How safe is it here?

Hello, I%26#39;m planning a trip to NYC July3rd to the 6th.I was inspired by Catcher in the Rye but I know that times have changed since that book was written.Im an 18 year old college student whos traveling alone.How safe is New York exactly?

How safe is it here?

New York City is the safest large city in the US. That said, it%26#39;s always a good idea to pay attention to what%26#39;s going on in your immediate vicinity as I%26#39;m sure you do in your home town.

How safe is it here?

I agree. WE have the lowest crime rate in the country of any large city, adn we%26#39;re experiencing the lowest crime rate in 40 years.

NYC has the same crime rate per person per square mile as Boise, Idaho! Because of shows like CSI, NYPD Blue, Law and Order, etc, we have a ';big bad'; reputation.

How long will you be here for? Where are you coming from in NJ?

Here is a good link for Streetwise Survival Strategies - from The NYC Insider website. Good advice for travel to any big city in the world, I%26#39;d say.

www.theinsider.com/nyc/survive/012crim2.htm

On NYC and crime, this is a great explanation of why reality doesn%26#39;t match perception.

www.theinsider.com/nyc/survive/011crime.htm

My main advice is don%26#39;t be foolish - and I would say that to anyone og any age. Be aware of your surroundings, and keep your valuable personal belognings in your sight at all times. Our most prevalent crimes are pickpocketing, scams and ';distraction theft';. Don%26#39;t buy electronic equipment in Times Square or other tourist areas - they are all bait-and-switch scams.

NEVER, EVER hang your backpack, bag or purse from the back of a chair in a restaurant.

See these posts and subposts for other discussions about crime and travelling alone.

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k570118-鈥?/a>

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k459404-鈥?/a>

Let us know how it goes.

P.S. ';Catcher in the Rye'; is a great book. By the way, the ducks in Central Park either fly south for the winter, or find enough stray food in the park to survive.

Just came back from NY a few weeks ago, and as someone from a much smaller city I can say in total honesty I felt even safer walking around NY at 10pm on a Saturday night than in Sydney (and I think Sydney is a very safe city too). Purely because it is well policed and there are so many people. I did not find this city at all intimidating. The only thing I would say is it is a city still and take all the usual precautions you would in any big city eg keep your valuables close by and don%26#39;t loiter in unsavoury areas and just use your common sense.

I also found the subways super easy to navigate and the streets easy to navigate because they are numbered so well. The most you can get lost on foot is 1 block in the wrong direction before you realise you are going the wrong way.

I wouldn%26#39;t give it a second thought!!!

I am a 38 year old woman who often travels alone to New York. I always found it very safe but I am careful where I go and what I say when I meet people. I always travel by bus. I find that when it is night, it is safer than the subway. I stayed on Park avenue south in Murray Hill the last times I went there and I took the M1 who dropped me off right in front of the hotel when I went out to dinner. I tried to go to restaurants which would not be out of the way for dinner time. I go everywhere during the daytime, but I look more carefully at where I am going at night.

I often have dinner at the bar in restaurants. I almost always wind up talking to someone and made great encounters with interesting people. I always say I have a boyfriend, which discourages men from hitting on me and getting ideas. Some great places where you can have dinner at the bar is Casa mono (Irving place) and Otto (8th street right around 5th avenue). Because you are a college student, you could go to El Cantinero (unviersity place near 12th street). It is cheap and has lots of university students on the second floor because they sometimes have a free buffet at happy hour time.

You wil have a great time and not be afraid at all if you apply simple security tips. By the way, getting drunk in a big city is maybe not the best thing to do because your defenses lower and then you could get in trouble ;)

Thanks for all the advice so far!I figured that as long as I am observant I will be ok.

PS-Thanks for the info on the ducks!They never did explain it in the book....:)