Is Bed-Stuy Safe? Brooklyn Livability, Crime & Rent
Bed-Stuy scores 5.8 composite—a solid financial and commute play for those prioritizing transit and brownstone authenticity over walkable parks and cultural density.
Bed-Stuy at a glance
- Borough
- Brooklyn
- Livability score
- 5.8/10
- Borough rank
- #17 of 32
- Safety verdict
- High Activity Area
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 13,299
- Median listing
- $1.2M
- Subway stations
- 8 (Myrtle-Willoughby Avs, Bedford-Nostrand Avs, Classon Av)
- Active listings
- 55
- Data updated
- 2026-04-04
Is Bed-Stuy Safe?
Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn scores 5.8/10 for overall livability, ranking #17 of 32 Brooklyn neighborhoods. Bed-Stuy scores 5.8 composite—a solid financial and commute play for those prioritizing transit and brownstone authenticity over walkable parks and cultural density.
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 Bed-Stuy address below for a block-level breakdown.
Score Overview
Vertical line = borough median. Scale: 0-10.
Neighborhood Character
You'll find Bed-Stuy defined by rows of historic brownstones with working fireplaces and original cornices, anchored by multiple G, C, A, and J train lines that keep you connected across the city. The neighborhood averages 178 trees within a 200-meter radius, though canopy density sits at 4.9/10—enough green to soften the blocks but not dense enough to feel deeply wooded. Fort Greene Park and McCarren Park bookend the area at roughly 2.3 kilometers away, requiring a deliberate trip rather than a casual walk. The restaurant scene concentrates along Myrtle and Nostrand Avenues, where you'll encounter newer spots alongside longtime institutions, creating a neighborhood that feels simultaneously rooted and shifting.
Analysis based on 55 properties scored across 30+ data points
Livability & Restoration
Tree Canopy
178 trees
Avg within 200m | Density: 4.9/10
10 additional trees per block correlates with health benefits equivalent to being 7 years younger (Kardan et al., 2015)
Park Access
Fort Greene Park
Avg 2267m away | Score: 1.7/10
Living within 300m of green space associated with 30% fewer antidepressant prescriptions (Taylor et al., 2015)
Acoustic Quality
5/10
Noise proxy score (higher = quieter)
Chronic noise above 55 dB at night associated with 8% cardiovascular mortality increase (Basner et al., 2014)
Street Character
10/10
Enclosure: 10/10
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 Brooklyn 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
7.3/10
Borough median: 8/10
Walk Score Proxy
10/10
Based on street geometry analysis
Financial Landscape
Median Price
$1.2M
Price per Sq Ft
$984
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
61
Market velocity signal
Multi-Family Stock
16%
2-4 family buildings
Multi-family owner-occupants build 2.4x wealth vs single-family (Herbert, 2013)
Outdoor & Green Space
Avg Tree Count
178
Within 200m radius
Canopy Density
4.9/10
Normalized canopy coverage
Park Network
- Fort Greene Park
- McCarren Park
Avg distance: 2267m
Outdoor Space Types
Practical Living
Building Types
Bedroom Distribution
Laundry Availability
Who Bed-Stuy Is For
Financially-focused buyers
Financial score of 6.9 (outpacing the borough median of 5.7) with a median price of $1.2M and solid commute accessibility via six train lines keep costs reasonable for the area relative to amenities.
Commuters with flexibility
Commute score of 7.3 gives you reliable access without peak-hour desperation; properties average 61 days on market, suggesting reasonable negotiating windows.
Real estate investors
Investment score of 6.1 and the building mix (82% condos, 16% two-family) favor those seeking either owner-occupied stability or income-generating rentals in a historically significant neighborhood.
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Strong financial value relative to Brooklyn
Financial score of 6.9 vs. borough median of 5.7; $984/sqft pricing
Abundant transit redundancy
Six distinct train lines (G, C, A, J, M, Z) across eight stations prevent single-line dependency
Historic architectural character
82% condo conversion rate reflects preservation-focused renovations of original brownstones
Trade-offs
Limited outdoor space nearby
Outdoor score of 3.5 vs. borough median of 4.6; nearest parks are 2.3km away
Weak livability and arts infrastructure
ART/Livability score of 4.6 vs. borough median of 5; institutional cultural anchors are minimal compared to adjacent neighborhoods
Below-average practical amenities
Practical score of 5.9 vs. borough median of 6.4, suggesting grocery, healthcare, or childcare options require more hunting
Score Any Address in Bed-Stuy
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in Bed-StuyFrequently Asked Questions about Bed-Stuy
1Is Bed-Stuy safe?
By NYPD data, Bed-Stuy is rated "High Activity Area" — safer than 0% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 13,299 crime incidents and 28 shooting incidents over the past 12 months. See the safety page for the full breakdown.
2What is the average rent in Bed-Stuy?
Rents in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn vary significantly by building and apartment type. The median listing price is $1.2M. Use DwellCheck to research specific addresses.
3How is transit access in Bed-Stuy?
Bed-Stuy has a commute score of 7.3/10. 8 subway stations serve the area: Myrtle-Willoughby Avs, Bedford-Nostrand Avs, Classon Av.
4What are the best streets in Bed-Stuy?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Bed-Stuy known for?
Bed-Stuy sits in Brooklyn and ranks #17 of 32 Brooklyn neighborhoods on DwellCheck's livability score (5.8/10). It's served by 8 subway stations (Myrtle-Willoughby Avs, Bedford-Nostrand Avs, Classon Av), with a median listing price of $1.2M. Bed-Stuy scores 5.8 composite—a solid financial and commute play for those prioritizing transit and brownstone authenticity over walkable parks and cultural density.
6What is it like to live in Bed-Stuy?
Living in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn 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). Bed-Stuy's composite is 5.8/10. Bed-Stuy scores 5.8 composite—a solid financial and commute play for those prioritizing transit and brownstone authenticity over walkable parks and cultural density. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Bed-Stuy address through DwellCheck.
7Is Bed-Stuy expensive?
Median listing price in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn is $1.2M based on 55 active listings as of 2026-04-04. Whether that reads "expensive" depends on the comparison: it's lower than Manhattan averages and varies considerably by building. Rent-stabilized units in Bed-Stuy can run 20-40% below the median; check DHCR rent history for any specific address to verify.
8Can you walk around Bed-Stuy at night?
Bed-Stuy is classified as "High Activity Area" by NYPD CompStat data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 28 shooting incidents and 13,299 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 Bed-Stuy dangerous?
By NYPD data, Bed-Stuy is rated "High Activity Area" — safer than 0% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 13,299 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
10What parts of Bed-Stuy 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 Bed-Stuy a good place to live?
Bed-Stuy scores 5.8/10 for overall livability and ranks in the 0th percentile for safety in Brooklyn. Bed-Stuy scores 5.8 composite—a solid financial and commute play for those prioritizing transit and brownstone authenticity over walkable parks and cultural density. 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 Bed-Stuy?
The median composite score is 5.8, with an interquartile range of 5.1 to 6.3 across 55 active listings. Financial (+6.9) and Commute (+7.3) categories drive strength; Outdoor (-3.5) and ART/Livability (-4.6) lag borough medians.
13Why is the Outdoor score so low?
Parks average 2,267 meters away and tree canopy density is only 4.9/10, meaning street-level greenness is sparse. You'll need to plan park trips rather than access them spontaneously.
14How long do properties typically stay on market?
61 days on average, which is standard for Brooklyn. This suggests neither a seller's market nor a buyer's market—reasonable opportunity for negotiation.
15Is Bed-Stuy more affordable than nearby neighborhoods?
At $1.2M median and $984/sqft, Bed-Stuy is priced above some outer-Brooklyn areas but competitive for its transit access and historic character. The Financial score of 6.9 (above-borough median) reflects relative value.
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