<p>Some student at Princeton <a href="http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=local&id=5223548%5B/url%5D">http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=local&id=5223548</a> sexually assaulted a girl and assaulted a guy and again last week did it again. Check the thread online. Columbia being in a big city has nothing to do with safety. Princeton is supposed to be a nice safe place too but gangs come up from Trenton. And if a student is nuts there you go!</p>
<p>tessa - </p>
<p>i could give you a few one-liners to give to your mom, but I don't think that'd be the most useful advice. The most useful advice I can give is, after being here a month, you'll pick up (EASILY) the basic talent of assessing a neighborhood just by passing through it. You can drive north on lexington ave and watch as it goes from upper class to upper middle class to lower middle class...</p>
<p>and basically, the lesson to draw here is, don't be caught in a tough neighborhood late at night. some basic principles:
- if there are bars, 24-hour bodegas, diners, or whatever, there's activity in the neighborhood and it is thus safe
- almost nowhere in manhattan south of 125th st is unsafe. maybe the barrio in spanish harlem, but that's it. even the housing projects are patrolled out the wazoo by cops. but if you head to outer boroughs, you need to know what you're doing
- by daylight, there are just so many PEOPLE everywhere, no matter where you are, that you're basically never beyond anyone's line of sight or earshot. s**t doesn't happen, really. unless you were really asking for it or looking for it.
- central park is one of the safest places you've seen, even at night. i've biked around there at night a few times even by myself, and I can tell you that for every mere jogger you see, you see 10 cops go by in cars, scooters or bikes. they've got the joint locked down. riverside park and morningside park, less so, but again - less lighting, less foot traffic, more dangerous. very simple ideas.</p>
<p>The fact is, if you're out with friends, you're basically always going to be safe. cops are everywhere, especially in manhattan. places you're likely to be at late at night are crawling with people anyway, and thus you have a social safety net. In 4 years at columbia, I heard of exactly one actual crime more serious than having a bike get stolen - someone got mugged on amsterdam at about 4am. that's it. once. four years. campus of 10,000 students.</p>
<p>The general directive: Don't Do Dumb Things. That is all.</p>
<p>Also be on the watch out for Denzera who lurks the streets of Harlem looking for some tricks to play and some dope to distribute.</p>
<p>Yo.</p>
<p>edit: oops, i reread what he said and its correct.....what an awkward way to write it denzera</p>
<p>also, i work in the south bronx this summer and honestly even that area is safe in the morning/afternoon....no idea about night but u really have nothing to worry about even in some of the most dangerous parts of new york unless as denzera said you are there late at night etc which i dont expect would happen.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Also be on the watch out for Denzera who lurks the streets of Harlem looking for some tricks to play and some dope to distribute.
[/quote]
or who comes home at 4:40am (see my post time) and decides to write drunken ramblings. yikes. at least i avoided typos.</p>
<p>Haha, that's true. Props for having enough concentration at ungodly hours, hehe!</p>