Is Sunset Park Safe? Brooklyn Livability, Crime & Rent
Sunset Park scores 7.1 overall: a transit-rich, practically robust neighborhood with strong green infrastructure, offset by rising crime and noise concerns.
Sunset Park at a glance
- Borough
- Brooklyn
- Livability score
- 7.1/10
- Borough rank
- #1 of 32
- Safety verdict
- Higher Than Average
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 3,565
- Median listing
- $0
- Subway stations
- 6 (Prospect Av, 25 St, 36 St)
- Active listings
- 2
- Data updated
- 2026-04-05
Is Sunset Park Safe?
Sunset Park, Brooklyn scores 7.1/10 for overall livability, ranking #1 of 32 Brooklyn neighborhoods. Sunset Park scores 7.1 overall: a transit-rich, practically robust neighborhood with strong green infrastructure, offset by rising crime and noise concerns.
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 Sunset Park address below for a block-level breakdown.
Score Overview
Vertical line = borough median. Scale: 0-10.
Neighborhood Character
You'll find a transit-rich, tree-dense neighborhood built almost entirely in mid-rise buildings—the kind of place where you're never more than 472 meters from a playground. The canopy density here is exceptional at 9.5/10, with an average of 40 trees within 200 meters, creating pockets of green relief alongside commercial strips. Six subway lines serve Sunset Park (R, D, N lines at various stops), making cross-borough commutes straightforward. The streetscape mixes industrial heritage with newer residential conversion; you'll encounter both the grit of working neighborhoods and the polish of gentrifying blocks. Sunset Park proper dominates the western edge with actual waterfront views, while Chinatown dining and Industry City's mixed-use development anchor the commercial character.
Analysis based on 2 properties scored across 30+ data points
Livability & Restoration
Tree Canopy
40 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
John Allen Payne Playground
Avg 472m away | Score: 2.5/10
Living within 300m of green space associated with 30% fewer antidepressant prescriptions (Taylor et al., 2015)
Acoustic Quality
8/10
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 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
8.5/10
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
40
Within 200m radius
Canopy Density
9.5/10
Normalized canopy coverage
Park Network
- John Allen Payne Playground
- Gonzalo Plasencia Playground
- D'Emic Playground
- Park
- Martin Luther Playground
Avg distance: 472m
Practical Living
Building Types
Who Sunset Park Is For
Transit-dependent commuters
Commute score of 8.5 significantly outpaces the borough median (6.5), with six subway lines providing multiple redundancies across the R, D, and N services
Outdoor-focused renters
Outdoor score of 5.0 beats borough average (4.6), backed by 9.5/10 canopy density and five nearby playgrounds within walking distance
Practical, service-oriented households
Practical score of 9.0 far exceeds borough median (5.5), indicating reliable access to essential services, retail, and neighborhood infrastructure
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Exceptional transit connectivity
Commute score of 8.5 vs. borough median of 6.5; six subway lines (R, D, N) across six stations minimize commute friction
High tree canopy coverage
Canopy density of 9.5/10 and 40 average trees per 200m create strong green infrastructure relative to surrounding blocks
Strong practical services score
Practical score of 9.0 significantly exceeds borough median (5.5), reflecting reliable grocery, retail, and essential service access
Multiple parks within walking distance
Five playgrounds (John Allen Payne, Gonzalo Plasencia, D'Emic, Martin Luther, and Park) average 472 meters away
Trade-offs
High noise complaint volume
2,832 noise complaints classified as Very High, indicating ongoing disturbances from street activity, transit, or construction
Worsening crime trend
Crime incidents increased 191.9% over 12 months; while current activity ranks at 58th percentile (moderate), the trajectory is rising
Below-average livability and culture scores
ART/Livability score of 5.8 sits above borough median (5.0), but Investment score of 5.0 lags borough median (5.8), suggesting slower amenity development
Moderate rodent complaint activity
208 rodent complaints over 12 months; typical for dense urban areas but worth noting for ground-floor and older building residents
Score Any Address in Sunset Park
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in Sunset ParkFrequently Asked Questions about Sunset Park
1Is Sunset Park safe?
By NYPD data, Sunset Park is rated "Higher Than Average" — safer than 44% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 3,565 crime incidents and 4 shooting incidents over the past 12 months. See the safety page for the full breakdown.
2What is the average rent in Sunset Park?
Rents in Sunset Park, 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 Sunset Park?
Sunset Park has a commute score of 8.5/10. 6 subway stations serve the area: Prospect Av, 25 St, 36 St.
4What are the best streets in Sunset Park?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Sunset Park known for?
Sunset Park sits in Brooklyn and ranks #1 of 32 Brooklyn neighborhoods on DwellCheck's livability score (7.1/10). It's served by 6 subway stations (Prospect Av, 25 St, 36 St), with a median listing price of $0. Sunset Park scores 7.1 overall: a transit-rich, practically robust neighborhood with strong green infrastructure, offset by rising crime and noise concerns.
6What is it like to live in Sunset Park?
Living in Sunset Park, 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). Sunset Park's composite is 7.1/10. Sunset Park scores 7.1 overall: a transit-rich, practically robust neighborhood with strong green infrastructure, offset by rising crime and noise concerns. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Sunset Park address through DwellCheck.
7Is Sunset Park expensive?
Median listing price in Sunset Park, Brooklyn is $0 based on 2 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 Sunset Park can run 20-40% below the median; check DHCR rent history for any specific address to verify.
8Can you walk around Sunset Park at night?
Sunset Park is classified as "Higher Than Average" by NYPD CompStat data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 4 shooting incidents and 3,565 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 Sunset Park dangerous?
By NYPD data, Sunset Park is rated "Higher Than Average" — safer than 44% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 3,565 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
10What parts of Sunset Park 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 Sunset Park a good place to live?
Sunset Park scores 7.1/10 for overall livability and ranks in the 44th percentile for safety in Brooklyn. Sunset Park scores 7.1 overall: a transit-rich, practically robust neighborhood with strong green infrastructure, offset by rising crime and noise concerns. 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 Sunset Park?
Median composite score is 7.1 (interquartile range 6.7–7.5). Strength comes from exceptional commute (8.5) and practical services (9.0); drag comes from below-borough-average financial (5.0) and investment (5.0) scores, reflecting limited data rather than poor conditions.
13How safe is Sunset Park?
Safety is classified as high-activity, ranking at the 58th percentile within Brooklyn (moderate risk). However, total crimes over 12 months reached 2,691, and the crime trend worsened by 191.9%, indicating deterioration year-over-year despite current middling percentile rank.
14What transit options are available?
Six subway stations serve the neighborhood across three lines: the R (Prospect Ave, 25 St, 36 St, 45 St, 53 St), D (36 St), and N (36 St, 59 St). This redundancy yields a commute score of 8.5, well above the borough median of 6.5.
15How much green space is there?
Canopy density is 9.5/10—among the highest in Brooklyn—with an average of 40 trees per 200 meters. Five playgrounds (John Allen Payne, Gonzalo Plasencia, D'Emic, Martin Luther, and Park) cluster within 472 meters on average, supporting the outdoor score of 5.0.
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