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Crotona Park East features affordable housing surrounding Crotona Park's green space. Strong community organizations and the 2/5 trains serve a diverse residential population.
Crotona Park East features affordable housing surrounding Crotona Park's green space. Strong community organizations and the 2/5 trains serve a diverse residential population.
Did you know?
Indian Lake in Crotona Park was man-made in the 1880s — it was originally stocked with fish and surrounded by landscaped gardens designed to rival Central Park's Bethesda Terrace.
Who’s your neighbor?
Housing cost
$398 / sq ft
Commute
Weekday mornings · leaving 7:30–9:00
- FromCrotona Park East
- ToNear Bryant Park
Family scores
Show 5 moreShow fewer
Trade-offs
Stands out
- Family-Friendly Vibe80/100
Many families with children, with homes and schools close by
To weigh
- Safety9/100
More reported crimes, traffic injuries or serious housing violations per resident
- Schools22/100
Weaker results at the public and charter schools serving it, or fewer of them
Each score compares it with NYC's other residential neighborhoods.
What these scores don't measure: how a block feels on foot, what's changing on it, and whether a particular school suits your child. Walk it at school drop-off time, and check the zoned school for the exact address before you sign a lease.
Your family’s read
How does Crotona Park East fit your family?
An agentic read of this neighborhood — including safety and cost of living — tailored to your priorities, family size, budget, and commute.
Analyze for My FamilySchools & early education
Schools15 schools
Crotona Park East leans almost entirely public — eighteen zoned schools against a single private option — giving families a solid bench of neighborhood schools without needing to venture far afield. The Boston Road campus is a hub, home to four separate schools including Bard High School Early College Bronx and J.H.S. 098 Herman Ridder, while elementary options like P.S. 061 Francisco Oller anchor the lower grades. For a compact Bronx pocket, the spread is surprisingly broad.
Browse all early-ed in this neighborhoodLiving here
Parks & Playgrounds3 places
Crotona Park East does right by the families who call it home with a compact but solid bench of playgrounds. Daniel Boone Playground and Starlight Park Playground are the anchors, offering basic but reliable play structures. Rock Garden Park adds a third option. It's not a park-heavy neighborhood, but what's here gets the job done for after-school hours and weekend afternoons.
3 playgrounds within a 10-min walk
Nearest large park: Crotona Park · ~9 min walk (0.3 mi)
Transportation32 stops
Getting around means anchoring your routine at either the 174 St or Freeman St stop — both on the 2 and 5 lines, which handle most of the heavy lifting toward the city core. The bus network's dense along Boston Road, Southern Boulevard and West Farms Road, so reaching either station is usually a short ride rather than a trek. That said, if your Manhattan destination sits far east or west on the subway map, be ready for a longer haul — the 2/5 runs express through the Bronx but you're still looking at 40+ minutes to midtown.
Restaurants24 places
Crotona Park East keeps it practical along the Southern Boulevard and East 174th Street corridor — a deep bench of delis and grab-and-go spots intermixed with fast food anchors like IHOP. The ethnic food scene punches above its weight for the area, with a solid lineup of Caribbean kitchens, Mexican grills, and a few African and Chinese options sprinkled in. It's not a destination for date night or culinary adventures, but the density means you've got real choices when you need a quick meal — the fare is functional, affordable, and built for locals on the go.
Groceries6 places
Groceries & Supermarkets options here include a CTown and Stop & Shop along Southern Blvd, plus a Western Beef and a few independents clustering near Boston Rd and East 174th. It's a workable bench for the basics — not overwhelming, but enough to cover a weekly shop without leaving the neighborhood. You'll likely want a car for the bigger hauls, though the CTown and Stop & Shop are walkable from most residential blocks. Specialty items can require a trek elsewhere.
Coffee Shops2 places
Run of the mill coffee options here — a couple of Dunkin' spots along Southern Blvd serve the morning rush, but you're not going to find a third-wave pour-over scene. The pickings are slim for anyone hunting a laptop-friendly cafe with decent espresso, so many neighbors head a few stops north to the better-stocked stretches of the Bronx.
Things to Do5 places
Families will find a modest but meaningful cluster of community-centered options — a couple of kids' enrichment spots focused on arts and family programming, plus a neighborhood movie theater for rainy days or weekend outings. The mix leans toward community-based programming rather than dedicated activity studios. That said, options are thin here, and many families venture slightly farther afield for a broader range of classes and extracurriculars.
Daycare & informal care2 places
Pre-K dominates the landscape here — nine sites, most of them attached to local schools or community centers, which keeps things affordable but also means slots fill fast come enrollment season. Daycare options are thinner, just a couple of group family day cares scattered along the main drags, plus Tremont Crotona at the park edge. Morning drop-off can get squeezed if you're relying on the private alternatives, so signing up early with the school-based programs is the move most parents end up making.
Family Resources4 places
Crotona Park East keeps it simple on the civic front — the Bronx Family Center at 1515 Southern Blvd anchors the community with a farm stand and food access program that locals count on, and two playgrounds give kids some room to run: Daniel Boone Playground on West Farms Road and Seabury Playground on Southern. The trade-off: there's no local library in the immediate area, and the broader civic infrastructure is thin. What's there works, but don't expect a deep bench of public anchors.
Healthcare8 places
Healthcare in Crotona Park East is anchored by several BronxCare locations and the Fannie Lou Hamer hospital along the southern edge — solid institutions that have been serving the community for years. Pediatric care exists at one spot on Southern Boulevard, though you'll find more options in neighboring areas. As for urgent care and dentists, that's a thin roster — families often head to adjacent neighborhoods for these services. The Ryan Mobile Medical Van does make rounds on Sheridan Expressway, which helps fill some gaps.
Compare with nearby neighborhoods
Best schools in Crotona Park East
Schools in Crotona Park East
15
- Bard High School Early College Bronx
- Bronx Envision Academy
- E.S.M.T- I.S. 190
- East Bronx Academy for the Future
- Explorations Academy H.S.
- Fairmont Neighborhood School
- Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School
- Fannie Lou Hamer Middle School
- J.H.S. 098 Herman Ridder
- P.S. 061 Francisco Oller
- P.S. 066 School of Higher Expectations
- P.S. 134 George F. Bristow
- P.S. X811
- Samara Community School
- ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM SCHOOL
Early education in Crotona Park East
12
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Crotona Park East a good neighborhood for families?
- Crotona Park East scores 44/100 for families on Motley — near the middle of the pack citywide. The Family Fit score blends six parts: how many families live there, schools, affordability, weekday-morning transit time to job centers, safety, and air quality and child health.
- What are the pros and cons of Crotona Park East for families?
- For families, Crotona Park East stands out for many families with children, with homes and schools close by. What to weigh: more reported crimes, traffic injuries or serious housing violations per resident, and weaker results at the public and charter schools serving it, or fewer of them. Each score compares it with NYC's other residential neighborhoods. They don't measure how a block feels on foot or whether a particular school suits your child, so walk it before you decide.
- Is Crotona Park East safe?
- Crotona Park East scores 9/100 on safety — toward the lower end citywide. We build the score from NYPD crime complaints, pedestrian and cyclist injuries, and serious (Class C) housing violations, each counted per 1,000 residents.
- How are the schools in Crotona Park East?
- Crotona Park East has 15 schools mapped inside its boundary and scores 22/100 for schools — toward the lower end citywide.
- How do middle and high school admissions work from Crotona Park East?
- Middle school: families in Crotona Park East apply in 5th grade through the citywide middle school application. District 12's 18 middle school programs admit by method: 12 unscreened and 6 charter lottery. High school: one citywide application in 8th grade lets a family rank programs anywhere in the city, and the eight specialized high schools admit on the SHSAT alone.
- Is Crotona Park East affordable?
- Crotona Park East scores 54/100 for affordability on Motley — mid-range on cost for the city.
- Which borough is Crotona Park East in?
- Crotona Park East is a neighborhood in Bronx, New York City.
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