Bensonhurst is a large residential neighborhood with strong Chinese and Italian communities. Affordable housing and local retail serve a growing family population.
Bensonhurst is a large residential neighborhood with strong Chinese and Italian communities. Affordable housing and local retail serve a growing family population.
Did you know?
Bensonhurst's 18th Avenue Feast of Santa Rosalia has been celebrating Sicilian heritage with a street festival every September since 1903.
Neighborhood Stats
Who’s your neighbor?
Housing cost
$668 / sq ft
Family scores
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What families should know
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Analyze for My FamilyLiving here
Bensonhurst offers a tight cluster of three solid playgrounds scattered through the residential blocks. Garibaldi Playground and Seth Low Playground/Bealin Square anchor the north and south ends, while Lt. Joseph Petrosino Park covers the middle ground. It's not a park-heavy neighborhood in the sense of big green acres, but these three give families decent options for afternoon play within walking distance. The selection is modest but reliable.
Schools & early education
Bensonhurst runs deep on school options, with two dozen public schools anchoring the neighborhood alongside a solid roster of private schools and one charter. New Utrecht High School on 80th Street is the neighborhood's main public high school, feeding into J.H.S. 227 Edward B. Shallow on 16th Avenue for middle schoolers, and several P.S. elementary options scattered across the blocks. Private school families have choices like Magen David Yeshivah and Bais Esther, while the Success Academy charter adds another pathway. It's a genuine mix — not every block has a zoned option, but the spread means most families can find something that fits.
Compare with nearby neighborhoods
Best schools in Bensonhurst
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Bensonhurst a good neighborhood for families?
- Bensonhurst scores 51/100 for families on Motley — near the middle of the pack citywide. The Family Fit score blends safety, schools, parks, cost of living, and community.
- Is Bensonhurst safe?
- Bensonhurst scores 41/100 on safety — near the middle of the pack citywide. We build the score from NYPD complaint data, normalized by population.
- How are the schools in Bensonhurst?
- Bensonhurst has 33 schools mapped inside its boundary and scores 68/100 for schools — ahead of most NYC neighborhoods.
- Is Bensonhurst affordable?
- Bensonhurst scores 29/100 for affordability on Motley — among the pricier parts of the city.
- Which borough is Bensonhurst in?
- Bensonhurst is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City.
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