Safe Neighborhood, but Unsafe Subway Line? (high crime, construction, cost)

[movingout100]

Let's say I was going to move to a relatively safe neighborhood in the Bronx, In this case I am thinking specifically of Woodlawn, but my questions pertains to any similar cases.

If your neighborhood is safe, but you have to take a train that makes numerous stops in the ghetto, to what degree are you exposing yourself to the dangers that you moved further out of the city to avoid in the first place? Please assume an intelligent passenger. (i.e., no laptop/iPod, no reprimanding fellow travelers for rude behavior, etc...)

Would it be unreasonble to travel to and from Manhattan late night?

Mead and Hustla718's opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[NooYowkur81]

Check out the Latino coming into Woodlawn thread. Mead posted a couple of very informative posts over there on Woodlawn. A lot of it was negative.

As for the trains, from my personal experience they are slow (which sucks) going into the Bronx at night, so they get packed (which is good because it makes them safer) or fairly full even really late into the night (the 4 is packed really late when I got out on friday or the weekends).

Unfortunately there are not enough express lines.

How late are you considering traveling though? I'd say returning to the Bronx after 12:00A.M. is risking it a bit, M-W at least.

[Elvira Black]

I've always found the subways to the Bronx safe, but I don't know about really late at night. Only know about the 4 and D lines.

[SilkCity0416]

The funny thing is, you are really safer in the outer boroughs (like the Bronx) than Manhattan. Most of the subway crime really happens in the city. I wouldn't worry too much about riding the train at night. Even though it may right in some crappy nabes. I always ride the train (I don't drive) and I never worry about anythinig.

[Hustla718]

Originally Posted by SilkCity0416

The funny thing is, you are really safer in the outer boroughs (like the Bronx) than Manhattan. Most of the subway crime really happens in the city. I wouldn't worry too much about riding the train at night. Even though it may right in some crappy nabes. I always ride the train (I don't drive) and I never worry about anythinig.

That is false. There are impact subway stations in the Bronx. Brook, Longwood, Elder, and Soundview. Robbery/crime prone stations.

El = crime no matter how you put it. The heavest robbery locations are around housing projects, retail, and El's.

[baylovers]

Robbery/crime prone stations.

Hustla, I'd have to disagree with you on this point. The subways are actually pretty safe, even the ones in high crime neighborhoods. These Impact Posts are in the street areas around the subway stations, preventing the bad guys from following the passengers from the station to a secluded area. Even then, someone travelling through one of these bad areas on a train would not be really exposed unless they exited.

Like the original poster said, be smart while travelling the trains. Know where you are, don't make contact with strangers, travel with someone, try to travel in the Motorman's & Conductor's cars etc.

[Hustla718]

Originally Posted by baylovers

Hustla, I'd have to disagree with you on this point. The subways are actually pretty safe, even the ones in high crime neighborhoods. These Impact Posts are in the street areas around the subway stations, preventing the bad guys from following the passengers from the station to a secluded area. Even then, someone travelling through one of these bad areas on a train would not be really exposed unless they exited.

Like the original poster said, be smart while travelling the trains. Know where you are, don't make contact with strangers, travel with someone, try to travel in the Motorman's & Conductor's cars etc.

No these subway stations are Impact stations, they have an impact post inside the station. Brook, Longwood, Elder and Soundview stations. There are more but I can't remember them right now.

These particular stations have had a lot of trouble with farebeaters and robberies. It has always been that way.

The El creates robbery prone areas. Easy escape, a lot of targets. Perfect point of entry and exit.

[009]

Originally Posted by Hustla718

No these subway stations are Impact stations, they have an impact post inside the station. Brook, Longwood, Elder and Soundview stations. There are more but I can't remember them right now.

These particular stations have had a lot of trouble with farebeaters and robberies. It has always been that way.

The El creates robbery prone areas. Easy escape, a lot of targets. Perfect point of entry and exit.

The OP mentioned the Woodlawn section meaning that the OP will travel using the 4 train most likely. The stations you mentioned are on the 6.

Does the 4 have any impact stations as well?

[mead]

I have found the 4 station in Woodlawn to be generally quite safe. The train is very slow at times though, especially on the weekends when they are doing construction.

The only problem you might have is that at night going towards Woodlawn the cars really empty out after the Fordham road stop. So by the time you are arriving at Woodlawn there will usually only be a handful of people in each subway car. I'm a fairly big guy so I don't really care about this, but I've noticed that this situation seems to make a lot of women nervous, so much so that they generally move about the train towards more crowded cars. Plus a lot of times it takes FOREVER for the subway to get into Woodlawn station from Mosholu. I guess for safety reasons they have to run the thing very slowly because it is the end of the line.

The area directly around the Woodlawn stop is pretty safe. There are always cabbies waiting to pick people up and people waiting under the el for the buses to Westchester and beside the train for the buses to the Bronx.

I really haven't had any problems with Woodlawn station, but once again I'm a guy and I'm fairly well built. So the situation might differ for you.

A lot of people in the Bronx avoid this situation altoghether by just taking MetroNorth (there is a station in Woodlawn) or an express bus (also stops in Woodlawn, but very infrequently; only like 2 or 3 per morning). These are good options but cost a lot more money. You'll end up paying $6.25 for the train or $5 for the express bus compared with $2 and under for the local bus to the subway.

[SeventhFloor]

i dont think the El's equal high crime rate.
The J train runs over jamaica avenue in richmond hill and thats not a high crime area.
same thing for astoria and the n train.
you can also throw the a train - liberty ave in ozone park.

now if you take the 2 train on westchester ave
or the L train in new lots
or the 3 on livonia ave

look at the neighborhoods those train run through

i've also heard that the 4 train isnt the safest late at night in the bronx