Hello CC community,
I am an International student from Vietnam who has just been admitted to Temple.
Although I’ll live on campus during my freshman year, I plan to move out afterward to save money, which worries me a bit.
My main concern is that I’ve been told Philadelphia is a pretty dangerous city (my aunt used to stay there for a week and she said often at night she heard gun shot…). Thus, I want some opinions from current Temple students (or anyone living in Philly), about safety facts in Philadelphia (or areas near Temple)
Thank you.
yes, it is dangerous esp the area right around Temple, i will post more later. on campus is fine BTW
My best friend’s son is a senior at Temple and has lived off campus (though not very far off campus) for his last three years and has had no problems at all. There are a large number of privately owned apartments just off the campus that cater to Temple students and are within the University’s security perimeter, meaning that TU police partol the streets and you can also use University shuttle buses to take you home late at night if you need to be on campus and don;t wealt to walk home. I know some girls who share a house about 3 blocks from campus and they have had no problems either. many other kids who are at Temple or have gone there recently and have had no problems. There have been a few crimes around the edges of the campus, but I think probably no more than you would see in any other college town. The campus alert system is very good.
There are also apartments on campus for upperclassmen if you really do not feel comfortable moving off campus.
Philadelphia as a whole is no different than any other city - there are good parts and bad parts. I worked there for 20 years and my husband works there now. No problem. There are some very nice areas you’d have fun exploring.
However, Temple is in one of the worst parts of the city. It’s always been a good university stuck in a bad location. However, the campus security is great and as honestmom says, there are areas near the campus that are also protected by Temple security. Many other students move to different parts of the city and easily get to campus by public transportation.
I think the key is to learn which parts are okay and which are not - which you’d have to do in any city.
i totally agree with sanserif
My son is at Temple now, and lives off-campus. Philadelphia’s crime rate has fallen in recent years, but not as dramatically as New York’s has. My son has had a few incidents, but nothing life-threatening. He is not a very cautious person, either. A lot of neighborhoods in Philly are transforming rapidly, and so you really need to know one block from the next, because they can be very different. Philadelphia is a great city for young people, though, because it is much less expensive to live in than other US cities (e.g. NYC, Boston, San Francisco, LA, etc.), and you can find good, affordable apartments, and even houses to share. There is lots to do, and there is a growing Vietnamese population, so that you’ll find some great Asian grocery stores and restaurants in town. Philadelphia is an asset for Temple, not a liability.
I didn’t find North Philadelphia particularly dangerous when I visited Temple University. The area around Temple is poor and ugly, but I never felt threatened when I was walking around by myself.