<p>^Yes, and you have to walk, you have to walk at 1am from Subway to your apartment because taxi did not take you. Been there, done it. I always feel so restricted and limited in NYC. As I said, we visit every year and we are going places, we are not cramped in apartment whole day long.
It is a personal preference, young person might feel differently. I can hop in my car and go everywhere here, where I live at any time of the day. In fact, I am at work around 6am every day in one of the worst places of my city. Not possible in NYC.
I will never ever go to the evening Broadway show, not after walking on the street after midnight. My H. and D. had the hardest time keeping up with me, there were some figures on the corners that I was hoping not to have any encounters.</p>
<p>You are right, it is a personal preference, so state it as such. Theater district is quite safe though (that’s not a preference, it’s a very busy and well lit area), I highly doubt you and your family were going to the places that are actually not safe. Unless of course you’re talking about Time Square in the 90s before Disney took over and kicked everything seedy out, then I’ll agree with you.</p>
<p>I can say without a doubt that logistics are much harder in most other places. Have to call for a taxi or have a DD when you go out, have to make sure you have enough car space to transport people, have to make sure you know how to get where you’re going, so many things you don’t think about when you’re living in NYC.</p>
<p>“I highly doubt you and your family were going to the places that are actually not safe.”
-According to our S. who lives there, walking to his apartment after certain hours is not such a good idea. Well, he might not know as well as you do, but he has been living there for about 14 years. I have to listen to him rather to some hypothetical advice based on certain theoretical asusmptions. Nope, he does not live in a bad place at all, the are is pretty expensive.
Anyway, I did not realize before that you are from NYC. I am glad that you like it just like my S. I would never live there, for sure, not for 4 years.</p>
<p>^ There is a good probability that I will be living there for the next 8+ years. I fell in love with the city while working there over a summer shortly after my 17th birthday. I explored when I could (not much free time 
) using public transit. I never felt unsafe and found the people to be friendly and the city a very exciting place to be (grew up in an Exurb). Perhaps it’s just my hormones talking. :D</p>
<p>I’m sorry you don’t feel safe there. </p>
<p>[#10</a> New York, N.Y. - In Photos: America’s Safest Cities - Forbes](<a href=“http://www.forbes.com/pictures/egim45edhe/10-new-york-n-y/]#10”>#10 New York, N.Y.)</p>
<p>^Have a great time!
I am happy that I do not need to be there, it is just a price I have to pay for seeing my family (who also love it). The funny thing, I make them walk and they have legs pain for several weeks afterword. But walking is literally much faster in many instances than otherwise, like car or public transportation (at least from Brooklyn to Manhattan). Have warm clothes and walk. I would not walk in a dark though, Manhattan is probably OK.</p>