Non-residential. Rikers Island is NYC's main jail complex in the East River between Queens and the Bronx. The city plans to close the facility.
Non-residential. Rikers Island is NYC's main jail complex in the East River between Queens and the Bronx. The city plans to close the facility.
Did you know?
Rikers Island was expanded from 87 acres to over 400 acres using landfill — much of the fill came from excavating the subway tunnels in the early 1900s.
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Analyze for My FamilyLiving here
Rikers Island has virtually no transit to speak of — a single bus stop at Rikers Island Rdwy is your only link to the outside world, and there are no subway stations within anything like a reasonable distance. Getting to Manhattan means a lengthy multi-leg journey involving that bus plus transfers. This is less a commuter's neighborhood and more an institutional island, so transit access really isn't the point here.
Schools & early education
Rikers Island runs lean on traditional schooling — there's just one option here, East River Academy, which serves the island's detained population. For families with school-age children looking in this direction, the borough's other neighborhoods offer a much deeper bench of public, charter, and private options. This isn't the spot for picking a school zone.
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Best schools in Rikers Island
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Rikers Island a good neighborhood for families?
- Rikers Island scores 38/100 for families on Motley — toward the lower end citywide. The Family Fit score blends safety, schools, parks, cost of living, and community.
- Is Rikers Island safe?
- Rikers Island scores 93/100 on safety — ahead of most NYC neighborhoods. We build the score from NYPD complaint data, normalized by population.
- How are the schools in Rikers Island?
- Rikers Island has 1 school mapped inside its boundary and scores 5/100 for schools — toward the lower end citywide.
- Is Rikers Island affordable?
- Rikers Island scores 74/100 for affordability on Motley — more affordable than most NYC neighborhoods.
- Which borough is Rikers Island in?
- Rikers Island is a neighborhood in Bronx, New York City.
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