<p>Hi;</p>
<p>I read in “student survival guide in NYC” that it’s better to avoid subway at night time and use buses.
My lecture finish around 9 PM (will be studying at NYU).
Moreover, I’m not sure yet, but I might need to take the North-train. So please, advice if should be safe or not to take subway at this time.</p>
<p>Thanking you.</p>
<p>Seems odd. The subway would be harder for a criminal to escape from after a crime than a bus would be. Or is NY unusual in this respect?</p>
<p>Yes, I agree it’s strange!!</p>
<p>The subway can be very, very dangerous at night, but it all depends. </p>
<p>Are you a boy or girl?
What’s your ethnicity? (it shouldn’t matter, but it does)
Do you have a tall, muscular build?
At what stop are you getting on/off?</p>
<p>You’ll get a feel for what you can and can’t do in the city once you make some friends. Until then, though, it really depends on the stops you’re going to.</p>
<p>Also, you need to have some street smarts. Don’t pull an iPhone/iPad out and play with it–someone will take it if you’re not clutching that thing. Never, ever pull out a laptop on the subway. These kinds of things.</p>
<p>Try to get a car with a lot of people in it late at night. You don’t want to be stuck alone with one other person.</p>
<p>Crimes do happen. NYC residents will tell you their city’s a lot safer than it was 15 years ago, but crimes still happen. There are still muggings and thefts. The best advice I can give is to always keep your wits about you. </p>
<p>(Note: I haven’t lived in NYC since I was a kid, but I currently live right out of DC and much of the same advice applies)</p>
<p>Victory’s questions are pertinent. Have lived in NYC for last 30 years. </p>
<p>NYU is in the village and the subways are generally not barren at that hour. Where are you traveling to ? It makes a big difference as people get on and off the train and not all stops are equally safe in that regard.</p>
<p>In general the busses are safer at night, its true. There’s many more ways for a perp to get away on a subway platform or subway car than on a bus where the driver is within line of sight. Read a book, don’t wear your headphones or zone out as you just need to keep aware of your surroundings.</p>
<p>Metro north or LIRR trains are usually ok at that hour. </p>
<p>IMO the city’s currently not as safe as it was in previous years , just don’t make yourself a target that stands out.</p>
<p>I made it out of grad school at NYU with only 3 incidents on the subway and that was when I lived in Brooklyn, Chelsea and briefly in Harlem. Not too bad, considering.</p>
<p>I lived in and went to school in NYC 30 something years ago, back when crime was much higher than today. I took night classes and many of them would finish at 9pm. I had to ride from downtown Brooklyn through Manhattan back to Queens on the F Train. It was safe back then and I can’t see how it isn’t today if you take Victory’s advice above. Always try to ride in the middle of the train where the conductor is, never on the last car in the back. Living in the city, you will need to be fully alert of your surroundings. Walking down the street, you will need to scan a block or so ahead (or behind you) of you to see what or who is approaching, and to take actions to avoid trouble if you sense something. Develop your NYC attitude persona (watch other New Yorkers and compare them to the out of town tourists in terms of behavior in the subways).</p>
<p>Oh good grief. This thread is ridiculous. The NYC subways are filled with people at 9 pm. You’ll be fine.</p>
<p>That’s really what can be key- how many others are around- and will be, through to your stop. And always remember that being aware matters. “City smarts.”</p>
<p>I get crime alerts from the U a mile away- rather upscale residential area where people might walk their dogs late at night. Nearly always, student issues are roughly 1-4am, one or two kids walking back to the dorms, all their electronics on them. You’ think they’d learn. So, be wise. </p>
<p>In NYC at 9 p.m the subway is absolutely a safe way to travel. Quick, safe, surrounded by people.</p>
<p>Agreed with @MommaJ. Most buses don’t even run overnight! I hate most “survival guides” for NYC because so many of them contain inaccurate, weird, or outdated information.</p>
<p>The subway is absolutely fine at night. 9 pm isn’t even that late; the express trains are still running and there will be tons of people. I have probably ridden the subway at each of the 24 hours of a day (yes, even between 2 and 5 am - several times, actually) and I have NEVER been alone on it. The benefit of living in a city with 8 million people is that someone else is always awake.</p>
<p>I agree that you don’t want to pull out anything large and unnecessary on the subway (like a laptop), but playing on your iPhone or iPad is fine. Just don’t do it while you’re walking around and not paying attention, and keep one eye on your surroundings. People read books or play games on their iPhones and iPads all the time on the train.</p>
<p>Thank you @juillet </p>
<p>The subway should not only be safe at 9 pm, but it will most likely be crowded. Young people today are riding the subway all night long. While I don’t like it when my NYU D starts a story with, “When I was on the L train last night at 2am…”, I do realize that the ridership on some trains going into neighborhoods like Williamsburg or Astoria is quite high far into the night. 9:00 pm is still practically rush hour.</p>
<p>Agreed, I ride the subway all the time at night – and I am a female. I won’t let my son ride the subway past 11 pm on the weekends, but that is for way different reasons that you coming home from class at 9 pm.</p>
<p>NYC is safe – pay attention and be aware of your surrounds. Trust your gut…and don’t be afraid to offend if you are feeling uncomfortable (i.e. move seats, switch cars, etc…). </p>
<p>It can be, personally I’ve never been in danger while riding the NYC subway-just avoid conversation with anyone riding with you and ignore anyone trying to hit on you. Keep to yourself and you should be fine.</p>
<p>Ha, you can talk to non-wierdos. It’s just that some will think you’re weird for doing so.<br>
Btw uskoolfish, my NYU friend goes out for coffee at all hours.</p>