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I'm looking to rent an apartment at East 105th near 5th Ave, which is by central park (the conservatory garden). I'm going to be working full-time and studying full-time, which means I'll be coming home at night most of the time.
I know that the word is this area is getting better, but... At night especially, is this area safe nowadays for a young female to be walking back home from the 103rd st 6 train stop? Or the M03/M04 buses that I'll be using to get to and from class?
It's perfectly safe and a lovely area as long as you stay near the Central Park. They are putting the finishing touches on the Museum of African Art at the corner of the Park and Mount Sinai is putting up a glitzy new hospital/condomium tower.
I'd recommend the Madison Avenue/Fifth Avenue buses over the East Side IRT but either choice should be fine.
By "near Fifth" can I assume between Fifth and Madison?
Going over towards Park, Lex, Third is, of course, less desirable for nighttime walks.
The threads asking about "safety" spring up like mushrooms in this forum. Here's the one thing you have to keep in mind: safety is completely subjective. You might feel safe in some neighborhood that someone else wouldn't go near with an armed guard. You have to decide how you feel--and never, under any circumstances, let someone else tell you whether you feel good about a particular area. Let's be real: you're the one who's going to live there, not them.
Well said Fred, but there are also some objective stats that can provide some guidance also. But you should really spend time in the area, night AND day, and determine how you feel, talk with locals, etc.
The threads asking about "safety" spring up like mushrooms in this forum. Here's the one thing you have to keep in mind: safety is completely subjective. You might feel safe in some neighborhood that someone else wouldn't go near with an armed guard. You have to decide how you feel--and never, under any circumstances, let someone else tell you whether you feel good about a particular area. Let's be real: you're the one who's going to live there, not them.
How safe one individual feels that an area is can be subjective. How safe an area actually is is quite objective, to a point. A lot of people would say my neighborhood is fairly rough and tumble, I'd disagree and say it's more or less fine. Neither of our opinions really matter though, in that they don't affect how likely we are to experience a crime while here.
Getting that objectiveness can be difficult, though. You could go and check out the local precinct's crime stats and compare them to another area to get a pretty good starting point, but of course that only takes into account crimes that were reported.
In any case, it's safe to say that certain parts of the city are safer than others. We're not talking about anecdotal stuff like "No because my friend got mugged in Times Square in the middle of the afternoon!" but aggregate statistics.
I agree with Febotober...There are some general standards on what is safe and what is not. Let me explain...
Several times i walked around 125th street in Harlem (during daylight). Being a white guy, I was in the minority, but I didn't care. No one even looked at me and most people familiar with the city felt that it was no big deal. What does that mean? I means "Safe"
Once was I was younger and a bit naive, my friend and I went to the Morrisania Public Library in the South Bronx. Took the subway up to Freeman Street and walked inside. There half of the people gave us surprised looks. Two people even stared us down for a minute straight like we were up to no good. Nothing happened, but common sense tells us all this was "Unsafe"
So you see the difference. There are places that you good and are no big deal and then there are those other places that are unsafe by any standards. When a reasonable person says it is no big deal; it is probably no big deal. If people stare at you like you do not belong there, common sense dictates it is clearly and objectively unsafe by any reasonable standard.
As for nighttime, common sense also applies in a objective manner too. You see lighting and most important other respectable people walking around, it is considered OK. Deserted areas, not OK.
So yes, Febtober, one might feel unsafe on 125th street in broad daylight or safe in Morrisania...but that does not mean that they are correct. What is correct is that the ACTUAL level of risk is mathematically objective. Usually what is considered common sense by most reasonable people familiar with the city is the actual safety of a certain area.
I'm looking to rent an apartment at East 105th near 5th Ave, which is by central park (the conservatory garden). I'm going to be working full-time and studying full-time, which means I'll be coming home at night most of the time.
I know that the word is this area is getting better, but... At night especially, is this area safe nowadays for a young female to be walking back home from the 103rd st 6 train stop? Or the M03/M04 buses that I'll be using to get to and from class?
Any help would be appreciated!
D
take in a friend for extra security and help pay rent too.
East 105th near 5th Ave by Central Park is pretty safe.
However, it's not as safe walking home at night from the 6 train station at 103rd and Lexington. That's a whole different story. How late at night? In general, as long as the stores are still open for business (I think 7 or 8 PM is closing time), you'll be OK. After that, it can get sketchy. Obviously, in the summer when it stays light out for longer, you will have more leeway. But yeah...that walk from the 6 train station to your apartment will involve walking past the projects, for one thing. Also, I would get creeped out having to walk through those tunnels underneath the elevated train tracks on Park Ave. I know it's only, like, 10 paces, but it would still creep me out if I were a woman, alone, at 10 PM at night.
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