Neighborhood safety (Columbia, Forest Acres: crime, home, established neighborhood)

[Scots]

I'm looking at the neighborhoods around USC and east. Shandon, University Hill, Forest Acres, and others around there. How safe are they in terms of break-ins or other crime? Would it be safe to walk around these neighborhoods alone at night? If I walked from a home in Shandon to work on the USC campus would it be ok to walk back after dark? Would it be safe for a woman to do so? Thanks!

[Columbiadata]

University Hill is well lighted. New security cameras just went up in Five Points because of reported beatings and muggings, and the police are on top of it. Your best best is University Hill because it is adjacent to USC. Nowhere is safe for a woman to walk alone at night for any significant distance, period, and I don't mean just in Columbia.

[Brandon Hoffman]

Yes, they would all be safe as anywhere IMO.

[lisake]

Forest Acres is a little further from the University, and most neighborhoods in FA don't have sidewalks. One of the other neighborhoods you mentioned would be better for walking to USC. They all seem safe, but I agree with Columbiadata about a woman walking at night.

[etincelle1007]

I wouldn't walk from Shandon to USC. You can do it distance wise, but it is not safe. One of my friends got mugged at gunpoint twice in Shandon. (He was walking). I wouldn't walk anywhere in Columbia. One of the times, my friend had a car drive up next to him and a guy with a gun get out. So even if you cannot see someone walking up to you, you never know. It is not safe. MAYBE you could ride a bike if you can do it fast enough.

[lisake]

Originally Posted by etincelle1007

I wouldn't walk from Shandon to USC. You can do it distance wise, but it is not safe. One of my friends got mugged at gunpoint twice in Shandon. (He was walking). I wouldn't walk anywhere in Columbia. One of the times, my friend had a car drive up next to him and a guy with a gun get out. So even if you cannot see someone walking up to you, you never know. It is not safe. MAYBE you could ride a bike if you can do it fast enough.

I'm surprised to read this. I don't live in Shandon, but my daughter goes to preschool there and we attend a fellowship there, so I'm there at least 11 times a week. It's during daylight hours, and there are always numerous people walking around Shandon, including people walking dogs, pushing strollers, or just out for exercise.

I'm not certain (new to the area), but I think there's just one neighborhood between Shandon and USC (University Hill maybe). That, too, seems like a very nice area with lots of people out walking during the day.

Perhaps someone who's lived here longer can offer more insight, but to me Shandon seems like a very safe area for walking.

One other thing--I notice golf carts in front of many Shandon residences and often see them driving around that area. It seems like a convenient, economical and relatively green way to get to and from school if you live in Shandon and attend USC.

[Peachstate01]

Hello! I'm fairly new to Columbia,and still learning my way around town and places I need to get too.Generally speaking though,I would say that the safest bet is to ride a bicycle if that's an option for you.A neighborhood may be safe to live in and have very few incidents of crime in it,but as I'm sure you know,things can still happen even in the best of neighborhoods and riding a bike does make you less of a target for robbery or other crime as your able to move faster in getting where your gouing and out of harms way.Hope this helps.

[8t9vt]

We live in Forest Acres and though it is very convenient for us as a family, I can't imagine living here as as an undergrad. It is very family and elder-oriented, and the commute to campus would be longer than any of the other areas you mentioned.

With that said, I feel it is extremely safe. I've walked in the evening (I'm female) and most often I walk at 6am. Now that it is completely dark outside, I'm not going by myself anymore (actually get the hubby out there with me). But as other posters have mentioned, I don't recommend you walk alone in complete darkness anywhere. My only complaint would have to be how fast people drive! I can't tell you how often I am jumping into someone's yard while on walks due to cars whizzing past with the driver on the cell! But I think that's true all over the city. So much for the slow pace of the deep South!

[Scots]

Originally Posted by 8t9vt

We live in Forest Acres and though it is very convenient for us as a family, I can't imagine living here as as an undergrad. It is very family and elder-oriented, and the commute to campus would be longer than any of the other areas you mentioned.

With that said, I feel it is extremely safe. I've walked in the evening (I'm female) and most often I walk at 6am. Now that it is completely dark outside, I'm not going by myself anymore (actually get the hubby out there with me). But as other posters have mentioned, I don't recommend you walk alone in complete darkness anywhere. My only complaint would have to be how fast people drive! I can't tell you how often I am jumping into someone's yard while on walks due to cars whizzing past with the driver on the cell! But I think that's true all over the city. So much for the slow pace of the deep South!

Sorry, I should have made it more clear that I'm not an undergrad. My wife and I are profs and would be working at the university. So we are looking for established neighborhoods with families and professionals.

I'm really surprised to hear this about walking not walking in these neighborhoods. I have lived in Amherst MA and East Lansing MI and could walk alone at night in both places with no worries. Is Columbia really that much more dangerous? Maybe I should be looking at the suburbs... I don't want to have to worry about myself or my wife once the sun goes down!

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by Scots

Sorry, I should have made it more clear that I'm not an undergrad. My wife and I are profs and would be working at the university. So we are looking for established neighborhoods with families and professionals.

I'm really surprised to hear this about walking not walking in these neighborhoods. I have lived in Amherst MA and East Lansing MI and could walk alone at night in both places with no worries. Is Columbia really that much more dangerous? Maybe I should be looking at the suburbs... I don't want to have to worry about myself or my wife once the sun goes down!

I wouldn't have any qualms about walking in University Hill, Shandon, Wales Garden, etc. after dark, though. I used to live in the Wales Garden area and I always walked down to Five Points without any problems. No matter where you are, you should always be aware of your surroundings.