Living in Midwood: rent, commute and grades

Brooklyn · Updated October 2026

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Rent in Midwood

$1,533 a month

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

B-Overall

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

CWalkability
The average home has 4.5 of 5 everyday needs within a 10-minute walk (grocery store, restaurant, cafe, subway station, park) and about 136 places to eat or shop.
Residents: The Ocean Parkway bike path is long and relaxing to ride. Former resident, Mar 2024
City data alone would give C+; what residents say in 3 Reddit threads moves it to C.
C-Food and shopping
Within a 10-minute walk of the average home: about 27 places to eat, 11 kinds of cuisine, 3.3 large grocery stores and 83 open storefronts.
Residents: Di Fara is close by and Istanblue on Avenue J is an excellent Turkish restaurant. New resident, Jul 2026
City data alone would give C; what residents say in 4 Reddit threads moves it to C-.
CParks and green space
79% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park of an acre or more, with about 98 acres of parkland within 1 km and about 472 street trees within 300 m of the average home.
Residents: Bustling streets and parks within an easy walk are what the neighborhood lacks. Resident, Mar 2024

CCommunity
19% of households moved in since 2018, 5% are roommates sharing a home, 17% of residents are 22 to 34, and there are about 8 cafes and bars within a 10-minute walk of the average home.
Residents: Socially it can feel isolating, with few people of one's own age nearby to hang out with. Resident, Dec 2025
C-Nightlife
About 6 bars, clubs and restaurants licensed to serve alcohol on site within a 10-minute walk of the average home.
Residents: There are far fewer bars and late-night spots than in Bed-Stuy. New resident, Aug 2026
City data and 5 resident threads on Reddit agree on this grade.

A+Safety
2.2 murders, robberies, felony assaults and burglaries were reported per 1,000 residents in 2025 (191 in all).
Residents: In its favor, the area feels somewhat safe. Resident of one year, Dec 2025
City data and 3 resident threads on Reddit agree on this grade.
AQuiet
23 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 neighborhood is quiet. New resident, Aug 2026
City data and 3 resident threads on Reddit agree on this grade.
DBuilding upkeep
30.7 serious housing code violations (class B or C) were issued in 2025 per 100 rented homes, and there were 11.7 heat or hot water complaints per 100 rented homes.

SafetyIn its favor, the area feels somewhat safe. Resident of one year, Dec 2025
Food and shoppingDi Fara is close by and Istanblue on Avenue J is an excellent Turkish restaurant. New resident, Jul 2026
WalkabilityThe Ocean Parkway bike path is long and relaxing to ride. Former resident, Mar 2024
QuietThe neighborhood is quiet. New resident, Aug 2026
CommunityThe street feels very safe and generally friendly, with a decent community vibe. Homeowner, Dec 2025
Food and shoppingA local sandwich shop and Masake were dependable takeout choices. Former resident, Feb 2024

Food and shoppingFood options around Kings Highway are fewer than in Bensonhurst near the D and N. Resident of one year, Dec 2025
NightlifeThere are far fewer bars and late-night spots than in Bed-Stuy. New resident, Aug 2026
Parks and green spaceBustling streets and parks within an easy walk are what the neighborhood lacks. Resident, Mar 2024
CommunitySocially it can feel isolating, with few people of one's own age nearby to hang out with. Resident, Dec 2025
WalkabilityDriving along Ocean Avenue and Coney Island Avenue is so bad that even alert pedestrians have nearly been hit several times. Resident, Apr 2026
Food and shoppingFalafel Tanami, Nagoya sushi and Taco Lino stand out, but variety is limited off Kings Highway, so Flatbush or Kensington takeout is often better. Resident, Feb 2024

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It has felt very safe in the first months of living there, if a bit boring.
New resident, Jul 2026
It felt very safe, with many neighbors at home watching the street and community patrols looking out for trouble.
Former resident, Dec 2025
The neighborhood is safe, though very quiet socially.
Resident, Dec 2025

There are lots of cheap, good places to eat.
New resident, Aug 2026
Shops on Avenue J are hit and miss unless you are looking for kosher food.
Not a resident, Aug 2026
Di Fara pizza and its sandwich shop, 1012 Kitchen, are excellent.
Not a resident, Feb 2024

There are no bars or nightlife near Kings Highway, so any outing means going to another part of town.
Resident of one year, Dec 2025
There is little to do locally, so weekends and nights out meant leaving the neighborhood.
Former resident, Mar 2024
After Astoria it feels very boring: a bar or coffee shop is about a 10 minute walk, and little else goes on.
Resident, Mar 2024

Drivers routinely roll through stop signs while pedestrians with the right of way are crossing.
Resident, Apr 2026
Reckless driving on Ocean Parkway is common, with minivans running red lights and nearly hitting runners.
Not a resident, Dec 2025

Midwood has a reputation as a quiet neighborhood.
Not a resident, Dec 2025
It feels very suburban, quieter than Flatbush.
Not a resident, Aug 2025
It is a quiet place, possibly too quiet for someone who wants a lively scene.
Not a resident, Aug 2025

By subway or bus, arriving by 9:00 on a weekday:Under 30 min30 to 45 min45 to 60 minOver an hourMidwood

Residents: Some apartments are a two minute walk from the F train. Resident, Dec 2025

Residents: Getting to Bushwick takes over an hour. New resident, Aug 2026

Midwood's name comes from the Dutch Midwout, meaning middle woods: settlers named the area for the dense woodland that lay midway between the towns of Boswyck (Bushwick) and Breuckelen. Source
Midwood's housing is mostly two- and three-story detached and semi-detached houses, with attached row houses on some blocks. Apartment buildings of four to eight stories cluster along Avenue K, Ocean Avenue, Kings Highway and parts of Avenue N. Source
Midwood's shopping is concentrated on Coney Island Avenue, on Avenue M between Coney Island and Ocean avenues, and on Avenue J between Coney Island Avenue and East 16th Street. Source
Most of Midwood was built up by World War II. Smaller projects continued into the 1980s, mostly groups of three- or four-family semi-detached houses with ground-floor garages. Source
Kings Highway at East 16th Street, on Midwood's southern edge, is an express stop on the B and Q lines. Source
Midwood was an early center of filmmaking: many early films were made at the Vitagraph studios near Avenue M and East 14th Street. Source
Midwood Library closed in May 2026 for an infrastructure renovation expected to take about two years, including a new children's library on the second floor. Bookmobile visits continue around the neighborhood meanwhile. Source