Safety index · Manhattan, New York · data through March 2026
Is Upper West Side (Central) safe?
Upper West Side (Central) records more reported crime than most New York neighborhoods. Its SafeRoute safety index is 30 out of 100 — right at the citywide median of 33, ranking 124th of 197 NYC neighborhoods — based on 995 incidents reported to the NYPD within 1 km of the neighborhood center (data through March 2026).
Most of what's reported here is property-related — other theft alone is 46% of reports — rather than violence against strangers, though the full mix below is worth a look.
Reported incidents here skew to daytime and evening hours — only about 13% of severity-weighted reports fall overnight (midnight–6 a.m.).
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Other theft | 455 · 46% | |
| Public order | 217 · 22% | |
| Violent crime | 107 · 11% | |
| Burglary | 59 · 6% | |
| Vehicle crime | 49 · 5% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 32 · 3% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from NYPD incident timestamps.
Walking in Upper West Side (Central) at night?
SafeRoute scores every walking route against the same live crime data on this page — and shows how much of each route runs on lit streets. Pick the safer way, share your walk, and check in when you arrive. Free, no account.
Get SafeRoute on the App StoreNearby areas
- Upper West Side-Manhattan Valley28/100 · Elevated
- Upper West Side-Lincoln Square28/100 · Elevated
- Upper East Side-Carnegie Hill30/100 · Elevated
- East Harlem (South)24/100 · High risk
- Upper East Side-Yorkville30/100 · Elevated
Common questions
Is Upper West Side (Central) safe at night?
Elevated overall (safety index 30/100). About 39% of severity-weighted incidents in Upper West Side (Central) are reported between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. At night, prefer lit, busier streets — a block or two of detour often avoids the clusters on the map above.
What is the most common crime in Upper West Side (Central)?
Other theft — 455 of 995 incidents (46%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center through March 2026.
How is the Upper West Side (Central) safety index calculated?
SafeRoute weights each incident reported to the NYPD by severity (violence weighs more than shoplifting), sums the last available period within 1 km of the neighborhood center, and normalizes against citywide crime rates onto a 0–100 scale — higher is safer. It describes reported crime only; it is not a guarantee of safety.