Orange line at night? (Arlington, Hampton: apartments, high crime, houses)

[Zandy890]

I will be taking a night class at George Mason, it ends at 10pm. I live in Ballston. Will it be safe at night for me to wait for the bus or ride the metro by myself at 10pm at the Vienna stop? I'm a 22 year old female. Any safety tips?

[boyd888]

Yes, public transport in Northern VA is very safe.

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by Zandy890

I will be taking a night class at George Mason, it ends at 10pm. I live in Ballston. Will it be safe at night for me to wait for the bus or ride the metro by myself at 10pm at the Vienna stop? I'm a 22 year old female. Any safety tips?

I've lived in the general Ballston area since 2002 (and lived right next to the Metro for a few years). I would caution you to be generally aware and alert. It's not a war zone, but there are some undesirables here and there, and there have been a series of sexual assaults in Arlington over the last 10 years.

That said, 10PM isn't 2AM, and there should be a fair number of people on the street; if you stick to the well-lit, populated streets and keep your eyes up, you should be fine. I would pack pepper spray, though.

EDIT--Sorry, I read too fast; didn't realize you were asking about Vienna mostly. Not sure there. There seems to be less foot traffic at the Vienna Metro than at other stations, due to fewer businesses. It's in a generally safe area, but there are low-income pockets here and there (e.g., toward Fairfax Circle). The odds are that nothing will happen to you, but if you were my sister or wife, I'd feel better if you drove.

[BOS2IAD]

I was surprised to discover that the Vienna Metro station ranks high on Metro's list of the stations with the most crimes. Not sure why that is. For years, when we went into DC, we would use the Vienna Metro station and never had a problem. That said, one night as we got off the train, we came across a young woman who was literally shaking and upset. We asked her what was wrong and she pointed to a man loitering and telling us that she was afraid to wait at the bus stop because of him. We asked her if she wanted us to wait with her and she didn't answer---even when we asked a second time. Other than that, we've seen the occasional panhandler there but never had a problem with them. That said, I've never been at the Vienna station alone.

OP --- I think that if you get off the train, try to stay with other Metrobus riders when you are at Vienna---even if they aren't waiting for your bus. When you see your bus approach, go to the correct stop.

[Ffxdata]

Vienna metro stop can be deserted and scary. You are often the last or second to last person in the car, and there is opportunity for shenanigans. Also, the parking lots and garages are big. Even though they are well lit, there are no businesses or close houses that would hear something going down.

This isn't meant to be scary but realistic.

[gomason]

I'm not even going to say anything but this: the Northern Virgina bubble is very, very real. Prince William County, one of the wealthiest in America, is the ghetto and Vienna is definitely scary!!!

OP, I wouldn't worry for a second.

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by BOS2IAD

I was surprised to discover that the Vienna Metro station ranks high on Metro's list of the stations with the most crimes. Not sure why that is. For years, when we went into DC, we would use the Vienna Metro station and never had a problem. That said, one night as we got off the train, we came across a young woman who was literally shaking and upset. We asked her what was wrong and she pointed to a man loitering and telling us that she was afraid to wait at the bus stop because of him. We asked her if she wanted us to wait with her and she didn't answer---even when we asked a second time. Other than that, we've seen the occasional panhandler there but never had a problem with them. That said, I've never been at the Vienna station alone.

OP --- I think that if you get off the train, try to stay with other Metrobus riders when you are at Vienna---even if they aren't waiting for your bus. When you see your bus approach, go to the correct stop.

I think Vienna ranks so high because it is one of the most frequently used metro stations. I would say the same of why Fran-Spr ranks very high in crime. Now if one of the lesser known metro stations like VA Square or EFC had a high crime rate, that would be more concerning. I would not be that concerned about Vienna's station very much.

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by gomason

I'm not even going to say anything but this: the Northern Virgina bubble is very, very real. Prince William County, one of the wealthiest in America, is the ghetto and Vienna is definitely scary!!!

OP, I wouldn't worry for a second.

I agree with this. I think people should remember when you get out of these stations, you are likely going home to some of the safest neighborhoods. I was just in Louisville a few weeks ago, and that city's homicide rate is skyrocketing. I get concerned whenever I see another hometown person on my feed post about the rising crime in Hampton Roads. All I think is I have gripes about living where I do but crime ain't one of them.

[Ffxdata]

It's easy for a bunch of guys to tell a young woman not to worry.

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by Ffxdata

It's easy for a bunch of guys to tell a young woman not to worry.

Exactly.

Yes, Vienna is overall an affluent and very safe area. But the Vienna Metro station is desolate at night, and there are low-income apartments not far away. A woman waiting there alone would justifiably feel pretty creeped out.

Even nice areas have crime.