Is Pelham Parkway Safe? Bronx Livability, Crime & Rent
Pelham Parkway is a green, walkable neighborhood with solid safety standing, but worsening crime trends and high noise make it a measured choice—best for residents prioritizing nature and practical services over commute speed or tranquility.
Pelham Parkway at a glance
- Borough
- Bronx
- Livability score
- 5.8/10
- Borough rank
- #10 of 23
- Safety verdict
- Safer Than Average
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 2,437
- Median listing
- $0
- Subway stations
- 1 (Pelham Pkwy)
- Active listings
- 7
- Data updated
- 2026-04-05
Is Pelham Parkway Safe?
Pelham Parkway, Bronx scores 5.8/10 for overall livability, ranking #10 of 23 Bronx neighborhoods. Pelham Parkway is a green, walkable neighborhood with solid safety standing, but worsening crime trends and high noise make it a measured choice—best for residents prioritizing nature and practical services over commute speed or tranquility.
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 Pelham Parkway address below for a block-level breakdown.
Score Overview
Vertical line = borough median. Scale: 0-10.
Neighborhood Character
You'll find a tree-dense residential pocket anchored by two major cultural institutions—the Bronx Zoo and New York Botanical Garden sit at the neighborhood's edges, drawing foot traffic but leaving the interior blocks quieter and greener. Average tree count reaches 81 per 200 meters with a canopy density of 9.5/10, making Pelham Parkway feel sheltered despite the urban density. The neighborhood runs on the 2 and 5 subway lines via Pelham Parkway station, connecting you downtown, though the commute score (3.5) reflects longer travel times. Building stock splits evenly between mid-rise (57%) and walk-up (43%) structures. Parks like Matthews Muliner Playground, Young Park, and Van Nest Park are within 700 meters, offering green space without the tourist crush of the adjacent institutions.
Analysis based on 7 properties scored across 30+ data points
Livability & Restoration
Tree Canopy
81 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
Matthews Muliner Playground
Avg 694m away | Score: 2/10
Living within 300m of green space associated with 30% fewer antidepressant prescriptions (Taylor et al., 2015)
Acoustic Quality
9/10
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
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.
We compute an ART score for every block by combining four signals: access to restorative zones (parks, museums, libraries), sensory load (nightlife and tourist density), street vitality (Jane Jacobs’ “eyes on the street”), and third places (Oldenburg’s informal community spaces).
In line with the Bronx median — typical city stimulus with typical restorative access.
What drives the score
- +Restorative zones. Museums, libraries, community gardens, and parks within walking distance. “Soft fascination” stimuli (clouds, tree branches, water) let directed attention recover without effort — the Kaplans’ core mechanism.
- −Sensory load. Bar and nightclub density (5+ within 150m), firehouse siren corridors, tourist chokepoints, and very high foot traffic push the score down by up to 8 points.
- +Street vitality (Jacobs, 1961). Permitted block parties, farmers markets, and community festivals over the past 12 months — a proxy for “eyes on the street” and the informal surveillance that makes blocks feel safe and maintained.
- +Third places (Oldenburg, 1989). Cafés, public plazas (POPS), community centers — the “anchors of community life” that buffer against social isolation. Loneliness has been linked to 29% higher incident coronary heart disease risk (Valtorta et al., 2016).
Health mechanism. Directed-attention fatigue (DAF) is linked to impaired decision-making, irritability, and elevated cortisol. A meta-analysis of 60+ studies (Ohly et al., 2016) found restorative environment exposure significantly improves attention-task performance (Hedges’ g ≈ 0.32) and reduces negative affect.
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
3.5/10
Borough median: 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
81
Within 200m radius
Canopy Density
9.5/10
Normalized canopy coverage
Park Network
- Matthews Muliner Playground
- Young Park
- Van Nest Park
Avg distance: 694m
Practical Living
Building Types
Who Pelham Parkway Is For
Nature-oriented renters
Practical score of 9 and exceptional tree canopy (9.5/10) signal strong walkability and greenery. Parks average under 700m away.
Zoo/Botanical Garden workers or frequent visitors
Direct proximity to both institutions; though commute score (3.5) is low borough-wide, internal neighborhood access to employers is simplified.
Safety-conscious residents accepting higher noise
Safety percentile of 77% is strong for the borough, but 4,374 noise complaints (Very High) signal you're trading quiet for security.
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Exceptional tree coverage and canopy density
81 trees per 200m with 9.5/10 canopy density—well above typical urban standards, providing shade and air quality benefits.
Strong neighborhood safety standing
Safety percentile of 77% in borough ranking; low rodent complaints (152) indicate basic sanitation standards are met.
Practical walkability and everyday services
Practical score of 9 (borough median: 4) reflects strong access to groceries, pharmacies, and daily necessities.
Trade-offs
Worsening crime trend
Crime increased 161.9% over 12 months; 1,786 total crimes recorded despite current safety percentile ranking.
Severe noise pollution
4,374 noise complaints (Very High category) indicate persistent issues from traffic, construction, or nightlife activity.
Poor commute access
Commute score of 3.5 (borough median: 5) reflects longer travel times to major job centers outside the immediate area.
Below-average outdoor recreation infrastructure
Outdoor score of 4 (borough median: 5.5); parks exist but are spread out and may lack programming compared to other neighborhoods.
Score Any Address in Pelham Parkway
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in Pelham ParkwayFrequently Asked Questions about Pelham Parkway
1Is Pelham Parkway safe?
By NYPD data, Pelham Parkway is rated "Safer Than Average" — safer than 68% of Bronx neighborhoods. 2,437 crime incidents and 2 shooting incidents over the past 12 months. See the safety page for the full breakdown.
2What is the average rent in Pelham Parkway?
Rents in Pelham Parkway, Bronx vary significantly by building and apartment type. The median listing price is $0. Use DwellCheck to research specific addresses.
3How is transit access in Pelham Parkway?
Pelham Parkway has a commute score of 3.5/10. 1 subway stations serve the area: Pelham Pkwy.
4What are the best streets in Pelham Parkway?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Pelham Parkway known for?
Pelham Parkway sits in Bronx and ranks #10 of 23 Bronx neighborhoods on DwellCheck's livability score (5.8/10). It's served by 1 subway station (Pelham Pkwy), with a median listing price of $0. Pelham Parkway is a green, walkable neighborhood with solid safety standing, but worsening crime trends and high noise make it a measured choice—best for residents prioritizing nature and practical services over commute speed or tranquility.
6What is it like to live in Pelham Parkway?
Living in Pelham Parkway, Bronx weights against six livability dimensions: practical (HPD-violation density), commute (subway proximity), arts/culture (venue density), outdoor (parks + trees), financial (price level), investment (price trend). Pelham Parkway's composite is 5.8/10. Pelham Parkway is a green, walkable neighborhood with solid safety standing, but worsening crime trends and high noise make it a measured choice—best for residents prioritizing nature and practical services over commute speed or tranquility. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Pelham Parkway address through DwellCheck.
7Is Pelham Parkway expensive?
Median listing price in Pelham Parkway, Bronx is $0 based on 7 active listings as of 2026-04-05. Whether that reads "expensive" depends on the comparison: it's lower than Manhattan averages and varies considerably by building. Rent-stabilized units in Pelham Parkway can run 20-40% below the median; check DHCR rent history for any specific address to verify.
8Can you walk around Pelham Parkway at night?
Pelham Parkway is classified as "Safer Than Average" by NYPD CompStat data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 2 shooting incidents and 2,437 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.
9Is Pelham Parkway dangerous?
By NYPD data, Pelham Parkway is rated "Safer Than Average" — safer than 68% of Bronx neighborhoods. 2,437 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
10What parts of Pelham Parkway should I avoid?
NYPD CompStat reports incidents at the precinct level, not block-by-block, so a granular "avoid this street" answer isn't possible from public data alone. The most reliable signal at the block level is DwellCheck's address-level safety score, which weights NYPD incidents within a 250m radius of a specific building. As a general rule across NYC: industrial blocks with no foot traffic are higher-risk than residential blocks; subway-station-adjacent commercial corridors are lowest-risk.
11Is Pelham Parkway a good place to live?
Pelham Parkway scores 5.8/10 for overall livability and ranks in the 68th percentile for safety in Bronx. Pelham Parkway is a green, walkable neighborhood with solid safety standing, but worsening crime trends and high noise make it a measured choice—best for residents prioritizing nature and practical services over commute speed or tranquility. 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).
12What is the average DwellScore in Pelham Parkway?
Median composite score is 5.8 (interquartile range: 5.4–6.2). This is driven up by an exceptional Practical score (9), offset by weak Commute (3.5) and Outdoor (4) subscores.
13How safe is this neighborhood?
Safety percentile is 77th in the borough—above average—but context matters: 1,786 crimes were recorded in the past 12 months and crime surged 161.9% year-over-year, signaling deterioration despite current ranking.
14What transit options connect from here?
Pelham Parkway station serves the 2 and 5 subway lines. Commute score (3.5) reflects longer travel times, likely due to distance from major employment centers in Manhattan.
15Why is the Practical score so high?
Score of 9 indicates strong walkable access to essential services—grocery stores, pharmacies, schools—within the neighborhood. This contrasts sharply with the low Commute score, which measures travel to distant job centers.
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