Is Minneapolis a dangerous city?

draftnik12 · 05-07-2008, 02:24 PM

I've heard that the campus is "basically in the ghetto" of Minneapolis. How safe of a campus is Minnesota?

In addition, how does it stack up to other Big Ten schools? Safety is one of my main features in a school, and I am very concerned about the fact that Minnesota is in a major metropolitan area which likely has a high crime rate.

Thanks in advance

pcristiani · 05-07-2008, 03:02 PM

I've been were the campus is.. it doesn't seem like the ghetto.. I haven't been there long enough but the surroundings are pretty decent, nothing too upscale, it seems quite nice, a good college atmosphere...

Regarding crime.. every city has a considerable amount of crime.. I feel pretty safe in mpls.. I'm trying to find some statistics though..

edit

Minneapolis Crime Statistics (MN) - CityRating.com

believersmom · 05-08-2008, 01:13 PM

I spend a lot of time doing business in Minneapolis and have several customers near campus. I always feel safe and only know of one personal instance of crime - a friend of my D's her first week of freshman year at UMN, she went to a party off campus and put her purse down...surprise (NOT) someone took it (with her U card in it no less).

Would not consider the U in the ghetto AT ALL, and like any major city, common sense and thinking about where you are going and when is just good judgement.

One more thing, while that is an informative site that pcristiani posted is informative, it does appear that the stats are from 2003 --- a lot can change, good & bad in five years. From all the cities I travel to, Minneapolis presents as one of the cleanest and safest of comparable size. BUT it IS a major metro city. I would equate it to going to school in Chicago/Milwaukee/St. Louis/Cinci...etc.

ChiSquare · 05-09-2008, 09:38 AM

Hi - I live in the Twin Cities and work at the U of M. The campus is definitely not in a "ghetto", and the Twin Cities are pretty safe for cities of their size. That said, it does seem to me that I hear more about crime around the U campus than I did in previous years.

One other point - the Twin Cities campus of the U is actually 2 campuses, one (the larger one) in Minneapolis, and one in St Paul. Do you have an intended major? That would dictate which campus you'd be spending the bulk of your time on. The St. Paul campus is smaller, cozier, less urban, and would probably feel "safer" to you.

imaparasite · 05-12-2008, 01:57 PM

I live in Mpls, have spent a lot of time on the East and West Bank where the campus is located, etc. The U is in a safe part of the city called Dinkytown. It's almost all U students there. I wouldn't have any particular safety concerns... yes, robbery happens, yes, sexual assault happens... but it's almost inevitable in a big city/big campus. Minneapolis has its neighborhoods but is safe overall.

tokenadult · 05-13-2008, 09:10 PM

No, the historic red-lined ghetto of Minneapolis is the Near North Side, which is not near campus. THAT is a very high crime area, to this day. The University of Minnesota campus area has reasonable safety and is considered a desirable part of Minneapolis.

draftnik12 · 05-28-2008, 01:37 PM

That's good to hear. I plan on going up there this year for the Michigan - Minnesota football game just to see what the campus is like that I turned down. Who knows? I may be back there in Fall of 2009 if I don't get into my program at UMich. Thanks for all the responses. I got nervous after someone from Minneapolis who went to Indiana said "yeah, the campus is kind of in the ghetto".

tokenadult · 05-28-2008, 02:07 PM

I think you know that Minnesota is building a new football stadium. I'm pretty sure the next Little Brown Jug game will still be at the Metrodome, and then by the following season U of MN football will be in the new stadium on the East Bank campus.

PatienceMN · 05-28-2008, 02:18 PM

The U of M Twin Cities campus (especially the east bank, where the majority of academic programs are located) is a very nice place to be. It is kept extremely clean, lawns are well manicured, and a lot of time and effort goes into upkeep. There are many historic buildings, all well maintenanced, marble benches, and maroon and gold flowers everywhere in the Spring. The first time I visited campus, I stood looking at it in nothing less than amazement. The word "ghetto" is the complete opposite of words that should be used to describe it.

It is not in a crime ridden part of the city, nor does it border one. Really, the only people you ever see around campus are students, professors, and visiting professionals. I did see campus police run some skateboarders off of the mall area one time, because they were scratching the crap out of the marble with the bottoms of their boards. And about once a month I receive a message in my student email regarding a crime, usually something along the lines of a stolen ipod while walking down the street in the middle of the night. It only takes a little common sense to realize that a person shouldn't be alone on a busy street in the city in the middle of the night. All and all, I don't think it could be a safer place if it were in the middle of farmland. Where there are thousands of young adults, there is bound to be a little trouble every now and then. I would say that probably holds true on every college campus. The U of M is no different, no worse.

taebubu · 06-01-2008, 12:26 AM

The ghetto part of Minneapolis is north Minneapolis. The U is not on the north side of the city.

tma2290 · 06-04-2008, 10:31 PM

North Minneapolis is bad and some parts of South Minneapolis can be bad at times. The U of M campus however is perfectly fine.

draftnik12 · 06-13-2008, 12:57 PM

Quote:

I think you know that Minnesota is building a new football stadium. I'm pretty sure the next Little Brown Jug game will still be at the Metrodome, and then by the following season U of MN football will be in the new stadium on the East Bank campus.

I'm really excited about the new stadium. I'll definitely make a trip sometime up there to see it. Either as a student in 2009 or as a guest.

I'm trying to get some buddies to go with me up to the Metrodome this year for the final Brown Jug battle in a while (they don't play the next two years) and I really want to see the campus. I don't know if I can afford it though, thanks to Northworst's monopoly they have on direct flights from Detroit to Minneapolis.

tokenadult · 06-13-2008, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Northworst's monopoly they have on direct flights from Detroit to Minneapolis

That is a tricky issue for travel between Minnesota and Michigan. Road travel is complicated by that big old lake being in the way.

believersmom · 06-16-2008, 11:15 AM

Here are the facts:
UM Police Department, Public Safety, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Make sure to attend the safety presentation for parents during orientation and you will likely get all your questions answered. Plus you can talk directly with the UMN Police.

almisivi · 07-01-2008, 12:07 PM

I visited campus over spring break with my friend and got offered marijuana and crack-cocain. On the bright side, it could have been an undercover police officer.