So we’re thinking go for UCB?
New Haven is a super-iffy area.
When we last visited Boston and we’re at Harvard Square having a bite to eat, a homeless person barfed all over the place just right in front of us. Not that barfing is a crime.
Seriously, crime can happen everywhere. I’ve yet to feel unsafe in Berkeley.
There have been sporadic incidents near Cal, but campus police are very quick to ramp up their patrols in response. No urban area is immune from crime, and Berkeley is no exception, but I was very comfortable with my rather small daughter wandering around town during her high school years if that helps at all. And I describe myself as a drone [not quite a helicopter] parent.
It helps to know what sort of crimes are common in an area. You can check out the NBC Bay Area article from Feb 16 2017 “Thieves Targeting People Using Laptops at Cafes in Berkeley”. Also you can Google “armed robberies, Berkeley” to get an idea of where some incidents happened.
Thank you all!!
I lived in both VA and UCB and also visited both UVA and UCB. Surrounding areas of UCB is not that safe imo at night. UCB reminded me of a college dropped in a NY city area. Chicago is more dangerous though. But it ain’t as if UVA is such a safe campus either, no?
@websensation UVA is a super safe campus. If you’re referencing the Hannah Graham incident that’s really not fair as that was a random serial killer who could’ve been anywhere. It’s not reflective of the school or the campus.
My D is a freshman this year, where there have been multiple violent demonstrations (on-campus, off-campus), break ins, etc. I have never once heard her say she is fearful or regrets going there. It’s more of an convenience than anything else. Just be smart: don’t be out at night by yourself, be aware of your surroundings, lock it up, don’t leave valuables unattended. Berkeley police are very cognizant that keeping students safe is in everyone’s best interest. D has a room safe and enough common sense to stay clear of trouble when it’s easily avoidable. This is advice I would give her wherever she went.
I live in the Chicago area and I have family living in the Berkeley area. I can assure you neither of them are dangerous like people imagine them being.
I visit Berkeley regularly and did a few programs over there for a couple of weeks. I comfortably walked around the campus, telegraph, and university avenue as a high school freshman. All you really need is common sense and awareness of your surroundings in order to be safe. If you do so, you should not find yourself in a dangerous situation.
@kickemoff No, I was just thinking back to long, long time ago when I visited UVA to take a look to see whether I wanted to go there. When I saw some KKK signs along the way (not on campus), my desire to attend UVA went out the window – I am an Asian-American. I visited Monticello recently and I enjoyed that. I was so dumb then that I didn’t even know UVA was in West VA. lol