Canarsie sits on Jamaica Bay with waterfront access and affordable housing. The L train terminus and improving retail corridors serve a diverse community.
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.
Neighborhood Stats
Who’s your neighbor?
Housing cost
$476 / sq ft
Family scores
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What families should know
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Analyze for My FamilyLiving here
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.
Schools & early education
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.
Compare with nearby neighborhoods
Best schools in Canarsie
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Canarsie a good neighborhood for families?
- Canarsie scores 54/100 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 Canarsie safe?
- Canarsie scores 57/100 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 Canarsie?
- Canarsie has 33 schools mapped inside its boundary and scores 62/100 for schools — ahead of most NYC neighborhoods.
- Is Canarsie affordable?
- Canarsie scores 68/100 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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