<p>I haven't lived in large metropolitian areas before, like Miami is. How safe is the university? Where should we avoid? Has anyone had anything stolen/heard stories of someone getting something stolen?</p>
<p>If you ask me, yes campus is safe. Does that mean that you can still do the same things you do in your small town? No way! UM has the typical university safety precautions most do. Call-boxes, dorm safety, escort services, etc., but, and this is just my opinion, common sense goes a long way. Lock your dorm door when you leave, don't walk alone at night, stay in well known areas. Coral Gables is very up-scale and during the day I've never felt threatened. But, I have driven through there, and pulled up to a stop-light, looked over and seen folks that I sure wouldnt even make a funny face at! You have to remember it is a complete different ballgame than what you (or I being from a small town as well) are used to. </p>
<p>You hear all the time about students going to Cocconut Grove. And while CoccoWalk is bustling at night, do not walk to the Grove. Take a shuttle, drive, or take a cab. I'm sure there are other areas to avoid as well, and I think the best advice here is to take the advice of others around you. I can also tell you that the most popular places for the students are at Sunset (just down US 1 from campus) and the Grove, both of which have shuttle service from the dorms. </p>
<p>Stolen? Yep...cars, bikes, computers. Is it more than other universities? Nope. Once again...common sense is the key. If you take your laptop somewhere, walk off and leave it setting alone, you may come back to find it gone. If you have a bike on campus....lock it up. Same with a car. And while I know, that some folks have things stolen while taking every precaution, I think you'll find that most theft occurs because the "owner" made it easy by not doing the common sense thing to keep their property safe.</p>
<p>Good information!</p>
<p>I figured that because it's a big-city atmosphere, that I wouldn't be in safe neighborhoods and that there would be people on the streets looking to mug me. But you speak of it being up-scale and safe as long as you don't leave things unattended. Sounds like it's safe to me!</p>
<p>I lived in Coral Gables for many years. University of Miami is safe and so is Coral Gables. That is not to say that you can't be mugged. You can be mugged even in a government building or the safest part of the US. However, if you use basic common sense, you should be quite safe there. It is after all an upscale area, and students are at the bottom end of the wealth ladder.</p>
<p>How up-scale is Coral Gables? Like Mansions, or just wealthy people?</p>
<p>Coral Gables is a mix but is mostly upsclale. I don't remember any real mansions there,but I lived there many years ago.</p>
<p>There are so many gorgeous homes in the Gables, but most of them are actually not that big... they're just PRICED like mansions! The most extravagant ones are in the small waterfront section that belongs to the Gables, but I think those are mostly private roads down there.</p>
<p>Even though Coral Gables is lovely, I keep hearing that there are "pockets" of the area around UM to avoid... can anyone say exactly where they are? I know not to take any chances by walking back to campus from the Grove, but is there anywhere else? I'll be starting UM soon and don't want to make any "rookie" mistakes...</p>
<p>I think they go over safety issues during orientation and will let you know the areas to avoid..</p>
<p>The average family income of a Coral Gables resident is $113,000. Downtown Coral Gables has Mercedes-Benz, Maseratti, Ferrari, Jaguar, Audi, and Porschse dealers. You'll find Nordstrom's and Nieman Marcus department stores, not to mention Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Artefacto, CH Caroline Herrera, and other brands most people have never heard of with fancy names. That tells you a lot about how wealthy the area is.</p>