Living in Coney Island: rent, commute and grades

Brooklyn · Updated October 2026

A long wooden pier leads toward the Parachute Jump and Coney Island skyline under a clear blue sky.
A wide wooden boardwalk with a decorative amusement arch and rides ahead in clear light.
A wide sandy beach and low surf with the Coney Island skyline in clear light.
A brick and yellow terminal building with a clock and crowds at the street corner.
A busy street corner with colourful signs and rides behind at sunset.
Photo credits

This guide also covers Sea Gate, which shares Coney Island’s official city boundaries.

Rent in Coney Island

$1,892 a month

Type of homeA room in a 2-bedroom, shared by two

Coney Island is cheaper with roommates

Find people looking in Coney Island
DOverall

Coney Island graded

Grades compare NYC neighborhoods with each other. How the grades work.

Everyday life

  • CWalkability

    The average home has 4.2 of 5 everyday needs within a 10-minute walk (grocery store, restaurant, cafe, subway station, park) and about 109 places to eat or shop.

    Residents: Living at the western end without a car is very hard. Former resident, Mar 2024

  • DFood and shopping

    Within a 10-minute walk of the average home: about 22 places to eat, 12 kinds of cuisine, 3.5 large grocery stores and 66 open storefronts.

    Residents: Shopping is thin at the western end; the closest supermarket is the one on Mermaid Avenue. Former resident, Mar 2024

    City data alone would give C; what residents say in 3 Reddit threads moves it to D.

  • BParks and green space

    100% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park of an acre or more, with about 572 acres of parkland within 1 km and about 281 street trees within 300 m of the average home.

    Residents: The boardwalk is a highlight, running from Coney Island Beach on to two more beaches. Grew up there, Jun 2024

    City data and 3 resident threads on Reddit agree on this grade.

People

  • DCommunity

    17% of households moved in since 2018, 4% are roommates sharing a home, 13% of residents are 22 to 34, and there are about 8 cafes and bars within a 10-minute walk of the average home.

  • C-Nightlife

    About 7 bars, clubs and restaurants licensed to serve alcohol on site within a 10-minute walk of the average home.

    Residents: Winters are cold and windy, with nothing at all to do nearby. Grew up in the area, Jul 2026

    City data alone would give C; what residents say in 3 Reddit threads moves it to C-.

Home and safety

  • DSafety

    8.2 murders, robberies, felony assaults and burglaries were reported per 1,000 residents in 2025 (445 in all).

    Residents: Some parts of the neighborhood are safer than others; the public housing developments do not feel safe. Former resident, Feb 2025

    City data alone would give C-; what residents say in 6 Reddit threads moves it to D.

  • A-Quiet

    24 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: Loud cars and street racers are the main nuisance. Grew up there, Jul 2026

  • B+Building upkeep

    14.2 serious housing code violations (class B or C) were issued in 2025 per 100 rented homes, and there were 3.5 heat or hot water complaints per 100 rented homes.

Who lives there

  • Older residents
  • Families with kids

What residents say

Residents like

Residents don’t like

Show 18 moreShow less

Safety

Food and shopping

Nightlife

Walkability

Quiet

Parks and green space

Building upkeep

Getting around from Coney Island

Map of New York City neighborhoods shaded by travel time by subway or bus from Coney Island
By subway or bus, arriving by 9:00 on a weekday:Under 30 min30 to 45 min45 to 60 minOver an hourConey Island
  • Coney Island-Stillwell Av DFNQ
  • Neptune Av F
  • W 8 St-NY Aquarium FQ

Residents: Train and bus service is excellent, centered on the Stillwell Avenue terminal. Grew up there, Jun 2024

Residents: From the far western end, getting to the subway adds 30 to 40 minutes, so many residents take a cheap cab or the bus. Lifelong resident, Mar 2024

What to know about Coney Island

  • Coney Island, long called "The People's Playground", has one of the city's best-known beaches, an amusement district and a 2.5-mile boardwalk that continues into Brighton Beach. Source
  • In the early 20th century Coney Island was the largest amusement attraction in the United States. Deno's Wonder Wheel, the Parachute Jump and the Cyclone roller coaster are designated city landmarks. Source
  • Mermaid Avenue is the everyday shopping street, with stores in low-rise mixed-use buildings. The amusements cluster to the south around Surf Avenue, Stillwell Avenue and the boardwalk. Source
  • Housing splits in two: high-rise residential buildings and senior housing along western Surf Avenue, and low-rise mixed-use buildings and attached one- and two-family homes around Mermaid Avenue. Source
  • Beyond the rides, Coney Island has the original Nathan's Famous, sideshows, the Brooklyn Cyclones baseball team and summer events such as the Mermaid Parade. Source
  • Sea Gate, at the western tip and also covered by this guide, is a private gated community incorporated in 1899 on what was once Norton's Point, with a residents-only beach. Source
  • Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue, at Surf and Stillwell avenues, is the terminal for the D, F, N and Q, with four island platforms. Source

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Sources

Facts about Coney Island:

Data behind the grades: