How safe is NYC at the moment?
 

Serious question

Been watching a lot of stuff in the media about the current situation in NYC with the recent influx of asylum seekers and a crime wave plaguing the city.

I will be traveling to the Big Apple with the family for the first time in over 2 decades (the first time for the wife and kids).

So, am I crazy for doing this or is the media blowing things out of proportion?

New Yorkers please respond and chime me in on the current situation, tips and what parts to stay away from. I will be staying in Times Square and will probably mostly be exploring both midtown and lower Manhattan.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Statistically the city is about as safe as it’s ever been and one of the safest cities in the country.

As for my anecdotal experience, most of the areas you will be in are packed day and night with people so it never feels dangerous and I’ve personally never felt uncomfortable. If you’re not used to seeing some homeless people or smelling weed smoke then maybe you’ll think differently in terms of how it feels but in terms of actual danger, there’s a close to zero percent chance that something would happen to you or your family in midtown or lower Manhattan.

In my opinion, the media is definitely blowing things out of proportion and you have nothing to worry about.

Enjoy your trip!

irl crime is at record lows and trolls try to drive dissention online or for clout.

anyway, you’re doing the right thing with a family in tow.

midtown, central park, anywhere downtown.

depending on your kid’s age and your mobility, downtown you might take a walk on the brooklyn bridge, then walk around the brooklyn dumbo waterfront neighborhood there and take a water taxi back. or take a ferry to governors island to ride bikes around it. if you have teens — they like broadway soho shopping & walking around greenwich village washington sq park, macdougal/bleecker streets, etc..

we live in staten island by the ferry so we take it a lot into manhattan and of course ‘the boat’ as we call it over here is always full of stateners and tourists, so that is nice to do too and free. i was on it coming in the other day and halfway we had a man overboard, so just my luck and that especially gave the tourists a lot of exciting drama. but again irl i found out that happens like 3x/yr and is sad really, but isnt crime.

https://pubfiles.nysenate.gov/crm/ho...bf2a1b3fc1.jpg

This thread feels 40 years old.

^ there is a lot of weird shite ‘news’ popping up online lately, much more than usual. i dk what it is, likely foreign trolling + trumpian rhetoric, but its understandable tourists would wonder.

Sounds like Fox News.

Other than the zombie apocalypse, you should be fine. As someone noted above, you can smell pot everywhere now but that is hardly a violent crime.

Violent crime is down significantly in New York after the increase in 2020 - 2021 (it is still significantly higher in DC, unfortunately).

"Well, the answer appears to be in, and it’s encouraging. Murders dropped significantly in 2022, and so far seem to be falling even faster this year. Take the example of New York City, which had 319 murders in 2019 — down from 2,262 in 1990! — but saw that total rise to 488 in 2021. If trends this year continue, the number of murders in 2023 will probably be under 400, much of the way back to the low crime rates of the 2010s...

Wait, there’s more. In addition to having false beliefs about trends in crime over time, many Americans have false beliefs about the geography of crime. In particular, Republicans often treat it as an established fact that blue states, and especially cities run by Democrats, have higher crime rates than red states and cities, with New York singled out for special opprobrium. Back in April, the Republican-controlled House Judiciary Committee held a “field hearing” on “victims of violent crime in Manhattan.”

But the reality is that red states have consistently higher homicide rates than blue states. Most big cities are run by Democrats, but those run by Republicans don’t have significantly lower crime. And New York City happens to have remarkably low crime, with a murder rate around half that of Republican-run cities like Miami and Fort Worth. (My guess is that part of the reason for low crime in New York is the city’s large immigrant population — because contrary to another myth, immigrants are relatively law-abiding.)

Again, however, it’s doubtful whether data, or even the lived experiences of those of us who reside in places many Americans believe to be hellscapes, will change many minds..."

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/24/o...c-opinion.html

Indeed-- all of those asylum seekers who wash dishes at midnight or do landscaping jobs nobody else wants to do. I think all of the people who died on the bridge in Baltimore this week were immigrants.

Little Island at the end of the High Line is worth visiting with kids. Also, there is a new beach that was completed last year next to Little Island. We went their with our young kids in November (hardly beach weather) and it offers great views of lower Manhattan and Jersey City.

https://littleisland.org/

https://media.architecturaldigest.co...%20Doherty.jpg
Photo courtesy of Architectural Digest.

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/...each-is-coming

Central Park is always fun with kids and the High Line is enjoyable as well. As mentioned above, taking the ferry is also fun. I think it is free on the weekends and you can take it to Governor's island from lower Manhattan.

There have been a couple of high profile incidents on the subway recently, but the subway is overall safe and those were not caused by asylum seekers. The subway incidents would have barely even registered as news in the 1990s, and certainly would not have been national news. If you are on the subway on a weekday you might notice fewer people than you remember. This is because commuting schedules have not returned to normal since the start of the pandemic, and not because of subway safety issues.

The crime rate is significantly lower than the last time you were here. There is no crime wave. Touristy areas will be as busy as you remember. There are plenty of new touristy things to do as well. You may notice a lot of newer buildings, and some

It feels as safe today as it has at any moment in my 24 years of living here. I live in Queens and work in the Gramercy Park area, ride the subway almost every day, and I don't know what you're hearing but don't worry about it.

maybe everybody is trying to get their jollies in and dunk before tiktok gets banned?

to be fair though, most stuff i see on social media is pretty silly, like this — :D

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4qWh...p5dXhnYTRqbXc0

If we're talking about rats, then yes, that has absolutely become a bigger problem in NYC since the pandemic began. You'll almost certainly see a rat or two running in the streets after 6pm if you're visiting.

Thank you all kindly for your input it is greatly appreciated.

Oh and sorry for sounding like Fox News. I don't have cable and don't watch TV. I think mainstream media is a detriment to society and is the main reason why I don't subscribe to any TV services. When I mentioned media I was referring to YouTube videos and other social media platforms which BTW could often be just as bad if not worse. This is the reason I posted here to get info from NY locals.

And as far as the smell of weed and homeless people LOL, guys I'm from Southern California I think we might have you beat in that department.

Anyways, I am super excited about my visit to the Big Apple and can't wait to walk on her streets and see the sights of your amazing city. Peace!

Steely? The problem is that 40 years ago New York City was actually "scary" !

:haha:

We have "Wimps & Simps" now.

I’m curious to know your experience (and other 1st timers) and see some pictures after. Enjoy and don’t worry! There’s so many things to see and experience that you’ll want to return.

One last question before I forget.

What would be the most convenient way for a family of four with luggage to get from JFK to 8th Ave and 43rd St near Times Square?

I've been told the A train is the cheapest way but I kinda feel a cab ride would be more comfortable but also more expensive.

Is it a problem riding the trains when you're carrying luggage, specially if the train is packed with people? We would be riding morning peak hours.

It's very dangerous if you are deathly allergic to lattes, safety, or being surrounded by affluent people engaging in luxury activities.

If you're just a normal person worried about crime or brown people, there's no problem with New York, and you should get your news somewhere that's less invested in making you feel scared about people who are different from you.

PS: Just ride the subway. JFK is near the end of the subway line. You will be able to get seats. The LIRR train (commuter rail) will be crowded at that point, but the subway should be fine.

Either the A train or E train will get you directly to Times Square from JFK. The flat fare yellow taxi rate from JFK to Manhattan is $70. For a family of four to take the A or E train it would cost 4*$2.90 (subway fare) + $4*$8.50 (Airtrain fare) = $45.60.

How old are the kids? If they're older than five, the subway should be fine. It gets tricky if you have to carry them around. I always opt for taking the subway (or LIRR) to/from JFK unless it's very late at night/early in the morning. I find the subway to be more comfortable than taxis or Ubers, because I get motion sickness and the car hire drivers love slamming on their gas and brakes.