moving to usf area???

[mamaleone]

My child is going to be going to USF Tampa in the fall. Is the University Mall a high crime area? It is right down the street from the campus. Do you have to be afraid to go out at night if you are living on campus? Any suggestions would be helpful.

[GOOT]

Hi, I'm a student living on campus at USF and know the area quite well, so I should be of some assistance.

University mall itself is not necessarily a high crime area. To the South of campus is probably the "worst" area around campus. It's not "ghetto" by any means, but I can see how some people would feel uncomfortable in those surroundings. However, most students will never venture into those parts and will only go to the stores/restaurants along Fowler Ave. To the immediate East of campus is mostly off campus apartments which are pretty nice and it eventually becomes Temple Terrace, a pretty nice and safe community. To the North are probably the best areas. This is almost completely off campus student housing complexes and just 10 minutes north of campus are the Tampa Palms subdivision and New Tampa community. These areas are quite nice suburban areas.

As for going out at night on campus. Overall it is safe, but the University does supply a service called SAFE Team. Students are able to call a number between Dusk and 2-3 a.m. and be picked up ANYWHERE on campus by fellow students driving golfcarts and be taken ANYWHERE on campus. Also, as most major colleges do, the university has it's own Police Department.

Overall, are there areas around campus that many would consider "unsafe"? Yes, there are some but they are almost entirely avoidable and out of sight. I have seen places in Tallahassee and Gainesville, places seen as quiet college towns, that are similar to some of the areas that I have discussed. It all depends on your comfort levels. Most important thing is to BE SMART! Someone being reckless can find themselves in bad situations in even the nicest of areas.

Hopefully your son/daughter will enjoy their time here, as I have so far. The University has so much to offer! If you have any more questions about the school, post here and I can try and help.

GO BULLS!