Nervous Dad

Colleges and Universities A-Z Fordham University
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<p>Took my daughter to see Fordham yesterday. Unfortunately, I didn't follow the schools directions to the campus, I followed a map program. Lets just say we got the "scenic" view of the Bronx - and not in a good way. I actually thought about skipping the visit all together - I am glad I didn't. The campus really blew us away and actually made me forget about what was outside the fences, at least for awhile. I now think FU is my daughter's #1 choice, but I still can't get the neighborhood out of my mind. </p>

<p>While I would love to hear from students with their thoughts or experiences, 18 or 19 year olds are not usually afraid of anything. Maybe some parents can post as well. </p>

<p>thanks for the insight.</p>

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<p>you should be more afraid of the boys.</p>

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<p>Hi, Nervous Dad!
Please read through some of the earlier threads, as well as the archives. We had this discussion a couple of weeks ago. It seems to come up every year. :) Bottom line (I say this as an alum AND as the parent of a current Fordham student) is that kids need to exercise street smarts and common sense, and they should be fine. But do read the previous threads for more concrete advice and for info about Fordham's security in general. :)</p>

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<p>Fordham's directions are not only more scenic in the proper way, but also faster. Coming from New Jersey and points south, you take 1-95 and the George Washington Parkway, first exit on the right at the end of the bridge, the Henry Hudson Parkway Northbound (which is beautiful), across the bridge from Manhattan into the Bronx and the Riverdale section, then turn onto the Moshulu Parkway (plenty of signs), drive to the end of that road which hits the Botanical Gardens, turn right and go about 1/4 mile around the curve and the Main Gate for Fordham is on the right. Its simple, pretty, safe and otherwise just fine.</p>

<p>Also, the Bronx is not as bad as it looks. Yes, its colorful and many areas are blue collar, but for the most part while its not like Summit New Jersey or Morristown, or some upscale Connecticut neighborhoods, its really pretty safe. You have to be careful in every area of New York, particularly late at night. That is also true in ALL big cities. Heck...in Paris, France I simply REFUSE to ride the subway because of stories I have heard of people getting their passports stolen. I don't use ATM's or foreign exchange windows in bad places and I always have someone (spouse or friend) sort of keep a lookout for people "targeting tourists" at such places. </p>

<p>Kids at Fordham tend to travel in large groups...whether its the Zoo, the Botanical Gardens, into Manhattan, or even to Arthur Avenue and Little Italy. Its what they enjoy doing and also a lot safer.</p>

<p>Fordham is a safe campus. If you research security issues at US campuses you might be very surprised to find out the stats at colleges you thought were like perfect palaces. Most incidences involve theft from unlocked rooms. </p>

<p>But glad you and your D liked Fordham. "Watching out for boys" is also a good piece of advice...but that is true at every single college in the United States...even at religious schools like Wheaton College! Freedom + Hormones = Opportunity. My D has not found the boys to be anything more than gentlemen. Are they "interested" and "flirtatious?" Yep. But isnt that normal for 18-19 year olds? The biggest problems she encountered and her dorm friends encountered was the stress and awkwardness of having an existing boyfriend when they arrive on campus, who is at another school...and having to deal with all those issues....which most of the time is not about the boys on campus, but about the girls and their problems.</p>

<p>But that is all part of growing up, making decisions, being mature, setting priorities, knowing yourself, staying focused etc.</p>

<p>There is an active social life at Fordham. Some kids abuse the system and are underage drinkers....who of course consume too much and are stupid. Some dorms have a reputation for more of that than others. Picking good friends with similar values and interests is important. My D does not drink. She wont date boys who do...at least at this age. She reports that her circle of friends all have a great time, but dont drink. Its against the rules and she is well aware of the consequences...both personal and academic if you do. We have advised her to stay away from temptation, but in the end, we cant monitor her behavior 24/7 and be helicopter parents lurking in the hallways of her dorm....much as though we have that little pang of interest to do so at times....lol. Just kidding. But its what EVERY parent of every college kid goes through....letting them go and hoping they make good decisions, trusting.....though with us its Trust But Verify.</p>

<p>In short, my D is very challenged at Fordham and is having an excellent time, making lots of friends, enjoying her classes and really feels like she made the right decision to attend Fordham. And that is really worth price of admission. Pardon the pun. She has friends at other schools who are not so lucky.</p>

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<p>Correction: I meant George Washington Bridge!</p>

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<p>Hey,</p>

<p>Im also interested in applying to Fordham, Here is the best suggestion i can give you if the "neighborhood" is effecting you. Fordham U has a campus in Lincoln Center, in the City. Depending on what your daughter is majoring, may actually be more suitable to go to the lincoln center campus. However i hear that it is harder for students who are going to dorm there to recieve housing. However if she is planning on pre-med there is a tram that goes from Lincoln Center to Rosehill and brings you back, which i assume is 100% safe.</p>

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<p>My D LLOVESS LOVESSS LOVEESSS Fordham, goes to Mahanttan at least twice a week.....loves having the best of both worlds- traditional campus, amazing location</p>

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<p>hey, im a freshman commuter, and i shared some of your concerns. At first, i was pretty scared about commuting at night. I was very wary of any suspicious looking characters. But after a while, you kind of get used to it. It doesn't mean you become less vigilant, but it doesn't take such a big emotional toll on you. Then again, i take the metro north, some may see it more safe than other forms of transportation, so i might have a skewed view on things.</p>

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<p>I appreciate the comments already posted and any other that may come along. One way or another, I may have to get used to it. My D seems very high on Fordham.</p>

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<p>hey there,
I am a sophomore transfer attending fordham, I commute and live in the neighborhood around school. It is not a super safe neighborhood, most of the resident students don't really experience it except for on friday nights when FU takes over Arthur Ave. We get regular emails about people getting held up, but you know what? If you are smart and use good judgement, you will be fine. Don't go out alone at night, don't ghang out on fordham road at night(or ever really because it's sketch & there isn't too much there), and don't walk around with your designer purse with logos on it.
The other thing is, Fordham Security is awesome. We have our own ambulance, and the security people will come pick you up if you ever feel unsafe or unsure of where you are.
If you want to get into new york you don't even have to leave campus, the ram van runs every half hour and takes you from McGinley to FCLC and it's like 3 bucks as opposed to the 5 something on the MTA.
Campus is safe, the security guards are really aware of who is getting on campus and they are always at the entrances.<br>
You shouldn't worry about your daughter having issues in the area, it's a lot nicer than it used to be and it's getting better all of the time.</p>

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<p>Its the same thing at Vanderbilt in Nashville, for what it is worth. Tight security. Dont go out of the gates alone at night, and they have security escorts ON CAMPUS at night. Dont walk around in sketchy areas (two blocks behind the hospital its VERY sketchy) with designer clothes etc.</p>

<p>Ditto at USC, Duke, UChicago, BC, Penn, Johns Hopkins, USF, Emory, Georgia Tech, American, Georgetown, George Washington, NYU, Tufts, Rice, St. Louis U, WashU, and ANY campus in ANY big urban setting. Would you wander around alone in London, Paris or Rome at night? Doubtful. (I refuse to ride the Metro in Paris because of numerous cases of tourists getting robbed and passports stolen...happens in BROAD DAYLIGHT sometimes).</p>

<p>Common sense at all times is the best defense against unfortunate robberies etc. And the stats of security "incidents" is higher at even some campuses considered "safe" than it is at Fordham. Check out the stats at UVa, Washington and Lee and Wake Forest, for example.</p>

<p>My D goes into the city on the Metro North train with her friends frequently. They go in groups of 8-10. They have a real good time and watch out for each other.</p>

<p>Their biggest concern this fall is the "ghost stories" in the dorms and "haunted rooms" (which I am sure is just a bunch of upper classmen pranks.)</p>

<p>My D is SOOO enthralled with Fordham she says she may even go to Fordham Law. (I have advised her not to turn down Georgetown, Harvard or Yale Law, if those options are available to her! LOL)</p>

<p>Relax. It will be okay. Once you meet Fr. McShane, you will be sold!</p>

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<p>My D went to a Jazz Club in Manahttan last night, then for burgers, caught the ramvan back</p>

<p>She said it was amazing</p>

<p>and she feels perfectlly safe going out the gates to the dry cleaners, the little stores, etc</p>

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<p>^^ I think thats almost overreacting. the subway in paris is soo much safer and cleaner than New York's, for the most part. and NYU in the village is probably in the safest part of manhattan, maybe second to like Chelsea. but i suppose better safe than sorry.</p>

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<p>^ Newyorkhopeful</p>

<p>I read your previous posts and see that you're probably a high school senior up around the Albany, NY area (at least currently, uncertain where you have lived in the past, but I would be safe to say that it was as a dependent child).</p>

<p>Nevertheless, listen to some fatherly advice from someone who grew up in the "City" and travelled in and out of Manhattan regularly in my younger days (not quite as often anymore but I still get down there on occassions). During the daytime, most parts of Manhattan are pretty safe, but at nighttime it's a different story. I would not call the West Village the second safest area in Manhattan. You really need to be careful in parts of it. I remember taking my family at night via the subway (when we were staying at a hotel in midtown) to a pizza place just a little west of Washington Square Park a few years ago. I can tell you that it was more on the sleazy side, and I definitely was on my guard. It was a feeling of relief when we were in the subway heading back uptown.</p>

<p>IMO, I would trust Fordham's Lincoln Center area much more than the West Village.</p>

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<p>I am not over reacting on the Paris subway comment. Several US Businessmen have been accosted and had their passports taken among other valuables in broad daylight. In almost every case, it ruined their travel plans and forced them to remain in France until the State Department could reissue passports, because you cant leave without one. My family and I were "accosted" (hassled and harangued and made to feel VERY nervous) by several sleazy characters in the park just walking down to the Louvre one fine afternoon....and thankfully a gendarme strolled by and they left us alone....supposedly trying to sell us something (they were black africans). I asked the gendarme about them after they fled and he said they have problems with these guys all the time....one drives around in an old peugeot while the other "gang members" accost tourists, distract them while another steals their purse or wallet and then run and jump into the car as they see it approaching.....and flee.....and you are left standing there helpless. This happens all the time he said.....often in the middle of the day. I read about a hapless banker who got mugged in the subway on his way to the airport...and lost EVERYTHING....entire briefcase where he had put his wallet, passport, glasses, work papers with confidential information etc.....all gone. He was forced to remain in Paris another 2 weeks, until his credit cards were reissued and delivered and a new passport could be delivered. Of course his bank paid the expenses but it was a nightmare. He could not leave the country without any ID and passport and he needed his credit cards to pay his bills before he left. (They check that too at the airport....believe me!)</p>

<p>There are all sorts of scalawags running around European cities...so BE CAREFUL. Its NOT like it was 30-40 years ago when you could go there almost worry free. But you get my point.</p>

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<p>" Ditto at USC, Duke, UChicago, BC, Penn, Johns Hopkins, USF, Emory, Georgia Tech, American, Georgetown, George Washington, NYU, Tufts, Rice, St. Louis U, WashU, and ANY campus in ANY big urban setting. Would you wander around alone in London, Paris or Rome at night? Doubtful. (I refuse to ride the Metro in Paris because of numerous cases of tourists getting robbed and passports stolen...happens in BROAD DAYLIGHT sometimes)."</p>

<p>I know from experience that American, Georgetown, Emory, GWU, Rice and NYU are not in what I consider to be sketchy neighborhoods. Certainly not the bronx. In fact, I would say the areas around Rice and GWU/Georgetown are best at night.</p>

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<p>I would be careful about saying NYU is not in a "sketchy" area, Not Transferable, from the eyes of this 40+ year old who went through the NYC public school system from kindergarten through 12th grade. When you are aware of what to look for, then you'll easily see the sleaziness seeming to be loitering about in the West Village (and most definitely at night).</p>

<p>In fact, there are some areas of the Bronx that I would consider safer than the West Village.</p>