New York City Beware Of Toxic Sites In Your Neighborhoods: How NYC Has More Than A Rat Problem [Maps]

New Yorkers like to complain about their city, whether it’s about subway delays, smells on street corners or paying outrageous rent for tiny living spaces. Now they can add to that list toxic sites that fester in the five boroughs.

Propertyshark.com, a real estate website that provides in-depth data for more than 75 million properties in the U.S., has compiled a map showing toxic sites that could cause financial or health hardships to those nearby.

“Gas tank leaks are a major concern … [The gas] can migrate long distances through soil,” Nancy Jorisch, a senior data analyst for PropertyShark, said. “Properties closest to manufacturing plants, gas stations and landfills have the highest amounts of potential toxicity.”

In 2010 Newtown Creek, which forms part of the border between Brooklyn and Queens, was declared one of the most polluted industrial sites in the U.S., with an estimated 30 million gallons of spilled oil and raw sewage from the NYC sewer system.

But, Jorisch said people shouldn’t panic if they see an icon near a property they're looking to buy. "Not all icons are equally serious and some issues are much more benign than others,” she said.