<p>Hey everyone, I'm looking at studying at UMBC this summer, and I was wondering what the area is like. Right now at UCLA I'm in a very upscale neighborhood between Bel Air and Beverly Hills, which I don't think is very typical of college towns, so I was wondering what types of experiences people have in the area. Is it a safe area to walk around at night, or would I have to pretty much stay in my dorm when its dark out?</p>
<p>UMBC isn’t physically in Baltimore City; it’s about 5 miles outside, so that definitely helps to make the campus more walkable at night. It’s situated between Catonsville and Arbutus, so it has a suburban feel to it. The majority of crimes on campus are petty theft from unattended backpacks, etc. I can’t recall any assaults on campus during my time at UMBC, but the “worst” crimes I can remember were the theft of 23 iMacs from a computer lab and a rash of thefts from cars involving broken windows. That said, nobody I know has had any problems with crime of any sort on campus. I would classify UMBC as a very safe school.</p>
<p>When I visited their open house in December, I could get a chance to speak to my bother’s friends there. They all say that it is a safe campus. Some even commented that it is safer than UMCP.</p>
<p>The campus is pretty self-contained in a large circle so it’s pretty safe. I’ve driven through UCLA’s campus (lovely) and it’ll have a different feel to it. I don’t think either UCLA or UMBC are typical campuses in typical college towns. You’ll want a car to go anywhere outside of the campus.</p>