<p>I recently found out I'll be living in Stony Island, and I had a few concerns about safety:</p>
<p>a) Is it safe to walk alone to campus or a coffee shop in broad daylight?</p>
<p>b) Am I going to feel motivated to be back in my room by sundown every night unless with a big group of people?</p>
<p>c) Does the shuttle run to Stony, and if so, how late does it run?</p>
<p>I think that's it......I come from a rural area, although I've lived in a city of about 1 million before (counting the surrounding areas). If you think there is anything else I should know, please feel free to tell me. Thanks!</p>
<p>c - yes, late, but I bet you'll be walking most of the time.</p>
<p>FWIW, the area around this hall is about as pretty and safe as it gets. You will be right across from a nice park, by the museum of science and industry and right on several major bus lines, including express runs, for getting to downtown quickly. Not to mention the Metra station nearby.</p>
<p>I would be much more concerned about safety in some other places, such as Maclean house.</p>
<p>Maclean is on the other side of campus, in a quieter area, but a LOT of students live in off-campus apartments across the street and on the same block.</p>
<p>Plus, there's a blue light outside every dorm, plus 24 hour doorpeople in the dorms (don't know about Stony Island).</p>
<p>Stony Island is a just a few blocks down 57th street from campus. 57th is pretty well-lighted and busy at night-- lots of restaurants, apartments, etc.</p>
<p>I like how the parents are answering these questions... :-) but in terms of walking by yourself in Hyde Park, the best I can tell you to do is to put away the iPod, the laptop, the cell phone, etc. and to walk quickly (like you're running late to class), and to keep to well-lighted areas and to be aware of your surroundings (i.e. look behind you from time to time). Most students feel very safe here, and I tend to err on the side of neuroticism. However, with some precaution (including the shuttle and ride services), you can pretty easily avoid potentially dangerous situations.</p>
<p>unalove, some parents answering questions have lived right in hyde park in recent years, so don't think a parent is always lacking current knowledge. </p>
<p>And in case you were not aware, there has been some considerable violence near Maclean in recent years, as it sits a bit too close to a tough stretch of Drexel. Stony, OTOH is pretty far away from any problem areas. And the routes from Stoney to campus are about as safe as they get in HP. My own D has lived at 57th and Harper the past two years, coming and going at all sorts of hours with no hassle. </p>
<p>I do agree, though, that walking in the wee hours by oneself is tempting the fates. That is true anywhere, but more so at an urban campus like uofc.</p>
<p>If there were an area of the general U of C neighborhood I liked least, it would be Maclean's neighborhood. That said, I don't think students are any more at risk for problems so to speak, given that they have a head on their shoulders and exercise caution.</p>
<p>At the same time that we're discussing security concerns, I do find it amusing that a considerable number of students roam the area at all hours, doing all sorts of things-- despite the school's reputation, they feel safe enough by themselves at night/ the wee hours of the morning and nothing has happened to them to make them change their habits.</p>
<p>Nightshade, when DS was looking at Chicago we found the following link to be informative of criminal activity. It is posted by UC Police and is very specific with regard to date, time, place and description of crime.</p>