Is Park Slope Safe? Brooklyn Livability, Crime & Rent
Park Slope delivers strong livability and transit for those who can afford the $1.45M median entry point, but financial and investment metrics suggest you're paying for established character rather than appreciation potential.
Park Slope at a glance
- Borough
- Brooklyn
- Livability score
- 5.5/10
- Borough rank
- #23 of 32
- Safety verdict
- Safer Than Average
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 2,290
- Median listing
- $1.4M
- Subway stations
- 8 (Union St, Bergen St, 7 Av)
- Active listings
- 76
- Data updated
- 2026-04-04
Is Park Slope Safe?
Park Slope, Brooklyn scores 5.5/10 for overall livability, ranking #23 of 32 Brooklyn neighborhoods. Park Slope delivers strong livability and transit for those who can afford the $1.45M median entry point, but financial and investment metrics suggest you're paying for established character rather than appreciation potential.
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 Park Slope address below for a block-level breakdown.
Score Overview
Vertical line = borough median. Scale: 0-10.
Neighborhood Character
You'll walk tree-lined streets with an average of 232 trees within 200 meters and a canopy density of 7.5/10—the neighborhood has the visible green infrastructure to back its park-adjacent reputation. Prospect Park sits nearby, along with Green-Wood Cemetery and Fort Greene Park (all within roughly 1,375 meters on average), giving you genuine outdoor access rather than proximity claims. The building stock is predominantly condo (88%), with brownstones and townhouses filling out the remainder, creating a residential texture that feels established rather than transitional. You're also well-served by transit: the R line at Union Street, the 2/3 at Bergen Street, the B/Q/F/G at 7th Avenue, and access to Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center for the full network.
Analysis based on 76 properties scored across 30+ data points
Livability & Restoration
Tree Canopy
232 trees
Avg within 200m | Density: 7.5/10
10 additional trees per block correlates with health benefits equivalent to being 7 years younger (Kardan et al., 2015)
Park Access
Prospect Park
Avg 1375m away | Score: 5.1/10
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
8.4/10
Borough median: 8/10
Walk Score Proxy
10/10
Based on street geometry analysis
Financial Landscape
Median Price
$1.4M
Price per Sq Ft
$1362
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
62
Market velocity signal
Multi-Family Stock
7%
2-4 family buildings
Multi-family owner-occupants build 2.4x wealth vs single-family (Herbert, 2013)
Outdoor & Green Space
Avg Tree Count
232
Within 200m radius
Canopy Density
7.5/10
Normalized canopy coverage
Park Network
- Prospect Park
- Green-Wood Cemetery
- Fort Greene Park
Avg distance: 1375m
Outdoor Space Types
Practical Living
Building Types
Bedroom Distribution
Laundry Availability
Who Park Slope Is For
Commuters prioritizing transit access
Commute score of 8.4 (above borough median of 8) with multiple subway lines means reliable connections to other parts of the city
Art and culture-focused residents
ART/Livability score of 7.0 significantly outpaces borough median of 5.0, indicating stronger cultural amenities and neighborhood character
Outdoor enthusiasts with budget constraints
Strong Outdoor score (5.3) and direct Prospect Park access, though high median price ($1.45M) and Financial score of 4.9 mean this works best for buyers with solid equity or income
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Excellent transit connectivity
Commute score of 8.4, above borough median; access to R, 2/3, B/Q/F/G lines plus Atlantic Avenue hub
Strong cultural and livability amenities
ART/Livability score of 7.0 vs. borough median of 5.0—significantly above-average neighborhood character
Substantial tree canopy and green space
Average 232 trees within 200m radius with 7.5/10 canopy density; immediate access to Prospect Park
Stable, established housing stock
88% condo buildings provide clarity on ownership structures; average 62 days on market suggests balanced, not distressed, turnover
Trade-offs
High cost of entry
Median price of $1,450,000 and $1,362/sqft reflect premium pricing; Financial score of 4.9 (below borough median) flags affordability concerns
Below-average investment metrics
Investment score of 5.4 lags borough median of 5.8; year-over-year appreciation data unavailable, suggesting limited recent momentum
No development upside
Average unused FAR of 0 sqft means no zoning capacity for new construction or significant expansion
Moderate outdoor accessibility relative to cost
Outdoor score of 5.3, only slightly above borough median of 4.6, despite premium pricing
Score Any Address in Park Slope
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in Park SlopeFrequently Asked Questions about Park Slope
1Is Park Slope safe?
By NYPD data, Park Slope is rated "Safer Than Average" — safer than 64% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 2,290 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 Park Slope?
Rents in Park Slope, Brooklyn vary significantly by building and apartment type. The median listing price is $1.4M. Use DwellCheck to research specific addresses.
3How is transit access in Park Slope?
Park Slope has a commute score of 8.4/10. 8 subway stations serve the area: Union St, Bergen St, 7 Av.
4What are the best streets in Park Slope?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Park Slope known for?
Park Slope sits in Brooklyn and ranks #23 of 32 Brooklyn neighborhoods on DwellCheck's livability score (5.5/10). It's served by 8 subway stations (Union St, Bergen St, 7 Av), with a median listing price of $1.4M. Park Slope delivers strong livability and transit for those who can afford the $1.45M median entry point, but financial and investment metrics suggest you're paying for established character rather than appreciation potential.
6What is it like to live in Park Slope?
Living in Park Slope, 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). Park Slope's composite is 5.5/10. Park Slope delivers strong livability and transit for those who can afford the $1.45M median entry point, but financial and investment metrics suggest you're paying for established character rather than appreciation potential. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Park Slope address through DwellCheck.
7Is Park Slope expensive?
Median listing price in Park Slope, Brooklyn is $1.4M based on 76 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 Park Slope can run 20-40% below the median; check DHCR rent history for any specific address to verify.
8Can you walk around Park Slope at night?
Park Slope is classified as "Safer Than Average" by NYPD CompStat data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 2 shooting incidents and 2,290 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 Park Slope dangerous?
By NYPD data, Park Slope is rated "Safer Than Average" — safer than 64% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 2,290 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
10What parts of Park Slope 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 Park Slope a good place to live?
Park Slope scores 5.5/10 for overall livability and ranks in the 64th percentile for safety in Brooklyn. Park Slope delivers strong livability and transit for those who can afford the $1.45M median entry point, but financial and investment metrics suggest you're paying for established character rather than appreciation potential. 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 Park Slope?
Median composite score is 5.5 (interquartile range 4.8–7.1). The neighborhood excels in commute (8.4) and livability (7.0) but lags in financial viability (4.9) and investment potential (5.4), creating a split profile: excellent for living, challenging for buying as a financial asset.
13How does Park Slope compare to the rest of Brooklyn?
It outperforms on commute (+0.4), livability (+2.0), and outdoor access (+0.7), but underperforms on financial metrics (−0.8) and investment outlook (−0.4). You're paying a premium for proximity and amenity, not for upside.
14What's the typical price and market pace?
Median listing price is $1,450,000 ($1,362/sqft). Properties spend an average of 62 days on market, indicating stable, non-distressed turnover. Year-over-year appreciation data is not available for this dataset.
15What transit options will I have?
You'll have access to the R (Union St, Prospect Ave), 2/3 (Bergen St, Grand Army Plaza), B/Q/F/G (7th Ave, 4th Ave–9th St, 15th St–Prospect Park), and the full network via Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center. Commute score of 8.4 reflects this redundancy.
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