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Ridgewood straddles the Brooklyn-Queens border with a mix of German, Polish, and growing creative communities. Affordable rents and improving dining scene drive interest.
Ridgewood straddles the Brooklyn-Queens border with a mix of German, Polish, and growing creative communities. Affordable rents and improving dining scene drive interest.
Did you know?
Ridgewood's landmarked Stockholm Street block contains 68 identical brick rowhouses built in 1908 — it's the best-preserved example of early 20th-century Queens housing.
Who’s your neighbor?
Housing cost
$571 / sq ft
Commute
Weekday mornings · leaving 7:30–9:00
- FromRidgewood
- ToNear Bryant Park
Family scores
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Trade-offs
Stands out
- Air & Child Health66/100
Cleaner air and better child-health measures
To weigh
- Schools12/100
Weaker results at the public and charter schools serving it, or fewer of them
- Affordability34/100
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 Ridgewood 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
Schools15 schools
Ridgewood's school scene leans heavily public, with Grover Cleveland High School on Himrod Street anchoring the secondary options and I.S. 093 Ridgewood serving as the neighborhood's main middle school on Forest Avenue. A handful of private and charter options break up the mix — Christ the King High School and Notre Dame Catholic Academy sit near each other on Metropolitan Avenue, while Middle Village Preparatory Charter School adds a charter alternative. Elementary coverage is solid with P.S. 071 Forest and P.S. 088 Seneca keeping younger kids close to home.
Browse all early-ed in this neighborhoodLiving here
Parks & Playgrounds6 places
Ridgewood keeps kids moving with a solid spread of playgrounds scattered across the blocks — Benninger Playground holds down the southern end, Grover Cleveland Playground takes up a full city block, and Mafera Park covers the northern stretch. The rest are smaller but well-tended pocket parks that locals actually use. Nothing waterfront, but the green space is reliable and these playgrounds clearly get loved. Not a destination for park-hopping, but families in the area don't have to go far to find somewhere to play.
2 playgrounds within a 10-min walk
Nearest large park: Highland Park-Cypress Hills Cemeteries (North) · ~22 min walk (0.9 mi)
Transportation96 stops
Ridgewood keeps you connected with both the L and M lines running through the neighborhood. Halsey St on the L gives you a direct shot into Manhattan, while the M stops at Forest Av, Fresh Pond Rd and Seneca Av offer solid alternatives depending on where you're headed. The bus network along Forest Ave and Fresh Pond Rd fills in the gaps nicely—you won't be stranded waiting for a train. Expect around 35-40 minutes into the city, which is typical for Queens but beats dealing with a car any day.
Restaurants100 places
Ridgewood's restaurant scene is firmly rooted in the old-school Queens vibe — a deep bench of pizza spots (particularly along Fresh Pond Road and Myrtle Ave), no-frills diners, and family-owned delis that have been feeding the block for generations. You'll also find solid ethnic diversity here: Thai, Mexican, Venezuelan cachapas, Balkan Bosnian, and a handful of bakeriess worth wandering toward. It's not a destination dining neighborhood, but the density is real — you won't lack for a solid, cheap meal whether you're grabbing a slice on the fly or settling into a booth for a long breakfast.
Groceries22 places
Ridgewood's grocery scene punches well above its weight for a neighborhood this size. Key Food anchors Myrtle Ave, and you've got a solid spread of other chains too — Food Bazaar, C-Town, and Associated Supermarket are all in the mix. Beyond the supermarkets, there's a genuine variety of ethnic grocers and specialty shops along the main drags, so the weekly shop is very doable without a car. The deep bench here means you're not locked into one option for everything.
Coffee Shops48 places
Ridgewood's coffee scene leans casual and neighborhood-y rather than third-wave — you're not going to find a cluster of pour-over specialists, but there's a solid mix of bakeries and cafes where you can linger over a cup. A few spots like Milk & Pull and Caffiend draw the laptop crowd, while the rest are more grab-and-go, often attached to brunch or bakery operations. There's a Dunkin' near the Q train stop that handles the commuter rush, and beyond that it's a scattered but functional bench of independents — nothing earth-shattering, but enough to get your morning fix without much trouble.
Things to Do19 places
If your kids are into dance or martial arts, you're in luck — Ridgewood's activity scene runs heavily in those two directions, with a deep bench of studios and dojos clustered around Myrtle Avenue and the side streets off Fresh Pond Road. There's one independent movie theater for family film nights, a couple of soccer fields, and a few other kids' spots, but the offerings are pretty specialized here. Sports beyond soccer and general athletics are thin, so families looking for variety may need to venture outside the neighborhood.
Daycare & informal care4 places
Ridgewood leans heavily on its public school Pre-K slots, with a deep bench of sites attached to the P.S. network — a real backbone for families with 3- and 4-year-olds. Daycare options are thinner on the ground, mostly smaller group family operations rather than the bigger chains. Morning drop-off is pretty seamless if you're already on the school pickup route, though securing a spot at the more popular sites takes some advance planning.
Family Resources8 places
Ridgewood keeps things low-key on the civic front — the branch library on Madison Street is the anchor, and there are a handful of playgrounds scattered around (Benninger, Rosemary's, Starr) that locals rely on. The seasonal farmstands on Cypress Avenue bring a bit of weekend ritual to the neighborhood, which matters more than you'd think when you're trying to feed a family without trekking elsewhere. It's not overloaded with programming or community centers, but what's here is solid and well-used.
Healthcare13 places
Healthcare in Ridgewood is anchored by a handful of dialysis and diagnostic centers — Centerlight Healthcare, Ridgewood Communicare, and a few others handle the institutional side of things. Pediatric coverage is thin with just a couple of options on Weirfield Street, so securing a pediatrician early is smart. Two urgent care spots along Myrtle Avenue (CityMD and Northwell) give parents a backup for after-hours scrapes. Dental care is decent but concentrated on the western edge near Middle Village — families on the eastern side of the neighborhood have fewer nearby options.
Compare with nearby neighborhoods
Best schools in Ridgewood
Schools in Ridgewood
15
- A.C.E. Academy for Scholars at the Geraldine Ferraro Campus
- Bushwick Leaders High School for Academic Excellence
- CHRIST THE KING HIGH SCHOOL
- Grover Cleveland High School
- I.S. 093 Ridgewood
- Joseph F. Quinn Intermediate School 77
- Learners and Leaders
- Middle Village Preparatory Charter School
- NOTRE DAME CATHOLIC ACADEMY
- P.S. 068 Cambridge
- P.S. 071 Forest
- P.S. 088 Seneca
- P.S. 239
- P.S. 81Q Jean Paul Richter
- Robert E. Peary School
Early education in Ridgewood
19
- A.C.E. Academy for Scholars at the Geraldine Ferraro Campus
- Christ The King Community Preschool
- Greater Ridgewood Youth Council
- Gryc Little Stars At Fairview
- Learners and Leaders
- NOTRE DAME CATHOLIC ACADEMY
- NOTRE DAME CATHOLIC ACADEMY OF RIDGEWOOD
- P.S. 068 Cambridge
- P.S. 071 Forest
- P.S. 088 Seneca
- P.S. 239
- P.S. 81Q Jean Paul Richter
- RIDGEWOOD YMCA
- Robert E. Peary School
- THE GRYC LITTLE STARS PRE-K @ FAIRVIEW
- THE GRYC LITTLE STARS PRE-K @ SUMMERFIELD
- The Salvation Army - The Ridgewood Citadel Community Center
- THE SALVATION ARMY RIDGEWOOD CITADEL COMMUNITY CENTER
- YMCA of Greater Ny- Ridgewood Y
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Ridgewood a good neighborhood for families?
- Ridgewood scores 43/100 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 Ridgewood for families?
- For families, Ridgewood stands out for cleaner air and better child-health measures. What to weigh: weaker results at the public and charter schools serving it, or fewer of them, 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 Ridgewood safe?
- Ridgewood scores 56/100 on safety — near the middle of the pack 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 Ridgewood?
- Ridgewood has 15 schools mapped inside its boundary and scores 12/100 for schools — toward the lower end citywide.
- How do middle and high school admissions work from Ridgewood?
- Middle school: families in Ridgewood apply in 5th grade through the citywide middle school application. District 24's 26 middle school programs admit by method: 14 zoned, 6 screened, 4 unscreened and 2 charter lottery. District 32's 17 middle school programs admit by method: 6 screened, 6 zoned, 3 charter lottery and 2 unscreened. 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 Ridgewood affordable?
- Ridgewood scores 34/100 for affordability on Motley — among the pricier parts of the city.
- Which borough is Ridgewood in?
- Ridgewood is a neighborhood in Queens, New York City.
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