Is North Pinewood safe?
Pinewood, Florida · safety score updated nightly
Be careful — go in daylight and stay on the busier streets.
VibeLoco rates North Pinewood as “Caution”.
Gogo's take on North Pinewood
“Go with care, keeping your visits focused primarily on daytime hours and specific destinations. While the neighborhood consists largely of modest, working-class residential streets, elevated rates of property crime and occasional violent incidents in the surrounding corridor warrant standard urban caution. Visitors are generally fine when patronizing local businesses along the primary avenues or commuting through.”
Miami-Dade County law enforcement maintains active patrols along the NW 7th Avenue and NW 103rd Street corridors due to historical concerns over property crimes and isolated firearm-related offenses.
About the area
North Pinewood is an unincorporated residential community in northern Miami-Dade County characterized by mid-century single-family homes, duplexes, and rich Haitian and Caribbean cultural influences. Positioned just west of I-95 and Miami Shores, it serves largely as a commuter enclave with commercial activity concentrated on NW 7th Avenue and NW 103rd Street.
- Residential
- Working-Class
- Caribbean Influence
- Car-Dependent
Walking and biking in North Pinewood
Walk score: 58/100 · Bike score: 46/100
There is no municipal bike-share system here and dedicated bike lanes are absent, requiring cyclists to share higher-speed lanes on major thoroughfares.
Reasons to go, and reasons to think twice
Pros
- Immediate highway access to Interstate 95 facilitates convenient travel across Miami-Dade County
- Authentic and affordable Haitian and Caribbean dining options along major perimeter avenues
- Close proximity to higher-amenity hubs in neighboring Miami Shores and North Miami
- Lower traffic density along interior residential residential blocks
Cons
- Above-average rates of property crime including vehicle break-ins and theft
- Commercial strips along NW 7th Ave display pockets of economic distress and deferred maintenance
- Limited public greenspace and recreational amenities directly inside the neighborhood boundaries
- Below-average median household income and higher poverty indicators compared to the county average
Homelessness: Visible homelessness is moderately present along the major commercial corridors of NW 7th Avenue and NW 103rd Street, primarily around bus shelters and retail centers, but it is rarely observed within the interior residential streets.
What North Pinewood is like at each time of day
- Morning · 5a – 11a
- Active and relatively calm as residents commute to work and local bakeries open along the commercial avenues.
- Afternoon · 11a – 5p
- Steady vehicular traffic along main thoroughfares; quiet inside residential streets with minimal safety concerns for visitors.
- Evening · 5p – 10p
- Commercial plazas remain bustling with takeout traffic, though foot travel on poorly lit side streets is not recommended.
- Late night · 10p – 5a
- Quiet residential areas experience limited activity, but isolated incidents and lower visibility make late-night pedestrian transit ill-advised.
Transit, parking and getting around
Public transit is operated by Miami-Dade Transit, primarily through Metrobus Route 77 on NW 7th Avenue and Route 103 along NW 103rd Street. The nearest Metrorail hub is the Northside Station, located roughly 2.5 miles southwest.
Free and ample parking is standard in retail plaza surface lots along the perimeter, while residential side streets feature accessible curb and driveway parking without meters.
Things to do in North Pinewood
- Sample traditional Haitian patties, pikliz, and griot along the NW 7th Avenue culinary strip
- Visit neighboring Barry University just east across I-95 for public lectures, arts events, and campus walks
- Explore nearby Oak Grove Park for community sports fields and lakeside walking trails
Local favorites
- Macillon Bakery · Bakery · 4.4★ (140)A neighborhood Haitian bakery renowned for warm meat patties, fresh bread, and Caribbean pastries.
- La Granja NW 7th Ave · Peruvian Restaurant · 4.1★ (1150)Popular fast-casual spot serving generous platters of Peruvian rotisserie chicken, steak, and plantains.
- Captain Fish Market & Restaurant · Seafood Restaurant · 4.0★ (230)Casual neighborhood market and fryer offering fresh fish, conch, and classic fried seafood combos.
Scores are safety-driven — recent reported crime and local news plus Census income, poverty, housing, education, household and access data — refreshed nightly. Walk and bike scores are shown separately and do not affect the safety score. A guide, not a guarantee — conditions change street to street.