Is Flatbush Safe? Brooklyn Livability, Crime & Rent
Flatbush scores 6.1 median: a practical, tree-rich neighborhood with reliable services and good safety standing today, undercut by poor transit access and a sharp recent crime increase.
Flatbush at a glance
- Borough
- Brooklyn
- Livability score
- 6.1/10
- Borough rank
- #14 of 32
- Safety verdict
- Higher Than Average
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 4,068
- Median listing
- $0
- Subway stations
- 1 (9 Av)
- Active listings
- 9
- Data updated
- 2026-04-05
Is Flatbush Safe?
Flatbush, Brooklyn scores 6.1/10 for overall livability, ranking #14 of 32 Brooklyn neighborhoods. Flatbush scores 6.1 median: a practical, tree-rich neighborhood with reliable services and good safety standing today, undercut by poor transit access and a sharp recent crime increase.
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 Flatbush address below for a block-level breakdown.
Score Overview
Vertical line = borough median. Scale: 0-10.
Neighborhood Character
Flatbush is a densely treed neighborhood where you'll walk under a canopy density of 9.5/10—among the highest in the borough. You'll find an average of 80 trees within every 200 meters, creating continuous shade on residential blocks and along the Flatbush Avenue corridor. The neighborhood mixes mid-rise buildings (56%) with walk-ups (44%), creating variable street-wall heights. Parks like Rappaport Playground, Brizzi Playground, and Heffernan Triangle sit within an average 430 meters, close enough for regular access. The D train on 9th Avenue provides your primary transit spine. What you'll notice most: strong Caribbean cultural presence, established residential character, and a neighborhood that feels materially greener than much of Brooklyn—but one where noise complaints (2,359 over 12 months) are very high.
Analysis based on 9 properties scored across 30+ data points
Livability & Restoration
Tree Canopy
80 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
Rappaport Playground
Avg 430m away | Score: 2.8/10
Living within 300m of green space associated with 30% fewer antidepressant prescriptions (Taylor et al., 2015)
Acoustic Quality
7/10
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).
Meaningfully more restorative than the Brooklyn average — expect lower sensory load and better access to restorative zones than most of the borough.
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
3/10
Borough median: 6.5/10
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
80
Within 200m radius
Canopy Density
9.5/10
Normalized canopy coverage
Park Network
- Rappaport Playground
- Brizzi Playground
- Heffernan Triangle
- Park
Avg distance: 430m
Practical Living
Building Types
Who Flatbush Is For
People prioritizing walkability and services
Practical score of 9 (vs. borough median 5.5) reflects robust local infrastructure; you'll find what you need without leaving the neighborhood
Those who value tree cover and green space
Canopy density of 9.5/10 and 80 trees per 200m place Flatbush among Brooklyn's most densely vegetated neighborhoods
Safety-conscious renters and buyers
Safety percentile of 87% in the borough is higher than average; however, crime trends are worsening (+161.6% over 12 months)
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Excellent tree coverage and canopy
Average 80 trees within 200m, canopy density 9.5/10—well above typical Brooklyn blocks
Strong practical livability
Practical score of 9 indicates reliable access to groceries, services, and daily necessities
Parks within walking distance
Rappaport Playground, Brizzi Playground, Heffernan Triangle average 430m away
Above-average safety relative to borough
Safety percentile of 87% in Brooklyn
Trade-offs
Weak commute access
Commute score of 3 vs. borough median 6.5; limited transit options with D train as primary line
Very high noise complaints
2,359 noise complaints over 12 months—substantially higher than typical neighborhoods
Crime worsening significantly
Crime trend shows +161.6% increase over the past 12 months despite currently higher-than-average safety ranking
Below-average art and culture score
ART/Livability score of 6.3 while borough median is 5.0—modest cultural amenity density
Score Any Address in Flatbush
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in FlatbushFrequently Asked Questions about Flatbush
1Is Flatbush safe?
By NYPD data, Flatbush is rated "Higher Than Average" — safer than 36% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 4,068 crime incidents and 7 shooting incidents over the past 12 months. See the safety page for the full breakdown.
2What is the average rent in Flatbush?
Rents in Flatbush, Brooklyn vary significantly by building and apartment type. The median listing price is $0. Use DwellCheck to research specific addresses.
3How is transit access in Flatbush?
Flatbush has a commute score of 3/10. 1 subway stations serve the area: 9 Av.
4What are the best streets in Flatbush?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Flatbush known for?
Flatbush sits in Brooklyn and ranks #14 of 32 Brooklyn neighborhoods on DwellCheck's livability score (6.1/10). It's served by 1 subway station (9 Av), with a median listing price of $0. Flatbush scores 6.1 median: a practical, tree-rich neighborhood with reliable services and good safety standing today, undercut by poor transit access and a sharp recent crime increase.
6What is it like to live in Flatbush?
Living in Flatbush, 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). Flatbush's composite is 6.1/10. Flatbush scores 6.1 median: a practical, tree-rich neighborhood with reliable services and good safety standing today, undercut by poor transit access and a sharp recent crime increase. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Flatbush address through DwellCheck.
7Is Flatbush expensive?
Median listing price in Flatbush, Brooklyn is $0 based on 9 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 Flatbush can run 20-40% below the median; check DHCR rent history for any specific address to verify.
8Can you walk around Flatbush at night?
Flatbush is classified as "Higher Than Average" by NYPD CompStat data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 7 shooting incidents and 4,068 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 Flatbush dangerous?
By NYPD data, Flatbush is rated "Higher Than Average" — safer than 36% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 4,068 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
10What parts of Flatbush 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 Flatbush a good place to live?
Flatbush scores 6.1/10 for overall livability and ranks in the 36th percentile for safety in Brooklyn. Flatbush scores 6.1 median: a practical, tree-rich neighborhood with reliable services and good safety standing today, undercut by poor transit access and a sharp recent crime increase. 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 Flatbush?
Median composite score is 6.1 (interquartile range 5.7–6.5). Strength lies in Practical livability (9), weakness in Commute (3). Overall score reflects a stable residential neighborhood with solid walkability but limited transit alternatives.
13How safe is Flatbush?
Safety percentile of 87% in Brooklyn indicates above-average safety currently. However, reported crimes totaled 858 over 12 months, and the crime trend is worsening sharply at +161.6%—a significant upward trajectory to monitor.
14How is transit access?
Commute score of 3 (vs. borough median 6.5) reflects limited options. The D train on 9th Avenue is your primary transit line. This is a notable constraint for car-free commuting.
15How much green space is nearby?
Flatbush has exceptional tree density: average 80 trees per 200m and a 9.5/10 canopy coverage. Parks average 430m away (Rappaport, Brizzi, Heffernan Triangle). This is among Brooklyn's greenest residential areas.
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