Brooklyn has changed significantly over the last few decades, with many neighborhoods gentrifying and crime rates dropping throughout the borough, making it safer than ever. The area is known for its vibrant history and incredible cultural scene that makes it alluring to so many. It’s a great place to live, and the tree-lined streets of Brownstone Brooklyn are known the world over. That is one of the main reasons that so many people relocate to Brooklyn annually.
6 Safest Neighborhoods in Brooklyn in 2023
Park Slope
The safest neighborhood in Brooklyn is Park Slope. It’s a picturesque and quiet place with historic rowhouses and brownstone houses lining the verdant streets, and one of the lowest crime rates in the city. More than forty thousand people call this fabulous neighborhood home. A lot of young families with kids choose to live in the Park Slope area, which is nestled on the western slope of Prospect Park. This is where its name comes from.
The neighborhood was initially settled in the 17th century, and only woods and farms covered the whole territory of Park Slope. At the beginning of the 19th century, the territory was divided into rectangular parcels as more residents began to move in. Then, in the 1880s, a huge number of wealthy residents started to build row houses and mansions in the neighborhood.
Today you can also find a great number of historic brownstones in Park Slope. Iconic historic buildings, shops, bars, and restaurants attract crowds of people from all over NYC. Other local attractions include the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Central Library, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Brooklyn Museum.
A wide variety of churches, synagogues, and other religious institutions are located in Park Slope, creating an air of safety as you walk the streets. Most of those institutions are in historic buildings that were built decades ago, ensuring they all have their unique charm and architectural style. The neighborhood has more college-educated residents in comparison with the other Brooklyn areas. Many parents choose this neighborhood to raise their kids in due to its overall safety and the low rate of crime.
Brooklyn Heights
Brooklyn Heights is a charming waterfront neighborhood that has long been one of the safest neighborhoods in all of New York City. Crime rates in Brooklyn Heights are extremely low, making it a wonderful place to live. That should come as no surprise as the area has been popular since the early 1800s when it was considered to be one of America's first suburbs.
The total area of Brooklyn Heights is only about 0.320 square miles, and just over 20,000 people live here. Residents and visitors alike enjoy the historic and impressive architecture in Brooklyn Heights. The neighborhood has an abundance of Brooklyn brownstones and row houses, as well as a great number of churches and other religious institutions.
You will also be fascinated by its low-rise architecture, with numerous architectural styles, including Victorian Gothic, Greek Revival, Classical Revival, Second Empire, Neo-Grec, and Romanesque all represented within the neighborhood. You’re sure to feel safe when you walk the charming streets of Brooklyn Heights.
There are so many historical and cultural places of interest in Brooklyn Heights, including the Brooklyn Arts Gallery, which was opened in 1958. Some other historically significant buildings that are known for their architecture are the Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims, the First Unitarian Congregational Society, and the stunning Holy Trinity Church.
Boerum Hill
Boerum Hill is a safe and cozy residential neighborhood that is located in the northwestern part of Brooklyn. It’s a fairly small neighborhood with a total population of about 12,000 people. There’s a very safe and homey vibe in the area, making it popular with families. Atlantic Avenue and Smith Street are the two main thoroughfares in Boerum Hill and are generally much busier than the area’s quieter, tree-lined residential streets.
Boerum Hill gets its name from the colonial-era farm that belonged to the Boerum family, which once occupied most of the neighborhood. While the farm is long gone, there are still a great number of three-story rowhouses that date to the mid-1800s in the neighborhood.
Boerum Hill is home to a wide variety of shops, boutiques, and restaurants. Many young and talented artists who own galleries in this area also call Boerum Hill home. Due to the fact that Boerum Hill is situated only a relatively short distance away from Prospect Park, biking is a popular way of getting around.
Famous residents of Boerum Hill have included the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Heath Ledger, and Jonathan Lethem, the popular American essayist, novelist, and short-story writer. It’s interesting to note that this talented writer set his novel Motherless Brooklyn (1999) in Boerum Hill.
Williamsburg
Williamsburg is another iconic Brooklyn neighborhood that is a wonderful place to live. The neighborhood is famous for its hipster culture, diverse nightlife, and contemporary art scene. While it’s not the safest neighborhood in Brooklyn, violent crime is quite rare, and you’ll certainly feel safe living here.
In terms of size, Williamsburg Brooklyn is just over 2 square miles and is home to about eighty thousand people. The area was originally inhabited by the indigenous Lenape people prior to being purchased by the Dutch West India Company in 1638, with Europeans starting to settle in the area shortly thereafter.
Today, Williamsburg contains a wide variety of districts – commercial, residential, and manufacturing. This area attracts many young and creative people and is known for its fantastic street art. Many artists moved to this neighborhood in the 1970s. They were attracted by cheap apartments and convenient transportation options to Manhattan, but now Williamsburg is a destination in and of itself.
There are plenty of things to do in Williamsburg, and residents love living here. You can enjoy a visit to a cocktail or wine bar, buy vintage clothing, take a stroll in one of the many local parks, or see a fantastic comedy show.
As the area continues to gentrify, you can expect crime rates to continue to drop, making the area safer than ever.
Greenpoint
If you're looking for a safe neighborhood that's also relatively affordable, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, is a fantastic option. Located just north of Williamsburg, Greenpoint is known for its strong local community, making it a great place to settle down. Crime rates are low and have been dropping for years, and Greenpoint residents feel very safe in this tranquil neighborhood on the northern tip of Brooklyn.
While Greenpoint has a more residential feel, there's still plenty to do in the neighborhood. There's a large Polish community in Greenpoint and you'll find plenty of traditional shops and restaurants.
Greenpoint residents also benefit from the neighborhood's fantastic location, which gives them access to the best the city has to offer. There's great nightlife in neighboring Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Manhattan is just a short ferry ride away.
Dumbo
Dumbo is one of Brooklyn’s most desirable neighborhoods, as well as being one of the safest in the borough. A lot of tourists visit the neighborhood every year, and many New Yorkers dream of moving here. Art exhibitions, live music festivals, and other events take place in the neighborhood regularly.
Dumbo is a very safe neighborhood, making it a great place to live or raise a family. It’s worth noting that Dumbo is a neighborhood that has a rich history. Initially, it was the manufacturing district. Later, it became a residential district and is now home to some of the priciest apartments and lofts in Brooklyn. Dumbo real estate is amongst the most in-demand in all of NYC, commanding extremely high prices. The neighborhood impresses with its architecture. Dumbo has industrial buildings as well as warehouse buildings that date back to the 19th and 20th centuries. Many of these have now been converted into impressive residential lofts. The neighborhood is also home to many charming cafes, chic restaurants, and trendy bars and lounges.
The neighborhood got the Dumbo monicker, which stands for down under the Manhattan bridge overpass, in the late 1970s. The original name of the neighborhood was Fulton Landing, but with so much change and so many artists moving in, real estate agents took advantage and renamed the area Dumbo.
Methodology for Selecting the Safest Neighborhoods in Brooklyn
To select the safest neighborhoods in Brooklyn, we looked at overall crime rates as well as violent crime rates. On average, crime rates in the neighborhoods we selected is 32% below the national average, and 27% below the city average. Violent crime rates are even lower, with parts of some neighborhoods recording no murders at all in 2020 and 2021.