The 5 best neighborhoods for families in Brooklyn

Thao Tram Ngo

28 Apr 2023

Homes in family-friendly Park Slone neighborhood in Brooklyn New York during winter time

We used our proprietary Location Scores to rank the neighborhoods in Brooklyn, New York based on the following family-friendly characteristics: quiet, pedestrian-friendly, parks, groceries, elementary schools, and high schools.

Here’s our list of the best neighborhoods for families in Brooklyn:

  1. Boerum Hill
  2. Park Slope
  3. Crown Heights
  4. Clinton Hill
  5. Cobble Hill

Quantifying the characteristics of Brooklyn’s most family-friendly neighborhoods

Getting a lay of the land (and location) through data

Local Logic builds location intelligence solutions to help home seekers and investors find opportunities that are most suited to their preferences and requirements. We’ve looked at thousands of data points to create our 18 proprietary Location Scores that provide street and neighborhood-level insights.

Location Scores measure amenities close by and mobility patterns around a neighborhood, so home buyers and renters can better understand and assess a location. Using our unique location insights, you can find properties based on specific characteristics, such as proximity to schools or quiet neighborhoods, and make more informed decisions on where you want to live next.

How Local Logic benchmarks neighborhood scores against Brooklyn’s average scores

Here are the Location Scores for the best Brooklyn neighborhoods for families and the borough’s overall averages. We’ve analyzed the locations by the following family-friendly scores:

  • Quiet: Level of noise nearby
  • Pedestrian-friendly: Represents how many stores and institutions are nearby and how pleasant it is to walk to them
  • Parks: Quantity and area of parks nearby
  • Groceries: Distance to closest grocery store and quantity of grocery stores nearby
  • Elementary Schools: Distance to closest elementary school
  • High Schools: Distance to closest high school

Then, we ranked each neighborhood by a composite score of all these factors out of 10.

Here are the average scores for Brooklyn

  • Quiet: 5.1 — Some sources of noise nearby
  • Pedestrian-friendly: 9.3 — All day-to-day needs are within a few minutes’ walk
  • Parks: 9.0 — Very large amount of park space within a few minutes’ walk
  • Groceries: 9.2 — Several grocery stores nearby
  • Elementary Schools: 9.0 — At least one elementary school within a 5-minute walk
  • High Schools: 8.4 — At least one high school within a 10-minute walk

👪 Composite score for family-friendliness: 8.3

Ranking the best neighborhoods in Brooklyn for families

Here’s our data-informed list of the top five most family-friendly neighborhoods in Brooklyn, New York:

1. Boerum Hill

Map of Boerum Hill in Brooklyn, New York

  • Quiet: 4.7 —  Multiple sources of noise nearby
  • Pedestrian-friendly: 10.0 —  All day-to-day needs are within a few minutes’ walk
  • Parks: 9.7 —  Very large amount of park space within a few minutes’ walk
  • Groceries: 9.8 —  Several grocery stores nearby
  • Elementary Schools: 9.6 — At least one elementary school within a 5-minute walk
  • High Schools: 9.6 — At least one high school within a 5-minute walk

👪 Composite score for family-friendliness: 8.9

Boerum Hill is a small neighborhood in the northwestern part of Brooklyn. Despite the “hill” in its name, the neighborhood is pretty flat. It has a rich history of ironwork and manufacturing, and is now known for its independently-owned boutiques, restaurants, and rows of brownstones. There are a lot of artists with galleries in the neighborhoods, and many of them exhibit at The Invisible Dog Art Center.

There are a lot of young families in the neighborhood who like to bike through nearby Prospect Park and borrow books from the Brooklyn Public Library. There are also a great number of schools in the neighborhood, including the Boerum Hill School for International Studies.

2. Park Slope

Map of Park Slope in Brooklyn, New York

  • Quiet: 5.1 —  Some sources of noise nearby
  • Pedestrian-friendly: 10.0 — All day-to-day needs are within a few minutes’ walk
  • Parks:9.3 —  Very large amount of park space within a few minutes’ walk
  • Groceries: 9.8 —   Several grocery stores nearby
  • Elementary Schools: 9.6 — At least one elementary school within a 5-minute walk
  • High Schools: 9.6 — At least one high school within a 5-minute walk

👪 Composite score for family-friendliness: 8.9

Like Boerum Hill, Park Slope is also in the northwestern part of Brooklyn. It features a number of historic buildings, highly-rated restaurants, and eclectic shops that have something for everyone. Families in the neighborhood benefit from their close proximity to Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and the Brooklyn Museum.

Although there are plenty of opportunities to enhance your family’s cultural learnings outside of the classroom, there are several schools in the area including Park Slope School for Pre-K to Grade 5 and Park Slope Collegiate for Grades 6 to 12.

3. Crown Heights

Map of Crown Heights in Brooklyn, New York

  • Quiet: 4.6 —  Multiple sources of noise nearby
  • Pedestrian-friendly: 10.0 —  All day-to-day needs are within a few minutes’ walk
  • Parks: 9.8 —  Very large amount of park space within a few minutes’ walk
  • Groceries: 9.9 —  Several grocery stores nearby
  • Elementary Schools: 9.6 — At least one elementary school within a 5-minute walk
  • High Schools: 9.3 — At least one high school within a 5-minute walk

👪 Composite score for family-friendliness: 8.9

The Crown Heights neighborhood is located in central Brooklyn. It’s an evolving area with historic charm; you can find many brownstones and Victorian mansions. Many cultures collide (in a good way) with countless cafés sharing streets with Caribbean and kosher restaurants. You can make new traditions as a family by attending the annual West Indian Day Parade on the Eastern Parkway, and give your children the chance to have interactive fun at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.

During the week, they can walk to one of the many schools in the area including Success Academy Crown Heights for elementary-aged children, and Clara Barton High School.

4. Clinton Hill

Map of Clinton Hill in Brooklyn, New York

  • Quiet: 4.4 —  Multiple sources of noise nearby
  • Pedestrian-friendly: 9.8 —  All day-to-day needs are within a few minutes’ walk
  • Parks: 9.6 —   Very large amount of park space within a few minutes’ walk
  • Groceries: 9.8  —  Several grocery stores nearby
  • Elementary Schools: 9.4 — At least one elementary school within a 5-minute walk
  • High Schools: 9.4 — At least one high school within a 5-minute walk

👪 Composite score for family-friendliness: 8.8

The neighborhood of Clinton Hill holds its very own historic district and is home to the world-renowned Pratt Institute. Like many of the other neighborhoods in Brooklyn, the area boasts a lot of coffee shops, restaurants, and parks.

The public schools in the neighborhood are considered to be above average, and include Purvis J. Behan Elementary School and Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School.

5. Cobble Hill

Map of Cobble Hill in Brooklyn, New York

  • Quiet: 4.5 —  Multiple sources of noise nearby
  • Pedestrian-friendly9.8 — All day-to-day needs are within a few minutes’ walk
  • Parks: 9.0 — ​​   Very large amount of park space within a few minutes’ walk
  • Groceries: 9.7 — Several grocery stores nearby
  • Elementary Schools: 9.6 —  At least one elementary school within a 5-minute walk
  • High Schools: 9.0 — At least one high school within a 5-minute walk

👪 Composite score for family-friendliness: 8.6

Cobble Hill offers its residents a vibrant yet laid-back atmosphere and tons of green spaces. Its main stretch, Court Street, has a number of cool cafés and casual restaurants. The brownstones and single-family homes in the area are occupied by young professionals and families.

You and your family can enjoy new foods from specialty food markets, running around at one of the many playgrounds in the neighborhood, and a post-play time snack at the beloved Blossom Ice Cream. From Monday to Friday, your children and their education will be in good hands at places like John M. Harrigan Elementary School or Digital Arts and Cinema Technology High School.

From Monday to Friday, your children and their education will be in good hands at places like John M. Harrigan Elementary School or Digital Arts and Cinema Technology High School.

Finding the right neighborhood in Brooklyn for your family

No matter what neighborhood in Brooklyn you choose, you and your family will have easy access to day-to-day necessities and fun things to do together. Having a lot of amenities within walking distance gives you more time back in your day to do the things you enjoy.

Our Location Scores are available through Local Content on many of our partner sites and their real estate listings in Brooklyn. When searching for your next home, or the best Brooklyn neighborhoods for families, you can look for specific characteristics on each individual listing to find the perfect place for you and yours.

Curious about how other neighborhoods (or cities!) might fare?
Try the Insights Atlas to get in-depth location insights on any neighborhood, city, or address in the US and Canada.