<p>I'm planning to apply to USC and I was jut wondering how the neighborhood around USC, I heard it wasn't that great, but undergrads live on campus so it shouldn't be that bad compared to living off-campus??</p>
<p>Okay I just visited the campus, and I was skeptical bc everyone has been saying USC is in the ghetto.</p>
<p>When i was driving up to the campus (gate #3), it was actually pretty nice. There were a bunch of shops and restaurants and hundreds of college kids everywhere. The campus is mostly gated and there is always people around, so it seemed way safer than I expected.</p>
<p>However, when driving away from the campus about 5 miles or so the area took a huge downfall. It was pretty nasty.</p>
<p>But in the immediate are it actually quite nice, and with the gates and security I wouldn't be worried, as long as your smart.</p>
<p>My S is a freshman at USC & LOVES it. He says that as long as you follow common sense guidelines and are aware of your surroundings, "no worries." Freshmen generally live on campus in freshmen dorms (very convenient to dining halls & classes). USC guarantees housing for freshmen & sophomores now. I've been told that the area for about 2 miles surrounding USC is pretty safe. USC has its own Department of Public Safety & keeps the campus pretty safe (there are crimes of opportunity--leave a bike, laptop or other valuables lying around & it will disappear). </p>
<p>Of course, my S doesn't walk alone off campus late at night & wouldn't recommend it (like any urban setting). There is a free escort and shuttle service for students to get you where you need to be & DPS says it only takes like 2 seconds from when you push the blue light on the box until there is a DPS officer there. Now, that's a quick response time!</p>
<p>My roommate advises against walking south on Figueroa. North is fine; we walked all the way up to 20th street a couple times to go to Office Depot and do some clothes shopping. I walk to the row alone at night too...it's three blocks...probably not the safest, but whatever.</p>
<p>As long as it's not in Compton or anything...</p>
<p>Compton is far far away. You can't reach there by foot unless you have a lot of time to waste.</p>
<p>The campus area is very safe. Have you visited the campus? You will agree once you see it.</p>
<p>Go to the following site to see crime stats given by the la police dept:
<a href="http://www.lapdcrimemaps.org/%5B/url%5D">http://www.lapdcrimemaps.org/</a></p>
<p>it would probably take 4 hours to walk to compton... it's way out past the 105/110 interchange. check a map.</p>
<p>When I initially visited it seemed pretty safe. However, I used the site momofchris posted and in the last seven days, within 2 miles of USC's campus, over 100 crimes were commited. 2 of them were homicide.</p>
<p>Maybe the immediate area is more dangerous than I thought?</p>
<p>What initially pops up will be what has happened in the last 3 days, within 1 mile of campus.......you can change the restrictions on the right side of the page.</p>
<p>Maybe DPS gets there in 2 minutes--any way you look at it they respond MUCH faster than most police departments.</p>
<p>You have to remember that USC is indeed in/near urban LA, including the convention center. Unfortunately, there are some crimes that do happen in such settings, including some violent crime. Fortunately, the campus & areas where students live are generally pretty safe, but you need to do the research that works for you & find your comfort zone/level.</p>
<p>After really four years on this board I am really tired of this discussion. If you have concerns DON'T GO TO USC. Believe me there will be no problem filling your spot.</p>
<p>Visit the campus. Tell us what you think. We tell you we are okay with it. That's why we go to USC.</p>
<p>
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After really four years on this board I am really tired of this discussion. If you have concerns DON'T GO TO USC.
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<p>Hey...first of all...unfortunately you're going to keep hearing that question come up, because the location is a big problem when you're paying 40+ grand a year to attend! It is one of USC's major weaknesses in the eyes of prospectives, probably.</p>
<p>The fact that they're talking about it, though, means that they're willing to look past their first impression and want to hear about what student's think...they're looking for reasons /to/ go, not looking for reasons not to.</p>
<p>i go to subway at 4 in the morning
no problems thus far</p>
<p>I agree with TSDad. It's a pretty pointless question. If the poster has real concerns about the schools location, then he/she should visit USC and actually make an informed decision. I've been at this school for four years, and i've never heard any student complain that the area is actually dangerous. The most common complaint regarding USC's location is that the surrounding neighborhood lacks an In-n-Out Burger.</p>
<p>(1) My wife, my son, and I found the area around USC to be quite safe when we walked around (during ExploreUSC, during Registration week, and during Move-In week). My son has ventured out with friends to numerous retail establishments (restaurtants, shops, haircut, supplies, etc) and has not experienced any problems. </p>
<p>(2) USC is really no different than many many other major universities around the country. I dislike comparing schools, so rather than mentioning any specific school names, I would encourage you to do your own research. The majority of campuses on the USNEWS top 30 list are in, or very close to, problem areas. Most major Ivy league schools are in cities that have been around many decades. Every major city has problem areas. Los Angeles, Boston, NewYork, California Bay Area, Philadelphia, Chicago, etc. etc. It does not have to even be a major city to have problem areas. There are problem areas in smaller cities. The point being that students need to be "smart", and use common sense. No matter which campus that a student chooses, he/she should not venture out alone, especially at night. If safety is the biggest concern, over all other issues, than the student and his/her family should focus first and foremost on finding a campus that is either in a rural area, or an area that is a statistical anomally (in that it has no problem areas anywhere close to it). In my opinion, you will limit your choices if you put too much focus on finding a completely safe area (instead of finding the best school for your son/daughter, and then emphasizing the importance of being smart. However, if complete safety is your preference, than there are thousands of college campuses around the country, and surely you can find several that are in very safe areas.</p>
<p>I was driving around at 11 pm and I saw two guys running by themselves on the south end of campus. It's not unusual for people to be jogging outside late at night. They apparently feel safe enough to do so.</p>
<p>Just wanted to let you know that [University</a> Park Family - .](<a href=“http://www.UniversityParkFamily.com%5DUniversity”>http://www.UniversityParkFamily.com) is a collaborative newspaper that covers the neighborhoods around USC and Expo Park. </p>
<p>The university has launched it but residents are submitting stories, photos, videos. It gives a much fuller picture of the historical, rich and diverse community around campus.</p>
<p>The area immediately surrounding campus is very safe because of all the students going around, DPS patrols, and because north of campus is mostly student housing. Add to that not traveling alone at night, and you’d have to go looking for trouble to find any. As long as you don’t be stupid, you’ve got nothing to worry about.</p>
<p>There have been many posts on this subject. Georgia Tech, NYU, Columbia, Fordham, Penn and others are located in urban areas. Even in rural locations in today’s world students need to use common sense and be aware of their surroundings.
Some time ago I copied the UCLA FBI Crime Offenses Report for this forum. The last report found was from 2007 and a summary was for the UCLA campus, not surrounding areas:
Violent Crime: 113
Burglary: 226
Larceny & Theft: 686
Motor Vehicle Theft: 44
Forgery: 17
Fraud: 149
Vandalism: 130
Liquor Laws: 120
Drug Abuse: 82
Bomb Threat: 2</p>
<p>Including other offenses there were over 1000 crimes listed on the crime index for UCLA. My point is there is no perfectly safe campus today.
Here is the link for the complete report: [U.C</a>. Los Angeles FBI Part I and Part II Crime Index Offenses](<a href=“http://annualreport.ucpd.ucla.edu/2007/los_angeles/FBI_Part1_Part2_Crimes.html]U.C”>http://annualreport.ucpd.ucla.edu/2007/los_angeles/FBI_Part1_Part2_Crimes.html)
An article regarding campus crime commented students are often wearing valuable watches, carrying expensive iPhones, laptops and are not always paying attention to their surroundings. These situations can draw criminals, no matter how rural the campus.</p>