<p>That comparison is not entirely inapt, but there are some important differences. At Chicago, the “nice” neighborhood the university is in is in fact quite large, and there is substantial physical separation from the “bad” neighborhood, at least to the west. (A decent-size park.) Also, at Chicago the bad neighborhoods are really substantially depopulated – there’s a lot of empty space there. USC’s campus is much more compact and set apart than Chicago’s, and the surrounding neighborhoods are teeming.</p>
<p>By and large, what JHS says is true, with one important exception: the area south of 60th and west of Cottage Grove, especially along the commercial strip of 63rd. Unfortunately, the most convenient subwal/el stop is at 63rd and Cottage. </p>
<p>This area is quite close to BJ and the new dorm but also buffered by quite a few other UofC facilities, and is well lit and well patrolled.</p>
<p>My son (who’s in BJ) uses that stop sometimes, and hasn’t had any problems.</p>