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Flatbush offers diverse communities, affordable housing, and strong transit connections. A vibrant commercial corridor along Flatbush Avenue serves the surrounding neighborhoods.
Flatbush offers diverse communities, affordable housing, and strong transit connections. A vibrant commercial corridor along Flatbush Avenue serves the surrounding neighborhoods.
Did you know?
Flatbush was an independent town called "Vlacke Bos" (wooded plain) by the Dutch until Brooklyn annexed it in 1894.
Who’s your neighbor?
Housing cost
$518 / sq ft
Commute
Weekday mornings · leaving 7:30–9:00
- FromFlatbush
- ToNear Bryant Park
Family scores
Show 5 moreShow fewer
Trade-offs
Stands out
- Family-Friendly Vibe87/100
Many families with children, with homes and schools close by
- Transit65/100
Quick weekday-morning transit to the city's main job centers
To weigh
- Safety11/100
More reported crimes, traffic injuries or serious housing violations per resident
- Air & Child Health22/100
More air pollution, childhood lead or asthma ER visits than most
- Affordability36/100
Higher costs than most
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.
Your family’s read
How does Flatbush fit your family?
An agentic read of this neighborhood — including safety and cost of living — tailored to your priorities, family size, budget, and commute.
Analyze for My FamilySchools & early education
Schools9 schools
Flatbush offers a solid mix of public and private options, with public schools making up the bulk of the roster. Midwood High School anchors the area as a zoned public high school, while P.S. 245 serves younger kids on East 17th Street. You'll also find early childhood centers like Cortelyou Early Childhood Center alongside private choices like Brooklyn Kids Preparatory School — giving families a few different paths to explore.
Browse all early-ed in this neighborhoodLiving here
Parks & Playgrounds2 places
Flatbush has one solid playground to point to — Hot Spot Tot Lot — but green space is genuinely thin on the ground here. Compared to more park-rich corners of Brooklyn, you're working with a limited bench, and there's no splash pad or major marquee park in the immediate area. What's there is usable and well-located, though families wanting larger green spaces will find themselves wandering a bit farther afield.
Nearest large park: Prospect Park · ~22 min walk (0.8 mi)
Transportation65 stops
Getting around Flatbush means anchoring your commute at the Flatbush Av-Brooklyn College station on the 2 and 5 trains — that's your one-seat ride to Midtown and downtown Manhattan. The bus network fills in nicely along Flatbush Avenue, Bedford Avenue and Church Avenue, so even without a car you're covered. Rush hour into the city runs about 35-45 minutes, which is typical for deep Brooklyn.
Restaurants75 places
Flatbush runs deep on Caribbean and West Indian flavors — Haitian bakeries, roti shops, and island-style plate lunch spots line Flatbush Avenue and Nostrand, giving the stretch a distinct culinary identity. Pizza and delis anchor the side streets, while the major avenues pull in the usual fast-food suspects and a few chain counters. It's not a date-night destination, but for quick, affordable eats that reflect the neighborhood's roots, this stretch delivers.
Groceries15 places
Flatbush delivers a solid mix of options along Flatbush Avenue and the surrounding blocks. ALDI anchors the north end near the junction with Caton, while Key Food and CTown have a strong presence along the main drag — the Cortelyou Road location is especially convenient for the eastern side. Met Foodmarkets rounds out the chain options. Independent markets and produce stands fill in the gaps, so most daily stops are walkable, though a full weekly haul might call for a car depending on where you land in the neighborhood.
Coffee Shops22 places
Flatbush gives you a solid spread of coffee options, with Starbucks holding down multiple corners along Flatbush Ave and Church Ave. The two Dunkin' locations cover the grab-and-go crowd. Scattered among the commercial strips are casual counter spots and bakeries — nothing over-polished, but reliable for a morning caffeine hit or an afternoon laptop session. A few boba tea spots add some variety to the mix.
Things to Do13 places
Flatbush offers a solid mix of performing arts venues and kids activities, anchored by a few legit theaters and performance spaces along Flatbush Avenue and near Brooklyn College. The tutoring and enrichment scene is surprisingly robust — you've got a handful of test prep and academic support options, plus a coding and robotics club that fills a niche most neighborhoods miss. Movie theaters pop up in a few spots, though the options feel thin compared to more family-heavy parts of Brooklyn. Retail-wise, there are a couple of kids-focused shops for the basics. It's not overflowing, but what's here covers the bases pretty well for families willing to look around.
Daycare & informal care12 places
Flatbush offers a solid mix of childcare and Pre-K options — 14 Pre-K sites spread across the neighborhood alongside about a dozen daycares. There's a decent variety here, from religious-affiliated programs like Gan Jewish Daycare and Masores Bais Yaakov to secular learning centers. Universal Pre-K appears well-represented through several DOE-affiliated sites. The cluster around Glenwood Road and Farragut Road is particularly dense, making that pocket worth exploring first if you're comparing options. Morning drop-off traffic can get heavy near the schools, so it's worth planning your route.
Family Resources6 places
Flatbush punches above its weight for civic anchors. The neighborhood has two solid library options — Flatbush Library on Flatbush Avenue and the Flatbush Learning Center on Nostrand — both serving as quiet, reliable public havens. Outdoor options are thinner but worth knowing: Umma Park gives families a green strip on Woodruff, and the Hot Spot Tot Lot fills a small niche for toddlers near Campus Road. Seasonal farmers markets at the Junction bring fresh produce and community texture. It's a mixed bag — the library scene is strong, but dedicated kids' recreation space feels limited compared to more family-dense neighborhoods.
Healthcare29 places
Flatbush is anchored by three hospitals — Century Medical and Dental Center on Flatbush Avenue, Ditmas Park Dialysis Center, and Morris Heights at Flatbush — giving the neighborhood real inpatient and emergency infrastructure. Urgent care is well-represented, with several CityMD and ModernMD locations scattered along the main drags. Pediatric and dental options are surprisingly dense for a lower-density family area, with multiple family practices and dental offices along Flatbush, Cortelyou, and Church Avenues. You're not lacking for options here, though families often travel to nearby neighborhoods for specialists not represented locally.
Compare with nearby neighborhoods
Best schools in Flatbush
Schools in Flatbush
9
Early education in Flatbush
20
- B'ABOVE WORLDWIDE INSTITUTE CORTELYOU RD
- BBRU FARRAGUT RD
- Blue Star Day Care Center
- BLUE STAR OF NEW YORK
- Bumble Bees R Us 3
- Charles R Drew Elc 5
- CHARLES R. DREW EARLY LEARNING CENTER 5- GLENWOOD
- Cortelyou Academy
- CORTELYOU EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER
- David Foster Preschool Academy
- FLATBUSH YMCA
- GAN, INC. GAN JEWISH DAYCARE
- Masores Bais Yaakov
- MASORES BAIS YAAKOV HIGH SCHOOL
- P.S. 245
- P.S. K315
- Saint Marks
- School of Science & Technology
- Stepz 2 Success Child Care Center
- STEPZ 2 SUCCESS CHILDCARE CENTER, INC. DBA:LEAPZ 2 SUCCESS CHILDCARE CENTER
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Flatbush a good neighborhood for families?
- Flatbush scores 46/100 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 Flatbush for families?
- For families, Flatbush stands out for many families with children, with homes and schools close by, and quick weekday-morning transit to the city's main job centers. What to weigh: more reported crimes, traffic injuries or serious housing violations per resident; more air pollution, childhood lead or asthma ER visits than most; and higher costs than most. 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 Flatbush safe?
- Flatbush scores 11/100 on safety — toward the lower end citywide. 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 Flatbush?
- Flatbush has 9 schools mapped inside its boundary and scores 51/100 for schools — near the middle of the pack citywide.
- How do middle and high school admissions work from Flatbush?
- Middle school: families in Flatbush apply in 5th grade through the citywide middle school application. District 22's 23 middle school programs admit by method: 10 unscreened, 5 charter lottery, 5 screened and 3 zoned. District 17's 28 middle school programs admit by method: 10 screened, 9 unscreened, 6 charter lottery and 3 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 Flatbush affordable?
- Flatbush scores 36/100 for affordability on Motley — among the pricier parts of the city.
- Which borough is Flatbush in?
- Flatbush is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City.
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