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Canarsie, Brooklyn
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Canarsie

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At A Glance

Canarsie sits on Jamaica Bay with waterfront access and affordable housing. The L train terminus and improving retail corridors serve a diverse community.

Did you know?

Canarsie's name comes from the Lenape people, the "Canarsee," who inhabited the area for centuries before European colonization.

Who’s your neighbor?

$82KMedian Income
22%Under 18
29%College+
50%Own Their Home

Housing cost

Median asking rent
$3,454per month
Median sale price
$850Kmedian sale

$476 / sq ft

Commute

Weekday mornings · leaving 7:30–9:00

  1. FromCanarsie
  2. To
    Near Bryant Park
70 to 72min

Family scores

58
/100
Family Fit
A weighted blend of the scores below, all but Neighborhood Character.
78
/100
Safety
Reported crime, traffic injuries and serious housing violations, per resident.
70
/100
Schools
Test results, family satisfaction and class sizes at the schools serving the area, and how many there are.
82
/100
Affordability
Higher is more affordable.
Show 5 more
43
/100
Family-Friendly Vibe
How many families with kids live nearby.
86
/100
Neighborhood Character
Older, uniform housing. Not part of Family Fit.
24
/100
Transit
Weekday-morning transit time to the nearest job centers.
42
/100
Air & Child Health
Fine-particle air pollution, child lead levels and asthma ER visits.
19
/100
Things to Do
Places families use within a 10-minute walk of home.
Lower
050100
Higher
How this is scored→

Trade-offs

Stands out

  • Affordability82/100

    Lower costs than most

  • Safety78/100

    Fewer reported crimes, traffic injuries and serious housing violations per resident

  • Schools70/100

    Strong results at the public and charter schools serving it

To weigh

  • Transit24/100

    Longer weekday-morning trips to the city's main job centers

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.

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For your family

How does Canarsie fit your family?

An agentic read of this neighborhood — including safety and cost of living — tailored to your priorities, family size, budget, and commute.

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Schools & early education

Schools33 schools

Canarsie offers a deep bench of public schools alongside a handful of charter and private options. The zoned elementary schools like P.S. 114 Ryder Elementary and P.S. 115 Daniel Mucatel serve as neighborhood anchors, while I.S. 068 Isaac Bildersee covers middle school. Charter options like Canarsie Ascend and Explore Excel add variety, and there are several private and parochial choices along Avenue K. The mix means families have real options to explore, though navigating the admissions landscape still takes some digging.

Browse all early-ed in this neighborhood

Living here

Parks & Playgrounds9 places

Canarsie delivers a solid, if narrow, playground lineup — seven dedicated play spaces scattered across the neighborhood with names like Bayview Playground and Breukelen Ballfields giving the sense of established, well-used neighborhood fixtures. What you'll find is playgrounds, period — no splash pads, no major green lawns, just play equipment and the occasional ballfield. It's not showy, but the bench is deep enough for families who need it, and the repetition means you're rarely more than a block or two from somewhere for kids to burn off energy.

2 playgrounds within a 10-min walk

Nearest large park: Canarsie Park & Pier · ~18 min walk (0.7 mi)

Transportation124 stops

Canarsie gives you just one subway line — the L at Canarsie-Rockaway Pkwy — but that L train is a straight shot into Union Square and 14th Street, which keeps the commute honest. The bus network is where things get interesting: you've got dense coverage along Avenues L and M, plus solid north-south runs on the E 80s and E 100s crosstown. It's car-friendly territory, but you don't need wheels to get around — the bus web is surprisingly tight for a neighborhood this far southeast.

Restaurants82 places

Canarsie's eats run heavy on the delis and Caribbean takeout spots — a solid bench of Jamaican and Caribbean spots like Golden Krust and Dougie's keeps the neighborhood well-fed, while Chinese options cluster along Avenue L for when you need a quick takeout night. Pizza and a couple of diners fill the gaps, and the usual suspects (Dunkin', Baskin-Robbins) dot the main drags. It's not a destination dining scene, but the mix covers the basics without much fuss.

Groceries14 places

Canarsie has a solid mix for the weekly shop — Key Food and CTown cover the chain supermarket basics along Rockaway Parkway and Flatlands Ave, while a handful of independents like Food World and Good Food For Less fill in the gaps. The Brooklyn Terminal Market brings some fresher options at the southern edge. For most families, a car helps — the spread means you're not walking to one spot for everything, but you won't need to go far.

Coffee Shops14 places

Canarsie's coffee scene leans practical — you won't find third-wave roasters here, but the basics are covered. There are a couple of Starbucks and Dunkin' locations scattered around, plus a solid bench of bagel shops where locals grab a coffee with their morning order. The east side near the park has fewer options, so most coffee runs tend to center around Flatlands Avenue and Rockaway Parkway. It's not fancy, but it'll do.

Things to Do10 places

Canarsie's got a solid little bench of activities for kids, especially if you've got a dancer or martial artist in the making — there are a couple of dance studios and a pair of karate/taekwondo spots that seem to have staying power. The other_kids offerings mix it up: a kids spa and salon for something a little different, a few athletic clubs, and some youth programming. Swimming options are thinner than I'd like, but what's here covers the bases pretty well for a neighborhood this size.

Daycare & informal care18 places

Canarsie offers a pretty solid split between daycares and Pre-K sites — about 18 of each, which gives families a decent bench to work with whether you're leaning toward a formal Pre-K program or a more flexible daycare arrangement. The options run the gamut from group family daycares tucked into residential blocks to larger Pre-K programs through the district. Drop-off mornings are manageable here compared to denser parts of Brooklyn, but it still pays to scope out proximity to your home or commute — the last thing anyone needs is a trek across the neighborhood with a toddler in tow.

Family Resources10 places

Canarsie offers a solid lineup of public playgrounds — you'll find everything from the well-maintained Bayview Playground near Seaview Avenue to smaller neighborhood spots like Remsen Playground along Glenwood Road. The neighborhood punches above its weight for family infrastructure with not one but two branches: Canarsie Library on Avenue J and Jamaica Bay Library serving the eastern side. It's a quietly well-equipped pocket for families who prioritize practical, low-key recreation options.

Healthcare15 places

Healthcare in Canarsie is anchored by a few established facilities — First Medcare Primary Care Center on Flatlands and Gateway Dialysis over near East 98th Street serve as the neighborhood's main anchors. For everyday pediatric needs, you've got a solid bench of four pediatricians along Rockaway Parkway and Flatlands Avenue, so finding a new doctor shouldn't be a headache. Urgent care is thin but functional, with two options including AFC Urgent Care on Rockaway Parkway handling the walk-in stuff. Dentists are reasonably represented with five practices scattered around — not a shortage, but you're definitely picking from a curated list rather than browsing.

Compare with nearby neighborhoods

88%
Canarsie vs Flatlands
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Canarsie vs Marine Park-Mill Basin-Bergen Beach
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Canarsie vs Gravesend (South)
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Best schools in Canarsie

Best elementary schools in CanarsieBest middle schools in CanarsieBest high schools in Canarsie

Schools in Canarsie

33

Early education in Canarsie

28

All early education in Canarsie →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Canarsie a good neighborhood for families?
Canarsie scores 58/100 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 Canarsie for families?
For families, Canarsie stands out for lower costs than most; fewer reported crimes, traffic injuries and serious housing violations per resident; and strong results at the public and charter schools serving it. What to weigh: longer weekday-morning trips to the city's main job centers. 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 Canarsie safe?
Canarsie scores 78/100 on safety — ahead of most NYC neighborhoods. 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 Canarsie?
Canarsie has 33 schools mapped inside its boundary and scores 70/100 for schools — ahead of most NYC neighborhoods.
How do middle and high school admissions work from Canarsie?
Middle school: families in Canarsie apply in 5th grade through the citywide middle school application. District 18's 19 middle school programs admit by method: 7 unscreened, 6 screened, 5 charter lottery and 1 zoned. District 19's 26 middle school programs admit by method: 10 unscreened, 7 charter lottery, 7 screened and 2 zoned. 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 Canarsie affordable?
Canarsie scores 82/100 for affordability on Motley — more affordable than most NYC neighborhoods.
Which borough is Canarsie in?
Canarsie is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City.

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