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Fort Greene offers brownstone elegance near BAM and Pratt Institute. Fort Greene Park and diverse dining make it one of Brooklyn's most livable neighborhoods.
Fort Greene offers brownstone elegance near BAM and Pratt Institute. Fort Greene Park and diverse dining make it one of Brooklyn's most livable neighborhoods.
Did you know?
Fort Greene Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the same team that created Central Park and Prospect Park.
Who’s your neighbor?
Housing cost
Commute
Weekday mornings · leaving 7:30–9:00
- FromFort Greene
- ToNear Bryant Park
Family scores
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Trade-offs
Stands out
- Transit92/100
Quick weekday-morning transit to the city's main job centers
- Family-Friendly Vibe71/100
Many families with children, with homes and schools close by
To weigh
- Affordability13/100
Higher costs than most
- Air & Child Health25/100
More air pollution, childhood lead or asthma ER visits than most
- Safety37/100
More reported crimes, traffic injuries or serious housing violations per resident
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 Fort Greene 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
Schools14 schools
Fort Greene offers a deep bench of schooling options — from zoned public elementary schools like P.S. 020 Clinton Hill and P.S. 046 Edward C. Blum to specialized public schools like Dr. Susan S. McKinney Secondary School of the Arts. The neighborhood also pulls in a couple of charter options and private schools, giving families a real mix of governance models. Brooklyn Tech is the big draw for high schoolers in the area, though getting in is competitive. It's a solid range, though middle school options feel thinner than the elementary layer.
Browse all early-ed in this neighborhoodLiving here
Parks & Playgrounds9 places
Fort Greene Park anchors the neighborhood's outdoor scene — that Olmsted-designed green is the marquee space, and it's surrounded by a solid bench of smaller playgrounds. You'll find Commodore Barry Park along Atlantic Avenue, Cuyler Gore near the Pratt Institute, and a handful of smaller spots like Edmonds Playground and Oracle Playground scattered through the blocks. It's not overloaded, but what exists is well-used and well-maintained.
5 playgrounds within a 10-min walk
Nearest large park: Prospect Park · ~34 min walk (1.3 mi)
Transportation54 stops
Fort Greene is a commuter's dream — you've got four subway stops within walking distance, with the Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr hub serving the 2, 3, 4, and 5 lines plus the G at Fulton St and the C at Lafayette Av. The bus network along DeKalb, Flushing, Fulton, and Myrtle gives you options if the trains aren't cooperating. Getting to Manhattan is straightforward, and the dense transit options mean you're rarely stuck relying on a single line.
Restaurants75 places
Fort Greene's restaurant scene punches above its weight for a smaller Brooklyn nabe — there's a deep bench of delis and diners along Dekalb and Myrtle, plus a genuinely international spread when you look past the familiar strips. You'll find clusters of Italian along Dekalb, solid Thai and pan-Asian along Myrtle, and a handful of Middle Eastern and Caribbean spots that feel homegrown rather than franchise-ready. The Fulton Street corridor leans slightly more polished, while the blocks near the park have that casual, neighborhood-drinks energy. It's not a destination dining scene, but for regular eats it's got good range. One Chipotle anchors the fast-casual lane if that's your thing.
Groceries10 places
Fort Greene punches above its weight for groceries — you've got a Whole Foods on Ashland for the weekly stock-up, a Stop & Shop on Atlantic for breadth, and an ALDI off Fulton for budget runs. Met Fresh on Myrtle covers the middle ground nicely, and the two seasonal greenmarkets (Fort Greene Park and Whitehall) add fresh local produce when the weather cooperates. It's a walkable circuit for most日常needs, though a car helps if you're hauling heavy bags from the further spots.
Coffee Shops31 places
Fort Greene's coffee scene runs deep, with a solid mix of indie roasters and a few reliable chains anchoring the corners. You'll find Starbucks holding it down on Flatbush and Fulton, but the real character comes from the third-wave spots scattered along Dekalb and Lafayette — places pulling meticulous pours and serving the laptop crowd well into the afternoon. Bagel shops with decent coffee round out the morning options, and there's a matcha spot or two for the ritual-curious.
Things to Do24 places
Fort Greene punches above its weight for cultural enrichment, with a deep bench of dance studios, theaters, and live music spaces that cater to all ages. The neighborhood leans artistic — think performance venues and movement classes — but athletic options aren't overlooked, with a couple of pool facilities and youth sports leagues in the mix. Families will also find tutoring and enrichment centers scattered throughout, plus a trio of movie theaters clustered around Lafayette Ave for rainy-day entertainment. The texture here is decidedly creative over competitive, which is a nice balance for families not looking to go all-in on travel teams.
Daycare & informal care4 places
Fort Greene's early childhood landscape leans heavily public — the six pre-K spots scattered across P.S. 20, P.S. 46, and P.S. 67 handle most of the neighborhood's youngest learners, with a couple of charter and enrichment options in the mix. Private daycares exist but are thinner on the ground — a handful of centers around Myrtle and Hanson Place serve families seeking earlier or more flexible enrollment. Drop-off logistics depend heavily on which zone you're in, as the cluster around Clinton Hill and the Myrtle corridor aren't exactly walking-distance neighbors.
Family Resources8 places
Fort Greene delivers a reliable two-library bench with the Walt Whitman Library on Saint Edwards Street and the Library for Arts & Culture on Lafayette — both solid for story time and weekend homework help. The playground scene runs deeper than you'd expect for a low-family-density neighborhood, with Edmonds Playground on Carlton Avenue and Oracle Playground on Adelp hi standing out as neighborhood anchors. Two seasonal greenmarkets round out the civic offerings, though dedicated community centers remain limited. What's here is well-used and well-loved.
Healthcare18 places
Fort Greene sits on a deep bench of hospitals — Brooklyn Hospital Center's Downtown Campus on DeKalb and the Cumberland Diagnostic & Treatment Center on North Portland anchor the neighborhood's medical landscape, with several other facilities along Myrtle and Fulton. Pediatric care is thin (just a couple of practices), and there's a single urgent care option on Flatbush. Dental care follows the same pattern — a few private practices exist but no dense cluster. Families often piece together pediatricians and dentists from nearby neighborhoods to build a full care team.
Compare with nearby neighborhoods
Best schools in Fort Greene
Schools in Fort Greene
14
- BROOKLYN INDEPENDENT
- Brooklyn Technical High School
- CHILD STUDY CENTER OF NEW YORK
- Community Roots Charter School
- Compass Charter School
- Dr. Susan S. McKinney Secondary School of the Arts
- Fort Greene Preparatory Academy
- GREENE HILL SCHOOL
- M.S. 113 Ronald Edmonds Learning Center
- P.S. 020 Clinton Hill
- P.S. 046 Edward C. Blum
- P.S. 067 Charles A. Dorsey
- P.S. K753 - School for Career Development
- UNITED TALMUDICAL ACADEMY 25
Early education in Fort Greene
9
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Fort Greene a good neighborhood for families?
- Fort Greene 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 Fort Greene for families?
- For families, Fort Greene stands out for quick weekday-morning transit to the city's main job centers, and many families with children, with homes and schools close by. What to weigh: higher costs than most; more air pollution, childhood lead or asthma ER visits than most; and more reported crimes, traffic injuries or serious housing violations per resident. 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 Fort Greene safe?
- Fort Greene scores 37/100 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 Fort Greene?
- Fort Greene has 14 schools mapped inside its boundary and scores 47/100 for schools — near the middle of the pack citywide.
- How do middle and high school admissions work from Fort Greene?
- Middle school: families in Fort Greene apply in 5th grade through the citywide middle school application. District 13's 21 middle school programs admit by method: 13 screened, 6 charter lottery and 2 unscreened. District 15's 20 middle school programs admit by method: 15 unscreened and 5 charter lottery. 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 Fort Greene affordable?
- Fort Greene scores 13/100 for affordability on Motley — among the pricier parts of the city.
- Which borough is Fort Greene in?
- Fort Greene is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City.
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