Is Fort Greene Safe? Brooklyn Livability, Crime & Rent
Fort Greene delivers cultural authenticity and green space at a premium price, but limited development potential and middling investment metrics make it better for living than speculating.
Fort Greene at a glance
- Borough
- Brooklyn
- Livability score
- 5.6/10
- Borough rank
- #19 of 32
- Safety verdict
- Higher Than Average
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 3,321
- Median listing
- $1.6M
- Subway stations
- 5 (Clinton-Washington Avs, Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr, DeKalb Av)
- Active listings
- 19
- Data updated
- 2026-04-04
Is Fort Greene Safe?
Fort Greene, Brooklyn scores 5.6/10 for overall livability, ranking #19 of 32 Brooklyn neighborhoods. Fort Greene delivers cultural authenticity and green space at a premium price, but limited development potential and middling investment metrics make it better for living than speculating.
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 Fort Greene address below for a block-level breakdown.
Score Overview
Vertical line = borough median. Scale: 0-10.
Neighborhood Character
Fort Greene sits at the intersection of cultural gravitas and residential calm. You'll walk under a thick canopy—241 trees average within a 200-meter radius, with 8.5/10 canopy density—that softens the neighborhood's 19th-century brownstone blocks and industrial architecture. The presence of the Brooklyn Academy of Music anchors the area's identity, but the real texture comes from the mix: tree-lined streets feeding into Fort Greene Park (383 meters away on average), multiple subway lines threading through (C, B, Q, R, and others nearby), and a street-level economy of independent galleries, cafes, and longtime residents. It's quieter than the hype suggests, more settled than emerging.
Analysis based on 19 properties scored across 30+ data points
Livability & Restoration
Tree Canopy
241 trees
Avg within 200m | Density: 8.5/10
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 383m away | Score: 9.5/10
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).
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
7.6/10
Borough median: 8/10
Walk Score Proxy
10/10
Based on street geometry analysis
Financial Landscape
Median Price
$1.6M
Price per Sq Ft
$1088
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
45
Market velocity signal
Multi-Family Stock
21%
2-4 family buildings
Multi-family owner-occupants build 2.4x wealth vs single-family (Herbert, 2013)
Outdoor & Green Space
Avg Tree Count
241
Within 200m radius
Canopy Density
8.5/10
Normalized canopy coverage
Park Network
- Fort Greene Park
Avg distance: 383m
Outdoor Space Types
Practical Living
Building Types
Bedroom Distribution
Laundry Availability
Who Fort Greene Is For
Arts professionals and cultural workers
ART/Livability score of 6.8 (borough median 5) signals strong institutional and creative density; BAM proximity and gallery presence support this profile
Long-distance commuters tolerating tradeoffs
Commute score of 7.6 is slightly below borough median (8), but multiple transit lines (C, B, Q, R at Atlantic-Barclays) offer redundancy for those prioritizing neighborhood character over speed
Condo buyers seeking stability over appreciation
79% condo-heavy building mix, median price $1.55M, but Investment score of 5.4 (below borough median 5.8) and zero available FAR indicate limited upside and development potential
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Exceptional tree cover and green space
241 trees within 200m radius with 8.5/10 canopy density; Fort Greene Park within walking distance
Strong cultural and livability amenities
ART/Livability score of 6.8 vs. borough median of 5, anchored by BAM and institutional presence
Solid transit access with multiple lines
Five subway lines within reach (C, B, Q, R, G, 2, 3, 4, 5) including major hub at Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr
Trade-offs
Weak investment fundamentals
Investment score 5.4 vs. borough median 5.8; zero unused FAR signals no development upside; YoY appreciation data unavailable
Price-to-fundamentals disconnect
Median $1.55M ($1,088/sqft) with Composite score of only 5.6 (median) and Practical score of 6.3; you're paying for location, not neighborhood scoring
Commute performance slightly below average
Commute score of 7.6 trails borough median of 8, despite robust transit options
Score Any Address in Fort Greene
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in Fort GreeneFrequently Asked Questions about Fort Greene
1Is Fort Greene safe?
By NYPD data, Fort Greene is rated "Higher Than Average" — safer than 44% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 3,321 crime incidents and 6 shooting incidents over the past 12 months. See the safety page for the full breakdown.
2What is the average rent in Fort Greene?
Rents in Fort Greene, Brooklyn vary significantly by building and apartment type. The median listing price is $1.6M. Use DwellCheck to research specific addresses.
3How is transit access in Fort Greene?
Fort Greene has a commute score of 7.6/10. 5 subway stations serve the area: Clinton-Washington Avs, Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr, DeKalb Av.
4What are the best streets in Fort Greene?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Fort Greene known for?
Fort Greene sits in Brooklyn and ranks #19 of 32 Brooklyn neighborhoods on DwellCheck's livability score (5.6/10). It's served by 5 subway stations (Clinton-Washington Avs, Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr, DeKalb Av), with a median listing price of $1.6M. Fort Greene delivers cultural authenticity and green space at a premium price, but limited development potential and middling investment metrics make it better for living than speculating.
6What is it like to live in Fort Greene?
Living in Fort Greene, 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). Fort Greene's composite is 5.6/10. Fort Greene delivers cultural authenticity and green space at a premium price, but limited development potential and middling investment metrics make it better for living than speculating. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Fort Greene address through DwellCheck.
7Is Fort Greene expensive?
Median listing price in Fort Greene, Brooklyn is $1.6M based on 19 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 Fort Greene can run 20-40% below the median; check DHCR rent history for any specific address to verify.
8Can you walk around Fort Greene at night?
Fort Greene is classified as "Higher Than Average" by NYPD CompStat data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 6 shooting incidents and 3,321 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 Fort Greene dangerous?
By NYPD data, Fort Greene is rated "Higher Than Average" — safer than 44% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 3,321 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
10What parts of Fort Greene 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 Fort Greene a good place to live?
Fort Greene scores 5.6/10 for overall livability and ranks in the 44th percentile for safety in Brooklyn. Fort Greene delivers cultural authenticity and green space at a premium price, but limited development potential and middling investment metrics make it better for living than speculating. 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 Fort Greene?
Composite median is 5.6 (interquartile range 4.5-6.3), indicating uneven neighborhood fundamentals. ART/Livability (6.8) is the standout; Financial (5.1) and Investment (5.4) lag borough medians.
13Is Fort Greene a good investment?
No. Investment score of 5.4 is below borough median (5.8), zero FAR remains available, and YoY appreciation data is not available. The neighborhood is stable but shows limited upside.
14How walkable is Fort Greene to transit?
Well-connected. You have access to the C line (Clinton-Washington), the major Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr hub (2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q, R), plus G, B, Q, R at DeKalb and Fulton St. Commute score of 7.6 reflects solid but not exceptional efficiency.
15What's the building stock like?
Predominantly condos (79%) with some 2-family homes (21%). Median price is $1.55M at $1,088/sqft, with 45 days average on market—moderate velocity for this price tier.
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