<p>I would compare New Haven, and more specifically the area directly around Yale, to Morningside Heights. Not to New York City, mind you, but Morningside Heights. What I mean by that is the immediate surroundings are gentrified and geared towards college students, however a little farther away brings you into more questionable areas. I’ve walked around New Haven at night, that said, I wouldn’t walk around more deserted parts of the city any more than I would walk through East Harlem alone at night. I guess you just need a little city savvy to stay out of harm’s way.
I would say that Columbia and Yale have very similar immediate environs, with the obvious exception of course that Columbia also has all of NYC at its fingertips.</p>