.5/10. 6 subway stations serve the area: Queens Plaza, Court Sq-23 St, 21 St.
4What are the best streets in Long Island City?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Long Island City known for?
Long Island City sits in Queens and ranks #7 of 27 Queens neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data on DwellCheck's livability score (6.3/10). It's served by 6 subway stations (Queens Plaza, Court Sq-23 St, 21 St). Long Island City scores 6.3: exceptional for commuting, held back by noise and above-average crime.
6What is it like to live in Long Island City?
DwellCheck scores Long Island City, Queens 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). Long Island City's composite is 6.3/10. Long Island City scores 6.3: exceptional for commuting, held back by noise and above-average crime. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Long Island City address through DwellCheck.
7Where is Long Island City?
Long Island City is in Queens, New York City. DwellCheck maps it to the Long Island City-Hunters Point Neighborhood Tabulation Area (QN0201), which falls in the Census tabulation area that approximates Queens Community District 2 (Long Island City-Sunnyside-Woodside). Its main ZIP codes are 11101 and 11109. Subway stations in the neighborhood include Queens Plaza, Court Sq-23 St and 21 St.
8What ZIP code is Long Island City in?
Long Island City spans ZIP codes 11101 (89% of residential units) and 11109 (11%). Shares are of the 30,053 residential units in the Long Island City-Hunters Point Neighborhood Tabulation Area (QN0201), from NYC PLUTO 26v2 tax-lot records.
9Can you walk around Long Island City at night?
Long Island City is classified as "High Activity Area" by NYPD complaint data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 0 shooting incidents and 2,587 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 Long Island City dangerous?
By NYPD data, Long Island City is rated "High Activity Area", with a lower crime rate per resident than 4% of Queens neighborhoods. 2,587 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
11What parts of Long Island City 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 Long Island City a good place to live?
Long Island City scores 6.3/10 for overall livability and has a lower crime rate per resident than 4% of Queens neighborhoods. Long Island City scores 6.3: exceptional for commuting, held back by noise and above-average crime. 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 Long Island City?
The composite score is 6.3. Strength lies in commuting (9.5) and practical (7.0); weakness appears in ART/Livability (2.2), below the borough median, while outdoor (6.0) sits at it.
14How safe is Long Island City?
The neighborhood has a lower crime rate per resident than 4% of Queens neighborhoods—higher crime than average. Crime held stable over 12 months (-1.5%), and noise complaints (2,486) indicate high-activity stress.
15What is the building stock like?
Of 663 residential tax lots, 27% are walk-up apartment buildings, 22% two-family houses, 16% condominiums and 11% elevator apartment buildings. This vertical profile reflects rapid development and reflects the neighborhood's transformation into a residential-commercial hub.
16How much green space is there?
You'll find 120 trees within 200m on average with 2.3/10 tree density. Parks include Murray Playground, Andrews Grove, Court Square, Notorious LIC and Vernon Mall; the 3 nearest parks average 263m from the neighborhood's center.
17What transit options are available?
Eight subway lines serve the neighborhood: E, F, R (Queens Plaza); 7, E, F, G, M (Court Square–23 St); G (21 St); 7, N, W (Queensboro Plaza); 7 (Hunters Point Av, Vernon Blvd–Jackson Av). Commute score of 9.5 reflects this density.
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