Maybe Cobble Hill was born with it, maybe it’s maple leaves — but either way, the Brooklyn neighborhood is officially throwing serious shade.
At 5,783 trees per square mile, Localize.city found that Cobble Hill tops the list of neighborhoods with the most street trees per square mile, followed by Floral Park, Park Slope, West Village, and the Upper East Side, respectively. The study considered trees planted on the sidewalk and maintained by New York City (neither Staten Island, nor trees in front yards, parks, or forested areas were included in the home search platform’s study).
The number of street trees in each neighborhood was gleaned from city data on trees they plant and maintain, said Aaron Ghitelman, manager of press relations and communications at Localize.city. Neighborhoods with vast tree coverage not maintained by the city were also considered for the rankings as to not misguide potential renters and buyers, he said.
“The idea is to learn more about our city … and learn where you can get the best street tree coverage and just where the best experience is walking around your neighborhood,” said Ghitelman. “If it’s a really, really hot day, a four-minute walk with tree coverage might feel a lot better than a one-minute walk without it.”
Although many of the top-ranked street-tree covered areas are in upscale Brooklyn neighborhoods, Ghitelman said the overall highest-priced neighborhoods do not necessarily have the most tree coverage. East Williamsburg, for example, has a median home purchase listing of more than a million dollars, and they are not on the Top 10 street tree coverage list. Meanwhile, Floral Park is second for street tree coverage and the median listing is about $750,000.
“It just shows that even if you have all the money in the world, you’re going to have to make decisions,” Ghitelman said.
The street tree findings are part of Localize.city‘s research into the city’s ‘most tranquil’ streets, which includes the number of street trees, building heights, and the number of traffic lanes.
While enjoying a book Thursday afternoon on a park bench across from his favorite tree in Cobble Hill, Ken Mullen, 70, said he enjoys relaxing outdoors with literature. His dream is to leave the city and move to the country, but he said Cobble Hill is as close as he’s gotten so far.
“It’s a very old tree. It’s huge and the branches just seem to be laboriously stretching out this way and that way. It has a sense of strength and grace at the same time,” Mullen said. “It’s nice to see the leaves start to come out in the spring. It starts to put you in touch with the cycles of life and change and seasons.”
Cobble Hill resident Melissa Goldschmid, 42, wanted to raise her children in a place where they can enjoy being outdoors. Having trees along the street, she said, helps bring a sense of calm to individuals in the Cobble Hill neighborhood.
“I think trees really make a difference in your day. I love when I can look out the window and see green or walk down the street,” she said. “It’s a nice part of living here.”
Top 10 Neighborhoods with most street trees per square mile, according to Localize.city:
Cobble Hill, Brooklyn: 5,783 trees per sq mile
Floral Park, Queens: 5,703 trees per sq mile
Park Slope, Brooklyn: 5,197 trees per sq mile
West Village, Manhattan: 5,102 trees per sq mile
Upper East Side, Manhattan: 5,056 trees per sq mile
Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn: 5,012 trees per sq mile
Boerum Hill, Brooklyn: 4,991 trees per sq mile
Gramercy, Manhattan: 4,687 trees per sq mile
Ditmas Park, Brooklyn: 4,507 trees per sq mile
Upper West Side, Manhattan: 4,502 trees per sq mile
