Is Snug Harbor Safe? Staten Island Livability, Crime & Rent
Snug Harbor scores 6.8 median—a neighborhood with real cultural and transit advantages, excellent trees, and low rodent pressure, but worsening crime and persistent noise complaints warrant careful consideration.
Is Snug Harbor Safe?
Snug Harbor, Staten Island scores 6.8/10 for overall livability, ranking #1 of 4 Staten Island neighborhoods. Snug Harbor scores 6.8 median—a neighborhood with real cultural and transit advantages, excellent trees, and low rodent pressure, but worsening crime and persistent noise complaints warrant careful consideration.
This score aggregates live NYPD crime data, 311 safety complaints, shooting incidents, and building health signals within walking distance. Safety varies by block — check a specific Snug Harbor address below for a block-level breakdown.
Score Overview
Vertical line = borough median. Scale: 0-10.
Neighborhood Character
Snug Harbor is a tree-dense neighborhood where you'll walk under 78 trees on average within 200 meters—one of Staten Island's leafiest pockets, with a 9.5/10 canopy density. You're surrounded by cultural anchors: the Snug Harbor Cultural Center anchors the waterfront, backed by botanical gardens and museums housed in historic buildings. Five parks dot the area within roughly 700 meters (Ocean Breeze Park, Bradys Pond Park, South Beach Wetlands, Gen. Douglas MacArthur Park, Last Chance Pond Park), offering green space without the crowding you'd find elsewhere in the borough. The building stock is overwhelmingly walk-up (83%), with a small mid-rise presence—this feels like a neighborhood of brownstones and smaller residential buildings, not towers.
Analysis based on 18 properties scored across 30+ data points
Livability & Restoration
Tree Canopy
78 trees
Avg within 200m | Density: 9.5/10
10 additional trees per block correlates with health benefits equivalent to being 7 years younger (Kardan et al., 2015)
Park Access
Ocean Breeze Park
Avg 711m away | Score: 2.3/10
Living within 300m of green space associated with 30% fewer antidepressant prescriptions (Taylor et al., 2015)
Acoustic Quality
6/10
Noise proxy score (higher = quieter)
Chronic noise above 55 dB at night associated with 8% cardiovascular mortality increase (Basner et al., 2014)
Street Character
0/10
Enclosure: 0/10
Transit & Commute
Subway Stations
Commute Score
6.5/10
Borough median: 2.5/10
Walk Score Proxy
0/10
Based on street geometry analysis
Financial Landscape
Median Price
$0
Price per Sq Ft
$0
Price Distribution
Price by Building Type
Investment Indicators
Avg Unused FAR
0 sqft
Development rights potential
Unused development rights valued at $30-$80/sqft in Brooklyn (Glaeser, 2011)
Avg Days on Market
0
Market velocity signal
Multi-Family Stock
0%
2-4 family buildings
Multi-family owner-occupants build 2.4x wealth vs single-family (Herbert, 2013)
Outdoor & Green Space
Avg Tree Count
78
Within 200m radius
Canopy Density
9.5/10
Normalized canopy coverage
Park Network
- Ocean Breeze Park
- Bradys Pond Park
- South Beach Wetlands
- Gen. Douglas MacArthur Park
- Last Chance Pond Park
Avg distance: 711m
Practical Living
Building Types
Who Snug Harbor Is For
Culture-first residents
Snug Harbor's ART/Livability score of 6.8 significantly outpaces the borough median of 5, and the neighborhood's museums, gardens, and cultural center create a rare nexus for arts engagement on Staten Island
Transit-dependent commuters
With four SIR stops (Grasmere, Old Town, Dongan Hills, Dongan Hill) and a Commute score of 6.5—far above the borough's 2.5 median—you have real public transit access, making car dependency less absolute
Nature-focused households
The combination of 78 average trees within 200m, 9.5/10 canopy density, and five nearby parks puts Snug Harbor at the top of Staten Island for outdoor access, despite an Outdoor score of 4.5
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Exceptional tree canopy and green infrastructure
78 trees within 200m and 9.5/10 canopy density—among the densest in the borough
Walkable to five established parks
Ocean Breeze Park, Bradys Pond Park, South Beach Wetlands, Gen. Douglas MacArthur Park, and Last Chance Pond Park all within ~711m average distance
Strong public transit relative to Staten Island
Cultural and educational institutions
Snug Harbor Cultural Center, botanical gardens, and museums provide arts/livability options rare in the borough
Low rodent complaints
Only 69 rodent complaints, indicating solid building maintenance and pest control relative to typical urban standards
Trade-offs
Rising crime and worsening safety trend
1,230 crimes in the past 12 months with a +215.4% trend line—a significant deterioration despite a 49th percentile safety ranking
Very high noise complaint volume
1,346 noise complaints indicate persistent noise issues from traffic, construction, or neighbors
Limited outdoor amenities relative to tree cover
Outdoor score of 4.5 lags the borough's 6, suggesting park infrastructure and recreation facilities don't fully match the green space presence
Walk-up dominated building stock
83% walk-ups mean limited elevator access and stair climbing; limited new construction or renovation activity
Score Any Address in Snug Harbor
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in Snug HarborFrequently Asked Questions about Snug Harbor
1Is Snug Harbor safe?
Snug Harbor safety varies by block. DwellCheck provides detailed safety data including NYPD crime statistics, arrest data, and 311 complaints. Check the Snug Harbor safety page for full details.
2What is the average rent in Snug Harbor?
Rents in Snug Harbor, Staten Island vary significantly by building and apartment type. The median listing price is $0. Use DwellCheck to research specific addresses.
3How is transit access in Snug Harbor?
Snug Harbor has a commute score of 6.5/10. 4 subway stations serve the area: Grasmere, Old Town, Dongan Hills.
4What are the best streets in Snug Harbor?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is the average DwellScore in Snug Harbor?
The median composite score is 6.8 (interquartile range 6.4–7.2). This score is driven by exceptional Practical (9.0) and ART/Livability (6.8) metrics, offset by weak Financial (5.0), Investment (5.0), and Outdoor (4.5) scores. The strong Commute score (6.5) reflects four nearby SIR stations.
6How safe is Snug Harbor?
Crime activity ranks at the 49th percentile in Staten Island—median relative safety—but this masks a troubling +215.4% crime increase over 12 months. The 1,230 crimes recorded and 1,346 noise complaints suggest deteriorating conditions despite mid-range statistical ranking.
7What transit options are available?
You'll find four Staten Island Railway stations: Grasmere, Old Town, Dongan Hills, and Dongan Hill. The Commute score of 6.5 significantly exceeds the borough median (2.5), making transit-dependent living more feasible than elsewhere in Staten Island.
8How much green space is nearby?
Snug Harbor averages 78 trees within 200 meters with a 9.5/10 canopy density—excellent coverage. Five parks (Ocean Breeze, Bradys Pond, South Beach Wetlands, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Last Chance Pond) sit ~711m away on average, though the Outdoor score (4.5) suggests park quality or recreational facilities lag the tree presence.
9What type of buildings dominate?
Walk-ups represent 83% of tracked buildings, mid-rises 17%. This reflects a low-rise residential character with limited elevator access and older construction, consistent with Staten Island's neighborhood fabric.