Hey guys I was admitted and ur is my top choice now and was wondering about safety there. It’s no stretch of the imagination to say Rochester is not a safe city, in fact some say it’s dangerous. Does this seep into the campus life or the social life (people not going into the city, not much to do off campus, etc.)?
The campus is basically a triangle. There is the river on one side, Mt. Hope cemetery on the second side, and the medical center on the third. It is safe. There is a footbridge across the river to get to the Riverview apartments, but as long as you don’t venture deep into that neighborhood, you will be fine. D never felt unsafe her 4 yrs there.
I second what @MADad said. And to be honest, most undergrads don’t leave campus a whole lot - because everything is on campus/close to campus and college life is busy. People do go out to bars downtown (safe). Rochester has some unsafe areas like any city, but I wouldn’t say this impacts the average student at U of R.
My sophomore kid went often into the city. Had a foreign language class at Eastman, went out for sushi, visited the art museum often, indie movie theater and concerts at the Bug Jar. Never felt unsafe, and fairly easy to reach everything by bus or UR shuttle. They also ventured to Henrietta to go to Walmart/Target-a close-by large typical suburban area with easy bus service.
Lots to do on campus, and lots to explore (safely) off campus was a big selling point for UR when making college decisions for them.
Rochester is the third largest metro area in New York and like every big city, there may be some areas to avoid but they are not on or near campus. I would focus on all Rochester has to offer in terms of art, culture, music, festivals, nature, food, science and innovation! USA Today named it one of the top-ten college towns among mid-sized metropolitan areas in 2010. It’s also been repeatedly recognized as a top ten place to live for quality of live in America. College Town was developed in 2014. There’s also excitement over the Department of Defense’s choice of Rochester (in a nationwide search/competition) as the site for AIM Photonics. The DOD is investing $600 million in it, and between the federal and state governments and private investors, more than a billion dollars is being committed, spurring a surge of urban renewal and development for the anticipated influx of tech companies, jobs and personnel. The Rochester region is part of “Tech Valley” (the Northeast’s rival to “Silicon Valley”) and with Photonics, its position will be fortified. I think Rochester is an exciting place to be now and would shrug off any concerns over safety.
Like any urban environment, there are place to avoid. The housing area to the west of campus, the name escapes me, is considered more unsafe and less desirable to live.
My son voiced that the feeling on campus is that the campus police are there to keep them safe. There are emergency call boxes through out the campus. I believe that a student can contact campus police for a ride if needed at night.
As others have mentioned, Rochester is a large urban area with places to avoid, but rest assured, between November and March you won’t find anyone lurking in the bushes, freezing his/her butt off waiting to pounce on unsuspecting students. It is just too cold and windy.
I think @Lakemom may be referring to the 19th Ward where Riverview Apartments are—that’s sort of a moot point for underclassmen. All freshmen and virtually all sophomores live on campus, which is very safe. By the time they’re high enough in the housing lottery to get into Riverview (which is actually desirable because they’re fairly new and are truly apartment living rather than dorm suites) or they have decided to live off campus, most students are savvy enough to know where to go (and where not to go) safely. D’s a rising junior and is living off campus in the ward this summer, and I’m confident she’ll be fine. And she’s a sheltered kid from the suburbs.
@EllieMom Right! I couldn’t remember the name. My son also had friends that lived in the 19th Ward and in Riverview. Agreed that once students get more familiar with Rochester, they have a good sense of where to go and where not to go. No different than any other city.