The 10 Worst Neighborhoods in NYC
New York is a tough town to make it in. All cliches aside, there’s a serious problem with overcrowding, skyrocketing prices, and the infamous crime rates. However, not all neighborhoods are the same. Some are quite lovely comparatively.
This article is not about those nicer neighborhoods. We looked into the absolute worst of the worst, most crime-ridden and abysmal places you could ever decide to live in NYC. After checking all the stats, we’ve come up with the ten most terrible neighborhoods you could ever move into in New York.
10. Soundview
The Soundview neighborhood in the Bronx only barely made it on to this list. We want to be fair to NYC, and remind readers that the city has made huge strides in reducing crime over the last two decades.
However, Soundview, like the rest of this list has a higher than average crime rate for the city. Police in the area have been under fire lately, but it seems as though they’re working hard to try and catch the criminals. We have high hopes for this area, and it may not be on the “worst” list for very long.
9. Brownsville
Brownsville is one of the few neighborhoods in New York that has remained relatively untouched by gentrification. The buildings in this area are older and the crime rate, while lower than it once was, remains high for the national averages.
Back in 2012, Time reported it as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in New York, and though things are changing, it’s been a slow process.
8. Bedford Park
Bedford Park isn’t the worst neighborhood on this list by a long shot, but there are some real problems. For one thing, the Assaults in the last six months number over two hundred, which is unreasonably high.
Moreover, there have been almost three hundred thefts in the same time frame. Unfortunately, those crime rates put Bedford Park on the list.
7. High Bridge
High Bridge can be a lot of fun. The neighborhood has a lot to do from bars to coffee houses, and the hilly set up with all the unique staircases can be delightful. In spring, the trees are green, and the view is excellent for NYC. However, residents complain about drug addicts, street crime, and a very high dropout rate.
6. Norwood
Norwood might seem like a nice enough place to live. Most of the workers there are white-collar, and there are a ton of kids. On paper that’s not bad at all. However, when you skip down to the crime rates, Norwood doesn’t look so great.
The property crimes a merely at or below the national average, but personal crimes like robbery, assault, and murder are closer to twice the national average.
5. Fordham
No one wants to be the victim. However, criminals aren’t exactly going to disappear overnight. Areavibe says you have a one in thirty-three chance of becoming a victim of some kind if you live or stay in Fordham.
The only real ray of sunshine in that report is that not all the victims suffer violent crimes like rape and assault. With a crime rate thirteen percent higher than the national average, we’re going to dub this one the Unlucky Thirteen and suggest you look elsewhere for a new apartment.
4. Tremont
According to spotcrime, there have been over five hundred combined cases of theft and assault in this neighborhood in the last six months. On the other side of that coin, there’s been no vandalism and no arrests recorded there.
We’re not sure if that means anything, but it is surprising. Though there have only been eighteen shootings, that’s still eighteen more than we’d be comfortable with in only half a year.
3. Mott Haven
While it isn’t the worst neighborhood in NYC, Mott Haven is famous for its murder rate. You can certainly find a methadone clinic here, though it’s probably not a top choice for where to raise a family.
Back in 2016, a particularly grisly machete murder made the news after a woman wanted to be kind to a neighbor. We’re not saying you’ll get cut to pieces by a machete-wielding psycho killer, but it is more likely here than in most other parts of town.
2. Mid Town
Mid Town isn’t much of a residential area, though there are places to live there. There’s also a ton of crime; in fact, it’s 210% higher here than the national average.
Something about the density of tourists and locals makes this particular area so dangerous. Anywhere with crowds to conceal activity is bound to be a place criminals feel more comfortable. From felony assault to grand larceny, robbery, and burglary, you’re extremely likely to become a victim if you live or even spend much time in Mid Town.
1. Hunts Point
As neighborhoods go Hunts Point takes the cake in terms of bad choices. Not only is the nonfatal assault rate an insane hundred and fifty-one people per hundred thousand, but the arrest rate for rape has gone up by a factor of five.
Like the rest of the city overall crime has gone down, but it’s still wickedly high. This neighborhood is so bad it’s not even a great place to be a crook. The incarceration rate is a stunning 1,036 per 100,000. That’s a little more than one in every hundred residents getting arrested and found guilty.
Final Thoughts
Wherever you choose to go, there are dangers. The sad truth is that New York has become safer in the last decade than it ever was in the 80s and 90s. That is great for the Big Apple but a pretty sorry indication of the state of things in other large American cities.
Unfortunately, crime is a part of our culture, and you can’t avoid it entirely. However, with this list and a healthy dose of street smarts, you stand a better chance of staying away from the worst troubles.
You can also read:
- The 10 Worst Neighborhoods in Baltimore
- The 10 Worst Neighborhoods in Detroit
- The 10 Worst Neighborhoods in Philadelphia