Living in Bensonhurst: rent, commute and grades

The average home has 4.3 of 5 everyday needs within a 10-minute walk (grocery store, restaurant, cafe, subway station, park) and about 254 places to eat or shop.

Residents: Drivers speed and run red lights, so pedestrians have close calls as often as weekly. Resident, Jul 2026

Within a 10-minute walk of the average home: about 61 places to eat, 20 kinds of cuisine, 5.6 large grocery stores and 146 open storefronts.

Residents: 18th Avenue has more shops, and 86th Street has many Asian groceries for cheap food and shopping. Resident, Aug 2026

City data alone would give B; what residents say in 12 Reddit threads moves it to A.

37% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park of an acre or more, with about 46 acres of parkland within 1 km and about 345 street trees within 300 m of the average home.

18% of households moved in since 2018, 6% are roommates sharing a home, 17% of residents are 22 to 34, and there are about 22 cafes and bars within a 10-minute walk of the average home.

Residents: Longtime residents dominate and are set in their ways, so young renters who host guests should check that neighbors are okay with it. Former resident, Jul 2026

City data alone would give B-; what residents say in 4 Reddit threads moves it to C.

About 12 bars, clubs and restaurants licensed to serve alcohol on site within a 10-minute walk of the average home.

Residents: Nightlife is mostly a couple of karaoke bars and low-key bars. Resident, Jul 2025

City data alone would give B-; what residents say in 9 Reddit threads moves it to C-.

3.1 murders, robberies, felony assaults and burglaries were reported per 1,000 residents in 2025 (289 in all).

Residents: Bensonhurst and nearby Gravesend are an okay place in terms of safety, just boring. Resident, Jul 2026

City data alone would give A-; what residents say in 7 Reddit threads moves it to B.

21 noise complaints to 311 per 1,000 residents in 2025, not counting helicopter complaints, and counting each address at most 12 days a year. That measures how often people complain, not how loud it is.

Residents: The blocks near 79th Street and 19th Avenue seem quiet in the daytime, though school dismissal may be louder. Resident, Aug 2026

City data alone would give A; what residents say in 6 Reddit threads moves it to B.

19 serious housing code violations (class B or C) were issued in 2025 per 100 rented homes, and there were 6.2 heat or hot water complaints per 100 rented homes.

Residents: Rodent problems inside homes have become common in the last few years. Resident, Sep 2026

City data and 4 resident threads on Reddit agree on this grade.