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Gravesend East-Homecrest features mid-rise apartments and diverse Central Asian and Chinese communities. The B/Q trains provide reliable transit along Kings Highway.
Gravesend East-Homecrest features mid-rise apartments and diverse Central Asian and Chinese communities. The B/Q trains provide reliable transit along Kings Highway.
Did you know?
The Kings Highway, which gives the commercial strip its name, was originally a colonial road decreed by King Charles II in 1704 for public use.
Who’s your neighbor?
Housing cost
$659 / sq ft
Commute
Weekday mornings · leaving 7:30–9:00
- FromGravesend (East)-Homecrest
- ToNear Bryant Park
Family scores
Show 5 moreShow fewer
Trade-offs
Stands out
- Family-Friendly Vibe76/100
Many families with children, with homes and schools close by
- Safety65/100
Fewer reported crimes, traffic injuries and serious housing violations per resident
To weigh
- Air & Child Health28/100
More air pollution, childhood lead or asthma ER visits than most
- Transit36/100
Longer weekday-morning trips to the city's main job centers
- Affordability38/100
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 Gravesend (East)-Homecrest 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
Schools20 schools
Gravesend-East is heavy on private and religious schools — yeshivas and parochial options dominate, with established names like Our Lady of Grace Catholic Acad and MIRRER YESHIVA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL anchoring the block. Public school families typically zone to P.S. 153 Homecrest or P.S. 095 The Gravesend for elementary, with P.S. 215 and P.S. 238 picking up nearby. Daycare and preschool options are plentiful for the under-5 set, with several centers along Homecrest Avenue and Ocean Parkway.
Browse all early-ed in this neighborhoodLiving here
Parks & Playgrounds3 places
Gravesend and Homecrest deliver a solid trio of playgrounds that keep local kids moving. Kelly Park Playground over on Kings Highway and McDonald Playground near Avenue U are the anchors — Mellett Playground rounds out the mix down the block. It's not a park-heavy neighborhood in the traditional sense, but what they have works: decent swing sets, open space to run, and nothing requiring a schlep across borough lines. Families here make do with quality over quantity.
1 playground within a 10-min walk
Nearest large park: Calvert Vaux Park · ~41 min walk (1.6 mi)
Transportation51 stops
The N train at 86 St and the F line at both Avenue U and Kings Hwy give this corner of Brooklyn three subway options, though getting to midtown or downtown Manhattan is a committed commute — expect 45 minutes to an hour on a good day. Bus coverage is dense along Coney Island Avenue, Avenue U and the numbered avenues, which comes in handy for local errands and grabbing the bus instead of the subway when you just need to go a few stops.
Restaurants73 places
Gravesend/Homecrest keeps it casual with a deep bench of bagel shops lining Avenue X and U — locals argue about which one has the best everything bagel, and honestly that's half the fun. The ethnic food scene punches above its weight: solid Chinese, solid Middle Eastern, solid South Asian, all mostly takeout-friendly and friendly on the wallet. Pizza and deli options are plentiful if you're grabbing a quick feed. The one chain that showed up here is a Chipotle on Kings Highway, but otherwise this is very much a neighborhood-eats kind of place.
Groceries16 places
Gravesend's grocery scene is surprisingly robust for a residential pocket — you've got a solid mix of ethnic markets and mainstream supermarkets strung along Avenue X and Kings Highway, so the weekly shop is doable on foot if you live nearby. CTown and Associated give you the budget-friendly basics, while the kosher options (several on Kings Highway and Avenue U) and Middle Eastern grocers add real variety. It's not a food desert, but the best concentration is on the western side near the border — east-side residents may want to hop on the B1 for a fuller haul.
Coffee Shops28 places
Gravesend and Homecrest deliver a solid coffee scene without needing to venture far from the block. You’ve got two Starbucks locations along Kings Highway plus a Dunkin' in the mix, which cover the familiar needs nicely. Beyond the chains, there’s a deep bench of independent spots — from cozy lounges to counter-service cafes — that keep the morning ritual well stocked. The selection leans practical and neighborhood-friendly rather than third-wave fancy, but that’s part of the charm here.
Things to Do24 places
Gravesend and Homecrest have built a deep bench of things for kids to do, with dance studios and martial arts schools anchoring the scene along the commercial strips around Avenue U and Coney Island Avenue. The list leans movement-heavy — multiple taekwondo and karate options, several dance academies — but families will also find a couple of swim options, a couple of tutoring spots, and a handful of enrichment and play spaces scattered in. It's a neighborhood where active kids will find their thing, whether that's a dojo or a dance floor.
Daycare & informal care5 places
Gravesend and Homecrest offer a solid mix of Pre-K sites and daycares — the Pre-K options outnumber standalone daycares, and several run through the public schools (P.S. 153, P.S. 215, P.S. 238). Morning drop-off along Avenue X and Coney Island Ave can get backed up, so arriving early helps, especially near the ocean Parkway stretch. There's real depth here compared to nearby pockets, though private daycare slots fill fast come fall.
Family Resources3 places
Gravesend and Homecrest punch above their weight when it comes to civic anchors for families. The neighborhood has two solid library branches — Gravesend Library and Homecrest Library on Coney Island Avenue — both offering story hours and homework help that make weekday afternoons manageable. The Edible Schoolyard NYC farm stand at PS 216 brings fresh produce and a bit of agricultural education to the area. It's a modest but reliable setup for families who need their public spaces to actually work.
Healthcare17 places
Gravesend and Homecrest benefit from a strong hospital anchor with NYU Langone's Levit Medical Arts Pavilion on Avenue P and the Perlmutter Cancer Center on Quentin Road, plus a cluster of specialty centers along the East 12th-14th Street corridor. Pediatric care runs thin with just a handful of independent practices along Kings Highway and Avenue R, so parents often pair those with hospital-based services. Urgent care is essentially a single stop at CityMD on Kings Highway. Dental options are modest but cover the basics — you'll find a pediatric specialist and a few family-oriented practices clustered around Avenue U and Coney Island Avenue.
Compare with nearby neighborhoods
Best schools in Gravesend (East)-Homecrest
Schools in Gravesend (East)-Homecrest
20
- ATERET TORAH CENTER
- B'NOT RACHEL HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
- BECEC INC
- BET YAAKOV ATERET TORAH
- BET YAAKOV MEKOR HAIM
- BIG APPLE INSTITUTE INC
- BIG APPLE INSTITUTE SITE 2
- MIRRER YESHIVA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
- OUR LADY OF GRACE CATHOLIC ACAD
- P.S. 095 The Gravesend
- P.S. 153 Homecrest
- P.S. 215 Morris H. Weiss
- P.S. 238 Anne Sullivan
- PEER HATORAH
- YESHIVA BAIS CHAYA ESTHER
- YESHIVA OF BELLE HARBOR
- YESHIVAT DARCHEI ERES INC
- YESHIVAT MAGEN ABRAHAM
- YESHIVAT OR HATORAH
- YESHIVAT SHAARE TORAH
Early education in Gravesend (East)-Homecrest
24
- ATERET TORAH CENTER
- Bambi Day Care
- BECEC INC
- BET YAAKOV ATERET TORAH
- BIG APPLE INSTITUTE INC
- BIG APPLE INSTITUTE SITE 2
- BROOKLYN'S DAILY DISCOVERY PRE-K CENTER AT 1215 AVENUE X
- BROOKLYN'S DAILY DISCOVERY PRE-K CENTER AT 385 AVENUE W
- MIRRER YESHIVA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
- OUR LADY OF GRACE CATHOLIC ACAD
- P.S. 153 Homecrest
- P.S. 215 Morris H. Weiss
- P.S. 238 Anne Sullivan
- PEER HATORAH
- Sephardic Community Center
- SEPHARDIC COMMUNITY YOUTH CENTER
- SHOSTAKOVICH MUSIC, ART AND SPORT SCHOOL, INC.
- Starlight Daycare
- WONDER LAND P.A.LLC
- Wonderland P.A. LLC
- YESHIVA OF BELLE HARBOR
- YESHIVAT DARCHEI ERES INC
- Znayka Daycare Center
- ZNAYKA ON Y INC.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Gravesend (East)-Homecrest a good neighborhood for families?
- Gravesend (East)-Homecrest scores 49/100 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 Gravesend (East)-Homecrest for families?
- For families, Gravesend (East)-Homecrest stands out for many families with children, with homes and schools close by, and fewer reported crimes, traffic injuries and serious housing violations per resident. What to weigh: more air pollution, childhood lead or asthma ER visits than most; longer weekday-morning trips to the city's main job centers; 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 Gravesend (East)-Homecrest safe?
- Gravesend (East)-Homecrest scores 65/100 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 Gravesend (East)-Homecrest?
- Gravesend (East)-Homecrest has 20 schools mapped inside its boundary and scores 43/100 for schools — near the middle of the pack citywide.
- How do middle and high school admissions work from Gravesend (East)-Homecrest?
- Middle school: families in Gravesend (East)-Homecrest apply in 5th grade through the citywide middle school application. District 21's 68 middle school programs admit by method: 46 audition, 8 zoned, 7 unscreened, 6 screened and 1 other. 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 Gravesend (East)-Homecrest affordable?
- Gravesend (East)-Homecrest scores 38/100 for affordability on Motley — among the pricier parts of the city.
- Which borough is Gravesend (East)-Homecrest in?
- Gravesend (East)-Homecrest is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City.
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