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New York City (one of the safer large cities in the U.S.)...Mexico City (one of the safer large cities in Mexico?)
When I used to live in NYC, there was so much money there already, that if you were just a dressed-down average joe....you'd hardly be a target. There was just much money already in the city. Also, when you look at NYC's number compared to other American cities....granted, I get that ANY city would have crime...so it's not like it would be non-existent.
But when I read about these 'other' cities in Northern Mexico....they strike me as the Baltimores, the Memphis', the Flint's and so forth. But dynamic cities like NYC, Boston, Seattle, and such...have so many other things going on, that it's easy to dismiss over remain untouched by the bad.
What do you think?
Last edited by Tiger Beer; 08-14-2018 at 03:38 AM..
I too am not sure what the question is. But I can tell you that NYC used be a very dangerous big city until approx. the mid 1990s when the mayor at the time Rudy Giuliani took the necessary steps to change that and then NYC became one of safest big cities in the USA.
The question is does Mexico City feel safer than other large cities in Mexico, much like New York City feels (and is) safer than most other large cities in the U.S.
No, other large cities in Mexico feel more safer: Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, Leon, Merida. You just feel more safer on those cities. In Mexico City no.
Have always felt safe in CDMX. In fact flying down for a visit on Monday. CDMX currently ranked in top 10 of foodie cities, WORLD WIDE. Mmmmmmm...can't wait!!
Statistics would indicate that is the case (safer)...
Even with a recent slight increase, I believe Mexico City's homicide rate is something like 9/100,000. That's better/safer than about 2/3rds of US cities, statistically at least, and frankly I would like to see it continue to move/improve because honestly, if I could continue to convince my paranoid self/wife, I'd very much like to live there for a year or two at some point in time. It's one of my favorite cities in the world (I think it's in a pantheon, Top 3, along with London and Beijing for sheer quality, quantity and diversity of attractions).
That number is also half the number of the National Mexican average. I don't buy into the mass hysteria/fear the media presents about Mexico (many Americans are overly concerned about stuff like that). As a statistician, 9/100,000 translates to like 1/11,000 odds of being murdered. Or, even if I had equal odds as everyone of being murdered, which as a law abiding, (relatively) affluent person who is quite cautious, I REALLY don't, those odds say I'd be murdered there once per every 11,000 years I spent there (or roughly, once every 140 lifetimes). Perhaps people should be concerned more about vehicular accident death (like 13/100,000 per year in the US), or heart disease (192/100,000 per year), or just the fact that realistically, even with modern medical technological advances, there's an 80 percent chance we'll die for some reason by the age of 95 or so anyways, so maybe we stop worrying so much about dying and start focusing on living. But I don't know. Maybe too much common sense in that. I heard about a girl, who was on her honeymoon. Tragic story. She was actually dining al fresco in an upscale area of Mexico City (Polanco, I believe) in the early evening, when drive by cross fire gun shot caught her and she died instantly. She was on her honeymoon. Awful. Heard about another guy in March, leader from an area college, turned up dead in a train station. Again, tragic. But these things happen and can happen anywhere, and we shouldn't let them stop us from living our lives.
That said though, there's places I just wouldn't go, not necessarily because there's an imminent chance of kidnapping or death, but because of the fear in the culture about that happening and just a general lack of a welcoming tourist infrastructure. My general rule of thumb is, I won't go to any place that has a state department warning of Level 3 or higher. Frankly, some areas in the US might need that, but I digress. So, I wouldn't go to Juarez, I might strongly hesitate about going to Tijuana, wouldn't go to Acapulco, and perhaps other places your thinking of (I don't think I'd go to Monterrey from some warnings I've heard, though it's large enough that if you did, you'd probably be okay.) It'd be neat for Mexico to become far safer/more developed in coming decades, because Monterrey could certainly be a tourist destination as a drive esp. for those in Texas. Stunning scenery and landscapes, almost certainly more so than any Major American city. Puebla, Merida, I'd certainly go to though, and I think they are safer than Mexico City, among the safest (I think Merida might have a lower homicide rate than London at some times (:0)).
That said, Mexico City might, particularly in the right parts of the Cuauhtemoc and Benito Juarez boroughs, feel safer and more comfortable than any other urban setting in all of Latin America (though parts of Buenos Aires feel remarkably safe too). I like bustling areas in places like that because I feel like generally the worst thing that can happen is I get pickpocketed (and though I haven't been and I'm sharply aware/take steps to prevent this, I can certainly live with this, literally). So, to your point, I do think it feels like New York City in that sense. You really do feel a lot of wealth present too, shockingly so for having traveled to a number of other places in LatAm. And sometimes, when odds are so low anyways, a feel of safety and comfort can be more important than statistics.
Statistics would indicate that is the case (safer)...
Even with a recent slight increase, I believe Mexico City's homicide rate is something like 9/100,000. That's better/safer than about 2/3rds of US cities, statistically at least, and frankly I would like to see it continue to move/improve because honestly, if I could continue to convince my paranoid self/wife, I'd very much like to live there for a year or two at some point in time. It's one of my favorite cities in the world (I think it's in a pantheon, Top 3, along with London and Beijing for sheer quality, quantity and diversity of attractions).
That number is also half the number of the National Mexican average. I don't buy into the mass hysteria/fear the media presents about Mexico (many Americans are overly concerned about stuff like that). As a statistician, 9/100,000 translates to like 1/11,000 odds of being murdered. Or, even if I had equal odds as everyone of being murdered, which as a law abiding, (relatively) affluent person who is quite cautious, I REALLY don't, those odds say I'd be murdered there once per every 11,000 years I spent there (or roughly, once every 140 lifetimes). Perhaps people should be concerned more about vehicular accident death (like 13/100,000 per year in the US), or heart disease (192/100,000 per year), or just the fact that realistically, even with modern medical technological advances, there's an 80 percent chance we'll die for some reason by the age of 95 or so anyways, so maybe we stop worrying so much about dying and start focusing on living. But I don't know. Maybe too much common sense in that. I heard about a girl, who was on her honeymoon. Tragic story. She was actually dining al fresco in an upscale area of Mexico City (Polanco, I believe) in the early evening, when drive by cross fire gun shot caught her and she died instantly. She was on her honeymoon. Awful. Heard about another guy in March, leader from an area college, turned up dead in a train station. Again, tragic. But these things happen and can happen anywhere, and we shouldn't let them stop us from living our lives.
That said though, there's places I just wouldn't go, not necessarily because there's an imminent chance of kidnapping or death, but because of the fear in the culture about that happening and just a general lack of a welcoming tourist infrastructure. My general rule of thumb is, I won't go to any place that has a state department warning of Level 3 or higher. Frankly, some areas in the US might need that, but I digress. So, I wouldn't go to Juarez, I might strongly hesitate about going to Tijuana, wouldn't go to Acapulco, and perhaps other places your thinking of (I don't think I'd go to Monterrey from some warnings I've heard, though it's large enough that if you did, you'd probably be okay.) It'd be neat for Mexico to become far safer/more developed in coming decades, because Monterrey could certainly be a tourist destination as a drive esp. for those in Texas. Stunning scenery and landscapes, almost certainly more so than any Major American city. Puebla, Merida, I'd certainly go to though, and I think they are safer than Mexico City, among the safest (I think Merida might have a lower homicide rate than London at some times (:0)).
That said, Mexico City might, particularly in the right parts of the Cuauhtemoc and Benito Juarez boroughs, feel safer and more comfortable than any other urban setting in all of Latin America (though parts of Buenos Aires feel remarkably safe too). I like bustling areas in places like that because I feel like generally the worst thing that can happen is I get pickpocketed (and though I haven't been and I'm sharply aware/take steps to prevent this, I can certainly live with this, literally). So, to your point, I do think it feels like New York City in that sense. You really do feel a lot of wealth present too, shockingly so for having traveled to a number of other places in LatAm. And sometimes, when odds are so low anyways, a feel of safety and comfort can be more important than statistics.
Much appreciation for that! Rep points coming your way!
NYC is one of the safest cities in the US, if not the SAFEST. I largely believe NY state's strict gun laws have a lot to do with it, as well the NYPD. They are always on the streets. Some cities I go to it is almost impossible to find a cop.
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