Brownsville has deep historical significance and strong community institutions. Affordable housing and improving parks and schools serve a resilient population.
Brownsville has deep historical significance and strong community institutions. Affordable housing and improving parks and schools serve a resilient population.
Did you know?
Brownsville was the birthplace of the American birth control movement — Margaret Sanger opened the nation's first family planning clinic on Amboy Street in 1916.
Neighborhood Stats
Who’s your neighbor?
Housing cost
$378 / sq ft
Family scores
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What families should know
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Analyze for My FamilyLiving here
Brownsville's playground game is stronger than expected for the neighborhood — eleven of them scattered across the blocks, with Carter G. Woodson Children's Park and the Imagination Playground at Betsy Head standing out as the marquee spots. Howard Playground and Dr. Green add solid options closer to the residential core. The parks here tend toward smaller, playground-focused lots rather than sprawling green space, but what's here is well-loved by local kids.
Schools & early education
Brownsville runs deep on public education — you've got a deep bench of zoned elementary and middle schools, plus several high school options that share campuses on major corridors like East New York Avenue and Rockaway Avenue. The Mott Hall network (Mott Hall Bridges Academy and Mott Hall IV) stands out as a named program worth knowing. Charter options are few but present, with Brownsville Ascend Charter School and Key Collegiate Charter School in the mix. Private schools are thin here, with just a couple of options scattered on Pitkin and Hegeman.
Compare with nearby neighborhoods
Best schools in Brownsville
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Brownsville a good neighborhood for families?
- Brownsville scores 37/100 for families on Motley — toward the lower end citywide. The Family Fit score blends safety, schools, parks, cost of living, and community.
- Is Brownsville safe?
- Brownsville scores 19/100 on safety — toward the lower end citywide. We build the score from NYPD complaint data, normalized by population.
- How are the schools in Brownsville?
- Brownsville has 37 schools mapped inside its boundary and scores 34/100 for schools — toward the lower end citywide.
- Is Brownsville affordable?
- Brownsville scores 51/100 for affordability on Motley — mid-range on cost for the city.
- Which borough is Brownsville in?
- Brownsville is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City.
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