Hi, I’m considering Syracuse as my top choice for college in the fall after visiting the campus and loving it. But I am concerned about the safety of it being in a city so if anyone could comment on how they feel on campus that’d be great!
The university and the area directly around the university is safe and well patrolled. There are a ton of great college oriented stores, boutiques, restaurants and cafes in an area adjacent to the school (around Marshall street). There are also some nice restaurants and shopping by the Arena area-very upscale and student oriented. Those areas are safe, well patrolled and there have not been many issues related to crime for SU students. But Syracuse has a high crime rate. There is a gang presence. You would not want to venture into some areas of Syracuse at night. But unlike for some other universities in cities close to Syracuse, there are great student oriented areas around the university that have just about anything you’d want and where most students socialize- that is distinctly separate from high crime areas. I am not a student but know the university and the area very well. My impression is that students feel safe. More importantly, they are safe when in and around the university. But they can’t be foolish. And they can’t involve themselves in the drug/gang community (no seeking weed from the locals, for example)-upstate, Central NY and the Southern Tier do suffer from a gang problem that belies the image of safe bucolic communities.