Is Crown Heights, Brooklyn Safe? (Find Out Now!)

Choosing a new neighborhood in New York City is challenging, especially with so many significant cultural areas and communities. Crown Heights regularly comes to the top of many people’s list because of its rich cultural diversity and strong historical past. But, in the past, Crown Heights has been labeled a dangerous city, leaving residents questioning the safety of this popular neighborhood.

Crown Heights in Brooklyn has significantly more violent crimes per year when compared to the national average. Property crimes, however, are only about half of the national average, painting a mixed picture. Like many cities and neighborhoods in New York City, Crown Heights has decreased violent crimes in the past ten years.

Many residents say that Crown Heights is a safe area to live in, despite the higher than average crime rates. Similar to other towns and neighborhoods, Crown Heights has certain pockets where crime is worse. If you are a savvy resident or traveler, simply avoiding known dangerous areas of the city should keep you safe and incident-free.

Crown Heights in Brooklyn, New York, has seen several changes over the years, ranging from an extremely prominent area for millionaires to inhabit to a rough part of Brooklyn. Today, through years of gentrification, Crown Heights, like many other New York neighborhoods, can report some of the lowest crime rates for the past ten years. That being said, crime is still significantly higher in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, than in other parts of the country.

Unfortunately, most of the crime in Crown Heights is violent crime, with cases of assault nearly four times as high as the national average. Murder and violent robbery is about double the national average. However, property crimes are well below the national average, boasting about half the number of cases.

As a borough of Brooklyn, Crown Heights is located in the southeast region of the city. Washington Avenue officially bounds it to the west and Ralph Avenue to the east. The northern boundary of this neighborhood is Ralph Avenue, and Empire Boulevard marks the southern border.

For residents, though, local landmarks are the better marker to denote the borders of this neighborhood. In the west, the edge is commonly marked by the Brooklyn Nets home at Barclays Center. The east is marked by Brownsville, and the neighborhood is bordered by Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Despite a higher than average level of violent crime, there are several popular businesses. Most commercial areas are between Nostrand, Kingston, and Franklin Avenues, which coincide with the safer parts of the neighborhood.

In Crown Heights, residents will be able to find plenty to keep them entertained. There are several restaurants, bars, and coffee shops that people like to frequent. There are also several cultural locations and parks. Most people who live in Crown Heights tend to be young professionals, especially with the new gentrification through the area.

Today, many of the people who live in Crown Heights are young professionals and business people. The excellent schools are an attractive feature for young families moving to the area. However, several of the historic cultures remain in the place.

Historically, there have been three central communities that live in Crown Heights. These communities have been immigrants from the West Indies, African Americans, and Hasidic Jews. Many of the cultural contributions from these three groups have remained, and a central Hasidic Jew headquarters remains in the neighborhood to this day.

Compared to other schools in New York City, the public schools in Crown Heights are extremely good. These schools routinely receive the highest marks for their academics, after-school activities, and athletics. In general, public schools are higher ranked than the many private school options available.

While there are many good schools in Crown Heights, some of the best schools include the Bronx High School of Science, Townsend Harris High School, and High School of American Studies at Lehman College. These school options are public schools that are much higher ranked than the available private school options in the area.

The vast majority of people who live in Crown Heights choose to rent. Local renters make up 86% of the population. The average cost to rent is about $1,800 per month, which is on par with other areas of New York. This rent is for a one-bedroom or studio apartment. Larger multiple-bedroom apartments could set you back as much as $3,000 per month.

While this area once housed 95% of the New York millionaires in mansions, many of these were torn down in the 1920s to make room for middle-class apartment buildings that typically housed six apartments per unit. Some of the traditional brownstone mansions are available in the area, but these come at a high price point. The average cost to purchase a home in Crown Heights is $1.2 million.

One of the most significant benefits of living in Crown Heights is the easy transportation through the city. Crown Heights is conveniently connected to many bus routes and subway lines that help tie this neighborhood to popular parts of New York City. The 2, 3, 4, and 5 trains run through the community, providing convenient connections to the rest of the city. Plus, the B and Q trains are easy to get to from Crown Heights.

Bus routes also move through the neighborhood and further connect residents to subway lines that may be further away. Buses can also help residents get to other destinations, like Long Island, making the perfect option for a day trip.

Related Questions

Is Crown Heights a cultural district?

Although the violent crime rate through Crown Heights may be higher than the national average, this neighborhood is a hub of several cultural locations and points of interest. Crown Heights is home to the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.Plus, residents will also visit the Jewish Children’s Museum, Brooklyn Public Library, and Prospect Park, which offer residents plenty to see and do in the area.

What neighborhoods are similar to Crown Heights?

If you love the close community feel and cultural significance of Crown Heights but are deterred by the high rate of violent crime, there are many great alternatives in the immediate area. Prospect-Lefferts Gardens is a beautiful neighborhood that offers cheaper housing, much safer communities, but the same great schools as Crown Heights. Red Hook is another perfect neighborhood that boasts some of the top public schools in the city.Another ideal option for residents is Far Rockaway which has more affordable housing and great schools but crime rates comparable to Crown Heights.