How safe is NYC?

I'll be going to NYC this summer for the first time and I'm very
excited.

I've heard a lot of contradictory messages about the crime issue.

Could anyone give me an unbiased, factual idea of how safe it actually
is to travel in New York?

Any no-go zones?

By safety I mean the likelyhood of being violently assaulted as a
tourist. I'm not bothered about petty crime or planned murder.

Here is a list of all the cities I've visited in order of how safe I've
perceived them to be. Where would you place NYC on the list?


Singapore .... (totally safe everywhere, at all times)
Vienna .... (almost totally safe)
Stockholm
Berlin
Amsterdam .... (some caution required in some areas at night)
Paris
Sydney
London
Athens
Bangkok
Warsaw .... (great caution required in many areas at night)
Riga
Rio de Janeiro .... (great caution reqiured everywhere, at all times)
Sao Paulo
Lima

Thanks!

On 15 Feb 2006 17:08:49 -0800, "Milo" wrote:

I'll be going to NYC this summer for the first time and I'm very
excited.

I've heard a lot of contradictory messages about the crime issue.

Could anyone give me an unbiased, factual idea of how safe it actually
is to travel in New York?

Any no-go zones?

By safety I mean the likelyhood of being violently assaulted as a
tourist. I'm not bothered about petty crime or planned murder.

Here is a list of all the cities I've visited in order of how safe I've
perceived them to be. Where would you place NYC on the list?


Singapore .... (totally safe everywhere, at all times)
Vienna .... (almost totally safe)
Stockholm
Berlin
Amsterdam .... (some caution required in some areas at night)
Paris
Sydney
London
Athens
Bangkok
Warsaw .... (great caution required in many areas at night)
Riga
Rio de Janeiro .... (great caution reqiured everywhere, at all times)
Sao Paulo
Lima

Thanks!

NYC is very safe these days. The areas that could be problematic are
not areas visitors would tend to go to - far out and nothing to do
there. That said, I wouldn't walk in Central Park at night - that's
about the only caveat I'd give. You should be just fine since
you're obviously a seasoned traveler.

I'd be interestd to see where you slot NYC into on your list after
your visit. Enjoy!!
Cheers,
Ann

To email: replace 'REMOVE' with 'b' in email address.

Milo wrote:
I'll be going to NYC this summer for the first time and I'm very
excited.

I've heard a lot of contradictory messages about the crime issue.

Could anyone give me an unbiased, factual idea of how safe it actually
is to travel in New York?

Any no-go zones?

By safety I mean the likelyhood of being violently assaulted as a
tourist. I'm not bothered about petty crime or planned murder.

Here is a list of all the cities I've visited in order of how safe I've
perceived them to be. Where would you place NYC on the list?


Singapore .... (totally safe everywhere, at all times)
Vienna .... (almost totally safe)
Stockholm
Berlin
Amsterdam .... (some caution required in some areas at night)
Paris
Sydney
London
Athens
Bangkok
Warsaw .... (great caution required in many areas at night)
Riga
Rio de Janeiro .... (great caution reqiured everywhere, at all times)
Sao Paulo
Lima

Having just returned from a trip to the city, I guess I would rank NYC
with Amsterdam on the above list.
We covered huge distances on foot every day and never felt threatened.
In the evenings we walked from our east midtown hotel to Times Square
regularly to see plays, and felt completely safe at all times.

In article .com,
"Milo" wrote:

I'll be going to NYC this summer for the first time and I'm very
excited.

I've heard a lot of contradictory messages about the crime issue.

Could anyone give me an unbiased, factual idea of how safe it actually
is to travel in New York?

Any no-go zones?

By safety I mean the likelyhood of being violently assaulted as a
tourist. I'm not bothered about petty crime or planned murder.

Here is a list of all the cities I've visited in order of how safe I've
perceived them to be. Where would you place NYC on the list?

I have been to NYC many times over the past twenty years and I have
never had a problem with safety. NYC is no different than any of the
other cities you mentioned in that practicing some common sense behavior
will be very beneficial. Don't flash around a lot of cash, don't walk
down quiet dark streets alone if you feel insecure, the usual stuff. Any
areas of NYC that appeal to a tourist are fine. It really is not worth
worrying about.

Milo wrote:
Could anyone give me an unbiased, factual idea of how safe it
actually is to travel in New York?

I have no idea how safe it, or anywhere else, is. An Earthquake could
happen at any instant. Fires happen. Cyclones, floods, tornadoes,
tsunami, hurricanes. Bad guys might be at the corner. If they're not
involved with someone else, they might want to get involved with you.
You could be mistakenly arrested and charged with a serious crime.
Traffic lights get out of order. People ignore STOP signs and lights.
Safety isn't anywhere. Danger is everywhere. What scares you might
differ from what scares me. Statistics indicate that your bathroom is
the most dangerous place you can be. Better watch out!


wrote:
covered huge distances on foot every day and never felt threatened. In the evenings we walked from our east midtown hotel to Times Square
regularly to see plays, and felt completely safe at all times.

My Manhattan vignettes at the site at Right in the sig might provide
some enlightenment
http://geocities.com/iconoc//Articles/Vigns01.html
--
__________________________________________________ _________________
A San Franciscan in 47.452 mile² San Francisco.
http://geocities.com/dancefest/ --- http://geocities.com/iconoc/
ICQ: http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 ------- IClast at Gmail com

Milo wrote:
Could anyone give me an unbiased, factual idea of how safe it
actually is to travel in New York?

I have no idea how safe it, or anywhere else, is. An Earthquake could
happen at any instant. Fires happen. Cyclones, floods, tornadoes,
tsunami, hurricanes. Bad guys might be at the corner. If they're not
involved with someone else, they might want to get involved with you.
You could be mistakenly arrested and charged with a serious crime.
Traffic lights get out of order. People ignore STOP signs and lights.
Safety isn't anywhere. Danger is everywhere. What scares you might
differ from what scares me. Statistics indicate that your bathroom is
the most dangerous place you can be. Better watch out!


wrote:
covered huge distances on foot every day and never felt threatened. In the evenings we walked from our east midtown hotel to Times Square
regularly to see plays, and felt completely safe at all times.

My Manhattan vignettes at the site at Right in the sig might provide
some enlightenment
http://geocities.com/iconoc//Articles/Vigns01.html
--
__________________________________________________ _________________
A San Franciscan in 47.452 mile² San Francisco.
http://geocities.com/dancefest/ --- http://geocities.com/iconoc/
ICQ: http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 ------- IClast at Gmail com

"Milo" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'll be going to NYC this summer for the first time and I'm very
excited.

I've heard a lot of contradictory messages about the crime issue.

Could anyone give me an unbiased, factual idea of how safe it actually
is to travel in New York?

Any no-go zones?

I don't know about unbiased, factual data but I've travelled to NYC probably
a half a dozen times over the past 10 years and I've never felt unsafe in
the tourist areas. Even late at night, there are so many normal,
non-criminal-like, people around, that I think there is safety in numbers.
I did see bums just passed out on the side of the street, and some minor
panhandling, but it's like anyplace else. Times Square seems to have a
pretty good police presence(including a mini-police station IIRC). I saw a
lot of cops walking the beat in and around Times Square, and felt safe there
especially.

There are definitely no-go zones in NYC, but as AB pointed out, you'd have
no reason to show up in those parts.

I would look out for pickpockets in Times Square, although myself or friends
I've travelled with in the past, have never encountered even an attempt.
But pickpockets happen any place there are lots of people.

Because you have some experience travelling, you should already know to be
aware of your surroundings, pay attention to other people who pay attention
to you, and you'll be fine.

I have to admit that I've never liked the subway, which although I'm sure is
statistically safe, I think the movies over the years have tainted my
impression of it. Taxis are much more convenient, direct, point-point, easy
to get anyways. Although they are certainly more expensive than the subway,
the total cost for most vacations should be negligible in comparison to the
rest of your expenses.

Hope this helps,

Keith
Pittsburgh

On 15 Feb 2006 17:08:49 -0800, "Milo" wrote:

I'll be going to NYC this summer for the first time and I'm very
excited.

I've heard a lot of contradictory messages about the crime issue.

Could anyone give me an unbiased, factual idea of how safe it actually
is to travel in New York?

Any no-go zones?

I don't like to go into any really deserted streets late at night,
anywhere in the world. Even if the city is safe, a street where nobody
is out and about is not very safe. In New York, most of the
interesting neighborhoods have people out walking even fairly late at
night. There is not much danger for a tourist. I would suggest using
normal urban smarts, which you probably are very familiar with, given
the number of cities you have visited. Walk as if you know where
you're going, don't wear expensive jewlery. If you're out late at
night either don't carry your camera, or don't carry it in plain view,
especially if it's expensive. If you have to consult a map, go into a
bar or something and consult it inside. If you're not sure which way
you want to walk when leaving the subway, late at night, walk
decisively in one direction while you thing about it, then if you have
to turn around, cross the street or something first.

My daughter lives in Harlem and sometimes returns home alone late at
night. There's a bit of a deserted street she has to walk along before
reaching her street. She talks on her cell phone while walking along
this street. It doesn't sound like a bad idea to me. Sometimes she
calls me (It's usually 8 AM or later where I live) and sometimes she
just pretends she's talking to someone.

By safety I mean the likelyhood of being violently assaulted as a
tourist. I'm not bothered about petty crime or planned murder.

Here is a list of all the cities I've visited in order of how safe I've
perceived them to be. Where would you place NYC on the list?


Singapore .... (totally safe everywhere, at all times)
Vienna .... (almost totally safe)
Stockholm
Berlin
Amsterdam .... (some caution required in some areas at night)
Paris
Sydney
London
Athens
Bangkok
Warsaw .... (great caution required in many areas at night)
Riga
Rio de Janeiro .... (great caution reqiured everywhere, at all times)
Sao Paulo
Lima

Thanks!

--
Barbara Vaughan

My email address is my first initial followed by my last name at libero dot it.

On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 19:49:07 -0800, wrote:

Having just returned from a trip to the city, I guess I would rank NYC
with Amsterdam on the above list.
We covered huge distances on foot every day and never felt threatened.
In the evenings we walked from our east midtown hotel to Times Square
regularly to see plays, and felt completely safe at all times.

I was going to suggest Amsterdam myself.
--
Barbara Vaughan

My email address is my first initial followed by my last name at libero dot it.

On 2/15/06 8:08 PM Milo consulted a Magic 8 Ball and declared:
I'll be going to NYC this summer for the first time and I'm very
excited.

I've heard a lot of contradictory messages about the crime issue.

Could anyone give me an unbiased, factual idea of how safe it actually
is to travel in New York?

Any no-go zones?

By safety I mean the likelyhood of being violently assaulted as a
tourist. I'm not bothered about petty crime or planned murder.

Here is a list of all the cities I've visited in order of how safe I've
perceived them to be. Where would you place NYC on the list?


Singapore .... (totally safe everywhere, at all times)
Vienna .... (almost totally safe)
Stockholm
Berlin
Amsterdam .... (some caution required in some areas at night)
Paris
Sydney
London
Athens
Bangkok
Warsaw .... (great caution required in many areas at night)
Riga
Rio de Janeiro .... (great caution reqiured everywhere, at all times)
Sao Paulo
Lima

Thanks!


It's safer than Newark, NJ. Watch COPS, you'll get an idea of what
neighborhoods in what cities are unsafe. For example I wasn't aware
before watching COPS but downtown Ft. Myers, FL is a hotbed of drug
related crime. Watch out all you snowbirds!

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951