<p>I plan to apply to NYU this year, but my parents fear New York City. Have any of you had any issues while on campus, or even while off campus? Is it as dangerous as my parents make it seem? If you had any altercations, can you describe them?</p>
<p>My mother-in-law felt the same way when she heard my daughter was going to NYU. She still thought of NYC as a crime ridden place that it was decades ago. It’s been cleaned up quite a bit. D has not encountered any crime at all, nor heard of anyone having a problem.</p>
<p>Do a little research, harv, on the change in crime rate. In some statistics I’ve seen, it’s alot safer than other large cities. The area around NYU, especially, and most of the places students would go to in Manhattan do not have high crime rates. In a certain way people are safer there because they are more careful and don’t go walking down dark alleys at 3 AM.</p>
<p>[NYU</a> > Office of Public Safety > Crime Statistics & Reports](<a href=“Campus Safety”>Campus Safety)</p>
<p>I have walked around the area around NYU at about 3:00am, and never had a problem, while being loaded down with a heavy backpack and what was obviously a laptop bag. And I have done this at least twice a week since sophomore year. One of my friends, who is a very small female has never had a problem either.</p>
<p>My daughter has never encountered a problem either and she rides the subways alone at night as well. The area around NYU is so bright with lights and people walking around that it is really safe. They also have public safety officers very visible around the campus.</p>
<p>Are the public safety officers on campus 24/7? I’m going to be rowing in the fall, and we have to meet at the Coles Sports Center by 5:00 AM, which means I’m going to have to leave my dorm at around 4:30 in the mornings. My mom keeps trying to talk me out of rowing so I don’t have to be out by myself so early, but I tell her that NYC isn’t as dangerous as she thinks it is. I don’t think that she believes me…</p>
<p>ariela09,</p>
<p>I imagine that by 5 AM the city has already awakened in terms of taxi cabs, business truck deliveries, etc. Even at 4:30 AM, there should already be traffic in the main streets around NYU, especially West Houston St. (and Mercer St.) where Coles is located. I am not sure about the smaller streets, though I imagine some of those streets also already have the early birds getting ready for business in the city. I would choose a main street to walk down, e.g., Broadway down to W. Houston, though others, like the poster Smilodon above, seem to indicate it is OK to walk around the NYU streets (even quieter ones) at 3 A.M. </p>
<p>I am not sure what location your dorm would be, but until you get familiar with the vibes of the city, I would try to get to one of the main roads and walk on those where you can be clearly seen by passing cars, trucks and taxis. However, I also have to reiterate what others have said, NYU is in a safe part of NYC. I remember as a college student, walking back late from studying at the Columbia University Law School Library and being un-nerved by the quietness of Amsterdam Ave. But that is much farther uptown and in those days that part of Manhattan bordered on a ghetto area (maybe still true but I have not been there in ages).</p>
<p>NYU is in a far superior neighborhood. Your time for travel is just about wake-up time for people in the city. So just exercise common sense and you should be OK.</p>
<p>@ariela</p>
<p>after a few weeks of rowing with a team, you will definitely build friendships. you can have people meet you someplace and walk together as a big group to practice. remember, safety in numbers!</p>
<p>@ariela Yes they have safety officers on duty 24/7, the campus security office is on campus near the old bookstore and always open. The buildings that are open always have an officer on duty. I’ve walked home from Bobst at 4am more than I can count and I always see campus security around.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone! I’m staying at Greenwich, so my mom is just a little concerned about the distance. I think it has more to do with the fact that I’m going to be living 1600 miles away, but I’ll definitely tell her what you guys said to put her mind at ease.</p>
<p>Just take the NYU bus</p>
<p>Main streets have enough donut carts operating at 4:30 am, that you will be fine.</p>
<p>ariela,</p>
<p>I just realized the location of your dorm, Greenwich Hotel. I think you only have one small residential street to worry about (if that is even the case, because you are in a quaint part of Greenwich Village), before you get to Hudson St. or Varick St. Hudson St and Varick St. are major thoroughfares, where you will have cars making the trek from Manhattan to New Jersey or vice versa by the time you start out at 4:30 AM. Hudson St and Varick St. are two of the major streets leading directly into or from the Holland Tunnel, so you will likely see traffic at all times of day and night. </p>
<p>Then Hudson or Varick intersects with Houston which is also another major thoroughfare. And Houston leads you directly to Coles. As soon as you get out of the one residential street where Greenwich Hotel is, you will be on two of the busiest streets of NYC for traffic at all hours.</p>
<p>By the way, I forgot about the NYU bus. It would be worth checking on when and where you can get a pick up. If it is directly in front of Greenwich Hotel and it starts early at 4:30 AM, that would be great. Unless, of course, you want to warm up and get exercise by walking 11 blocks or so before your actual work out at the Sports Center. :)</p>
<p>From what I’ve been told- NYU is in the 6th Precinct which is the safest in New York.</p>