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Some of the folks on this forum are messin, with you. I am female and have lived in the city for over 35 years and have never had an "incident." When I was young, I went out a lot at night. Now, not so much though I take the subway almost every single day, and I have never had a problem. BTW, my husband is from Yadkin County, has lived in NYC as long as I have and he has never had a problem either.
First and foremost, neighborhood is key. Make sure you are living in a good neighborhood. If you don't like the looks of a place, don't move there. Staggerlee666's suggestions are all good ones.
Some tips:
1. Don't wear headphones or have your face in your Smartphone when you walk down the street. Be aware of your surroundings. If someone looks sketchy to you, follow your instincts and cross the street or go into a store.
2. IMHO, the subway and city are safe in many areas up to 11:30 pm. I would be careful if you are planning to be out later than that.
3. Put your handbag under your arm when you walk. That way you are not "tempting" any thieves.
4. Walk quickly even if you don't know where the heck you are going. Look like you are walking purposefully.
5. Never argue with people you don't know. There are some angry people here who get really uptight if you bump into them in the street. Just apologize if this happens and move on.
Good luck.
To add to this list: First of all, there are good neighborhoods outside of Staggerlee666's list. But you need to come see them yourself. Any neighborhood you're seriously considering, go visit it at 11:30. Does it still feel safe? I've lived in NYC for decades, and travel some of the worst parts of the city for work. Here are some of the techniques that have kept me safe:
1. Don't wear rings, jewelry on the subway.
2. Know where you are going, and if you need to look at a map, do so in a store. One of the best pickpockets told me that he would hang out in tourist areas of the city watching for someone to gather on a corner with a map or a guidebook. He would then know they were tourists and likely had cash and cameras.
3. Have a small amount of cash in a pocket for papers, etc. Keep the bulk of your cash in a part of your purse that doesn't flash when you pull out a credit card. Some thieves hang out in a line to see what they can see when you open your purse.
4. Don't give money to people on the subway or in public. If someone starts a fight, or squirts mustard on someone else's coat, guard your wallet, these are standard pickpocket diversions to get everyone's attention focused one way, while someone else slips your money out of your purse from the other side.
5. Stand back from the curb at the corners -- lots of New Yorkers edge out into the street when the light is against them. Yes, drivers do hit people, and run over their feet. It's better to wait on the curb.
6. If someone is actively acting crazy, give them space -- go to another subway car, stare at the floor, but keep watching out of the corner of your eye until you can get away.
7. Ditto everything that the earlier poster said about stay off your phone on the street or in the subway. I was watching other people the other day. All were zoned on their phones. There was one other guy who was also looking around and when our eyes met, I nodded, and he immediately got off the train. I strongly suspect he was getting ready to grab someone's phone and leap off the subway. But because I saw him, made eye contact and could identify him, he changed cars. Mind you that's just my hunch.
8. Have your keys in your hand ready to open your door before you approach it.
9. If you need help in the street scream "FIRE" -- guaranteed to get people's eyes to move to yours.
10. Wear shoes in the street that you can run in. Save your spiky heels for the party when you get there.
11. As others have mentioned, walk with purpose, look like you know where you are going. But as a former small town person myself, I had to learn NOT to make eye contact as I walked up the street with men coming in the other direction. In New York, especially from a woman in her 20s, eye contact with a stranger is a come on.
12. Go with the crowd. The times I feel the least safe are when I'm all alone in public. You want more eyes around, who could see something. I won't go into parks alone, and if no one else is on a street, I won't go down it unless it's the middle of the day.
I currently live in a very small town in North Carolina, but now that my personal finances are looking better, I'm seriously thinking about moving to NYC. Not sure what part yet.
The biggest two reasons I want to move to NYC are transportation and activities. I don't drive (big phobia from a previous car accident), which makes many things inaccessible for me here, so I need to live in a place where having a car isn't necessary. And I feel like I could have more of a "life" in NYC, where there's so much to do.
However, I do have some fears about moving from a small town to a place like NYC. I kind of feel like I'm going to get mugged the second I set foot outside there. I'm not "street smart" at all, and am a bit "absentminded" or lost in thought often while walking.
Safety is the number one concern here, I think. What tips would you give someone like me for staying safe in a big city (from muggings, assaults, etc.)? I'm female, aged 22. Thanks.
I assume safety varies by what part of the city you're in. What part of the city is the safest?
[Note: Just saw that there was a similar thread. But this one is focused more on personal safety, specifically; the other thread seems more about navigating public transportation and stuff].
You have around 0.001% of having any sort of criminal problem. The biggest issue you'll deal with is getting hit on by all the "players" from the ghetto who hassle every decent looking woman on the street with a pulse. Dominican & Puerto Rican guys are especially bad. Eventually you learn to never make eye contact on the street and avoid engaging strangers
I wouldn't take the advice of 21 year olds first and foremost. They haven't lived long enough to really be giving advice on anyone or anything. Nor do they have ANY law enforcement understanding or connections.
As for your safety, you should be worried. All native true blue born n raised NY'ers, especially white, know that you need to have a certain level of fear in order to survive here. If you become complacent, you will be targeted by the local criminal element, especially in "diverse" areas. A lot of it really does in fact depend on race, unfortunately. My advice would be to stay well clear of Brooklyn and da Bronx. You'd be ok in most parts of Manhattan but you likely won't be able to afford it. That leaves Queens (no one cares about Staten Island). The rule of thumb is NE Queens has the lowest crime rates in the city, which is true. The 111pct and 109 pct tend to have almost no homicides. The biggest issue is auto theft and burglary. I would suggest checking out Bayside, Fresh Meadows, Auburndale, Little Neck areas. Rent isn't that bad and you will have high quality of life.
You're clueless, much of Brooklyn is safe and even parts of the Bronx. And plenty of diverse areas are safe.
For someone that claims they are NYC born n bred you obviously know nothing of this city. Unless you just don't want yet another transplant to move here because they are scared of all the crime because the Daily News says so, than I hear you...
So, the moral of this story is: don't fall soundly asleep on a bench in a subway system in the middle of the night. This man was robbed at 3:30 in the morning after he fell sound asleep on a subway bench! Oops, sorry we forgot to warn Molly not to fall asleep on subway benches at 3:30 am.
So, the moral of this story is: don't fall soundly asleep on a bench in a subway system in the middle of the night. This man was robbed at 3:30 in the morning after he fell sound asleep on a subway bench! Oops, sorry we forgot to warn Molly not to fall asleep on subway benches at 3:30 am.
Nothing good can happen after 1:00 am if you're wandering the city.
Don't display your cell phone or iPad or tablet on the subways or in public. Someone will rob you of your devices if they see it, it doesn't matter what neighborhood you are in. There are bad people everywhere you look in nyc so not even the use to be "safe neighborhoods" are safe anymore. Pay attention to where you are walking. Do not be an idiot on the subway and push someone to get In the train most people do not like this and it will cause conflict. Stay away from the most dangerous parts of nyc. For example, Gravesend in brooklyn, parts of harlem (especially by 125 street) in manhattan, the south bronx, south jamaica in queens. Also, carry pepper spray with you and avoid wearing any expensive looking jewelry on the train. Also, when on the train platform, try to keep your back against the stairwell or against a post because people will push and shove. Always pay attention to who is walking around you, we have had alot of random slashings here recently. I am a female born and raised in nyc and survived the nyc public school system back in the 80s, thank goodness I was never robbed or never slashed. When you grow up here, you just know how to take care of yourself....it's what we do.
Nothing good can happen after 1:00 am if you're wandering the city.
I'm in Manhattan all the time past 1AM and sometimes parts of Brooklyn, I don't think it's an issue if you're aware of your surroundings. However I would not wander around the South Bronx or Brownsville at 3AM.
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