Is Williamsburg, Brooklyn Safe? What the 2026 NYPD Data (and Our Movers) Say

Ask ten New Yorkers if Williamsburg is safe, and you’ll probably hear ten different answers. A lot depends on when they last lived in the neighborhood. Someone who knew the Southside in the early ’90s might tell you to watch your back. Someone who moved into a waterfront apartment last spring might not understand why you’re worried in the first place.

There’s some truth behind both perspectives. We wanted to get a clearer picture, so we looked at the NYPD’s precinct reports through September 2026 and compared the numbers with what our moving crews see every day. Our teams spend plenty of time hauling couches up Southside walk-ups and finding parking on Kent Avenue. Between the crime data and our experience working in the neighborhood, here’s what we’ve found.

The Short Answer

Yes, Williamsburg is generally a safe place to live by New York City standards. Most major crime categories are declining, and violent crime is far less common than it was a generation ago. Theft remains the bigger concern. Phones, bikes, packages and wallets are frequent targets, something the police reports make clear. Keep track of your belongings, pay attention to your surroundings and choose your block carefully, and Williamsburg can be a comfortable place to call home.

Of course, safety can feel different depending on where you live. The Northside and Southside have their own rhythms, and some of the biggest risks residents deal with have nothing to do with crime.

What the NYPD Numbers Actually Show

Williamsburg falls within two police precincts, which helps explain why different crime websites sometimes give conflicting figures for the neighborhood. The 90th Precinct covers a section of northwestern Brooklyn made up mostly of Williamsburg. The 94th Precinct, based on Meserole Avenue, covers Greenpoint and parts of northern Williamsburg. If you’re considering an apartment near McCarren Park, for example, you’ll want to look at the 94th Precinct’s figures as well.

The 90th Precinct: Most of Williamsburg

The NYPD CompStat report for the 90th Precinct, covering the year through September 20, 2026, shows that the seven major felonies fell by about 4% compared with the same period in 2025. There were 1,159 reported offenses, down from 1,208. Robberies saw a larger decline, dropping from 149 to 117, or roughly 21%. The number of murders remained unchanged at three.

Some figures went up, though. Shooting incidents increased from four to six, while misdemeanor assaults rose by almost 18%. These are relatively small numbers for such a densely populated area, but they show why it’s better to look at individual crime categories rather than rely on a single neighborhood-wide safety rating.

The difference becomes much clearer when you look further back. In 1990, the same precinct recorded 5,392 major felonies. By 2025, that number had fallen to 1,686, a decrease of nearly 69%. Robberies dropped from 1,604 to 203, while car thefts went from 1,169 to 122.

The 94th Precinct: The Northside and Greenpoint

The 94th Precinct’s CompStat report shows a similar downward trend over the same period. Major felonies fell by almost 15% year over year, from 822 to 701. Robberies dropped by 24%, and the precinct recorded no murders through September 20, 2026.

Here’s how the two precincts compare using year-to-date figures through September 20, 2026:

Category	90th Precinct (2026 / 2025)	94th Precinct (2026 / 2025)
Total major felonies	1,159 / 1,208	701 / 822
Murder	3 / 3	0 / 0
Robbery	117 / 149	57 / 75
Felony assault	216 / 226	94 / 110
Burglary	202 / 191	73 / 105
Grand larceny	512 / 530	400 / 433

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when reading these figures. CompStat data is preliminary and includes only crimes reported to the police. Precinct boundaries also don’t line up perfectly with neighborhood boundaries, meaning neither report covers Williamsburg exclusively. For the most recent weekly figures, the NYPD crime statistics page is the place to check.

Williamsburg’s decline in violent crime also fits into a broader citywide trend. During the first 11 months of 2025, New York recorded its lowest numbers of shooting incidents and shooting victims on record, surpassing the previous lows set in 2018.

Why Theft Dominates the Statistics

One thing stands out in the precinct figures: grand larceny accounts for about 44% of major crime in the 90th Precinct and roughly 57% in the 94th. It’s also a category that has increased over the longer term. The 90th recorded 588 grand larcenies in 1990, compared with 788 in 2025, even as most other major offenses declined substantially.

The term “grand larceny” might make you think of an elaborate theft, but New York law covers some fairly ordinary situations under that definition. According to New York Penal Law § 155.30, stealing property worth more than $1,000 qualifies. Taking someone’s credit or debit card also counts, as does stealing property directly from a person, regardless of its value. That means someone lifting a phone out of your back pocket on Bedford Avenue can be committing a felony.

It’s the kind of theft we hear people talk about around Williamsburg. A phone disappears from an outdoor brunch table. An e-bike gets stolen even though its owner locked it. Someone leaves a package in the entrance of a walk-up, only to find it missing later. Busy nightlife streets give thieves plenty of opportunities, and older buildings without doormen can make package theft easier. Williamsburg has no shortage of either.

How Safe It Feels, Block by Block

Crime figures help explain the risks, but they can’t tell you what walking home at 11 p.m. will feel like. For many people choosing an apartment, that everyday experience matters just as much as the statistics.

The Northside, stretching roughly from Grand Street toward McCarren Park and the waterfront, is the part of Williamsburg many people know best. Think Bedford Avenue, the bars around North 6th Street and the apartment towers along Kent Avenue. There’s usually plenty of activity well into the evening. Having other people around can make a walk home feel more comfortable, although crowded streets also create opportunities for pickpockets and phone thieves. Late-night bar crowds can occasionally lead to fights, too.

Head south across Grand Street, and the neighborhood starts to feel different. South Williamsburg is quieter and more residential, with a large Hasidic community and long-established Dominican and Puerto Rican families. Many streets become quiet earlier in the evening. For someone used to the activity around Bedford Avenue, walking along a darker block near the Williamsburg Bridge might feel uncomfortable. That doesn’t automatically make the area dangerous. It simply has a different atmosphere at night.

East Williamsburg, closer to Bushwick, has a mix of apartment buildings, warehouses and industrial streets. There’s plenty happening during the day, but some blocks have little foot traffic after dark. Limited street lighting can make those quieter stretches feel less comfortable, particularly when walking alone.

The newer waterfront high-rises offer a different living experience. Many have doormen, key-fob access, dedicated package rooms and security cameras. Those features provide a level of building security that’s harder to find in older walk-ups, although the higher rent reflects those amenities.

The Risk Nobody Puts in Crime Stats: Traffic

When our crews are working in Williamsburg, traffic is often a bigger immediate concern than crime. Delivery vans stop in the middle of narrow streets, cyclists head toward the bridge, e-bikes pass unexpectedly and pedestrians step into the road while checking their phones. Moving a truck through all of that takes constant attention.

There are numbers behind those concerns, too. A Localize.city analysis reported by Patch identified Williamsburg as New York City’s most dangerous neighborhood for cyclists. Between 2013 and 2018, the area recorded 704 cyclist injuries, 704 pedestrian injuries and nine deaths. The analysis identified areas around the Williamsburg Bridge entrance and the intersection of Meeker, Union and Metropolitan avenues as particular trouble spots.

Those figures are several years old, and the city has since made improvements for cyclists and pedestrians. The latest 90th Precinct report records two traffic deaths so far in 2026, compared with four at the same point in 2025. Even with those changes, busy intersections deserve extra attention when you’re walking or riding a bike.

Is Williamsburg Safe at Night, Alone, or With Kids?

For most people, Williamsburg is a comfortable place to live, including those who regularly come home late. The busier Northside streets have people around well past midnight, and the L train stations at Bedford and Lorimer see steady activity. If you’re looking at an apartment and expect to travel home at night, try walking the route from the subway to the building after dark. Five quiet blocks with poor lighting can feel very different from five blocks filled with restaurants and people.

Plenty of Williamsburg residents live alone and feel comfortable doing so. A small resident survey on Niche offers some insight into how people perceive the neighborhood. Among respondents, 73% said they feel “pretty safe” with some concerns, 13% reported feeling “very safe” and another 13% chose “somewhat safe.” The survey has just 15 responses, though, so it provides a snapshot of personal experiences rather than a reliable measure of neighborhood safety.

Williamsburg is also home to plenty of families, particularly around Domino Park and McCarren Park. For parents choosing between the Northside and Southside, the decision often comes down to how much noise and nightlife they’re comfortable living near. The Northside stays active later, while many Southside streets settle down earlier in the evening.

What We Notice on Moving Day

Moving day creates its own set of safety concerns. Your belongings are going in and out of the building, the truck doors are open and there may be boxes sitting near the curb. It’s a time when a little extra care can prevent a lot of trouble.

One thing our crews are careful about is keeping furniture and boxes attended while they’re outside. Even leaving a few things on the sidewalk for a minute can be risky on a busy Northside street. A good moving crew makes sure someone stays near the truck while the rest of the team carries items upstairs. If you’re packing your own belongings, keep laptops, jewelry, important documents and chargers in a bag that stays with you rather than loading it onto the truck. Our full packing service includes labeling and sealing your belongings, making it easier to keep track of everything during the move.

Parking can be just as troublesome. Williamsburg has narrow one-way streets, bike lanes and limited curb space. Double-parking might seem like the easiest option, but it can lead to parking tickets, vehicle damage or close calls with passing traffic. Older Southside walk-ups present another challenge: narrow staircases that can’t accommodate every piece of furniture. When something is too large to fit through the stairs, it may need to be brought in through a window using our hoisting service.

Sometimes a lease ends before the new apartment is ready. If that happens, leaving belongings in a friend’s hallway or an unsecured basement can expose them to theft. Using secure storage for a few weeks may cost less than having to replace a stolen bike or TV.

A Quick Safety Checklist for Apartment Viewings

When looking at apartments in Williamsburg, it’s easy to focus on the kitchen, the layout and the amount of natural light. Building security and the surrounding streets deserve a closer look, too. Here’s what to check during a viewing:

• Visit the block after dark and walk the route from the nearest subway station.
• Find out how the building handles deliveries. Packages left in an unlocked lobby can disappear.
• Check that the front door closes properly and locks without needing to be pulled shut.
• Look for working lights in the entrance, stairwell and any side or rear yards.
• Ask where residents keep bikes and e-bikes, and check whether the storage area has a secure lock.
• Look for window guards or secure locks on ground-floor windows and those accessible from fire escapes.
• If you meet any neighbors, ask how long they’ve lived in the building and what their experience has been like.

So, Should You Move to Williamsburg?

Williamsburg has a lot going for it if you enjoy walking to restaurants, spending time near the waterfront and having an easy L train ride into Manhattan. Based on the crime figures and what we see while working in the neighborhood, safety alone wouldn’t put us off moving here. Violent crime has fallen considerably over the years, and most major crime categories continue to decline. The more common concerns are everyday theft and the differences between individual blocks. Keeping your phone close, arranging secure package delivery, locking your bike properly and checking out your street after dark can help you feel more comfortable in your new home.

If you’re still deciding where to live, our Manhattan vs. Brooklyn comparison looks at the differences between the two boroughs. Our guide to living in SoHo covers another busy New York neighborhood and what everyday life there is like. Once you’ve chosen an apartment, our Brooklyn movers can help you get settled. We know Williamsburg’s streets, its older buildings and the parking challenges that come with moving here. Get in touch for a quote.

FAQ

Is Williamsburg safe at night?

For the most part, yes. The Northside stays busy late into the evening, so there are usually other people around. That activity can also attract phone thieves, and occasional fights happen near bars. Some streets in Southside and East Williamsburg become quiet much earlier, which can feel uncomfortable even if those blocks aren’t necessarily more dangerous. Walking your usual route after dark before signing a lease can help you decide how comfortable you’ll feel there.

Is South Williamsburg safe?

South Williamsburg is a quiet, family-oriented area that’s generally considered safe. Compared with the Northside, there are fewer people out late at night, and some streets near the bridge have limited lighting. If you prefer having more people around when walking home, an apartment closer to your subway stop may be a better fit.

What’s the most common crime in Williamsburg?

Theft is the most common major-crime category by a considerable margin. Grand larceny accounts for the largest share of major offenses in both local precincts. Under New York law, that category includes property taken directly from a person, meaning a stolen phone can qualify. Keeping your phone off unattended café tables and arranging secure package delivery can help reduce the risk of everyday theft.

Is Williamsburg safer than it used to be?

Yes, major crime has fallen substantially over the past few decades. The 90th Precinct recorded 5,392 major felonies in 1990, compared with 1,686 in 2025. Robberies also declined by close to 90% over that period. Grand larceny is the one major-crime category that has increased over the longer term.

Is Williamsburg a good place to live alone?

Many Williamsburg residents live alone and feel comfortable in the neighborhood. Choosing a building with a secure front entrance and good lighting can make everyday life easier. If you regularly come home late, consider an apartment with a well-traveled route from the subway. Getting familiar with the surrounding streets before moving in can also help you find a place that feels right for you.

Crime figures are from NYPD CompStat reports covering the period through September 20, 2026. CompStat data is preliminary and updated weekly.