<p>D is not a USC student but is staying in a friend’s apt (Cardinal Gardens) 12/29-1/2. I am concerned that the place will be completely empty, the security staff will be minimal, and that she will be rather conspicuous as a lone female returning late from dinners, concert, etc.</p>
<p>Parents and experienced USC students: Would you advise your 20 yr old to find another place to stay, or will this setup be ok?</p>
<p>Thanks for your perspective!</p>
<p>DPS is still around and actively patrolling, and CarGar is literally right across the street from campus. Plus it’s gated. She will be fine.</p>
<p>I don’t think being in a USC apartment is the issue, I think the issue is that she will be walking around alone home from dinners, concerts, etc. in the middle of the night - not a good idea for a lone 20-year-old (or any age, really) in any circumstances.</p>
<p>Common sense would suggest that she NOT go walking around alone in the middle of the night, and that she keeps her judgement intact by not overindulging in anything that would compromise it.</p>
<p>My 20 year old lives in an off-campus apartment and has not encountered any problems - but she uses common sense. There are escort services availble - rides home, etc. - through DPS, but that might only be available to USC students. She could call DPS and ask.</p>
<p>Of course is she’s stumbling back drunk at 3AM by herself then all bets are off. But that is true anywhere.</p>
<p>How is she getting back? Bus? Dropped off in a friend’s car?</p>
<p>Hawkwings–I don’t think she’s a stumbling back drunk at 3AM kind of kid in general, and I really don’t think that will be an issue during the time before her other buddies get to town. I think her instinct would be to just hoof it to a nearby restaurant for a bite to eat and that sort of thing.</p>
<p>I’m thinking I should just give her some extra $$$ so that she will feel free to use a cab after dark or if she feels at all uncomfortable walking. Would cabs be readily available in that area? If she wants to go farther afield–say to one of the art museums–would it be pretty easy to grab one in the area around campus?</p>
<p>She’d probably have a better time in Westwood. Just saying :p</p>
<p>lonestarmom, you have an interesting question–in that most SC students are gone for winter break now and the place is really deserted. My S1 has an apartment in Gateway (near CG) where he’s been staying this week and he says it’s a ghost town–no one in the halls or anywhere. Everyone’s gone home, gone to friends’ homes, gone skiing, etc. I’m not sure how comfortable I’d be to have a daughter staying alone in such an abandoned area. If she already knew her way around, that’s one thing, but there are no cabs in L.A. that roam the streets. She’d have to call a cab, wait in a safe place (inside an apartment or in a restaurant), have the cab driver call her cell to come out and so on. </p>
<p>I’m also wondering where she would walk in this area to find a place to eat. Most (all?) of the campus cafes are already closed for the break. The dorms are closed as are the food service areas. There is the University Village shopping center just across McClintock St. from Cardinal Gardens, but it’s more a place to grab a Subway or that sort of thing. Basically, without the thousands of USC kids bustling around there is nowhere I’d want my daughter to hang out alone.</p>
<p>As with most big cities, there is a lot of defensive living skills needed to negotiate a basically deserted area of town. When the kids are there–whole different enchilada.</p>
<p>If she has a car, she can easily drive to livelier areas and have a great time. Shopping at The Grove (about 20-25 minutes by car), or movies and cool places to eat at the new L.A. Live (about 15 minutes by car). Lot of fun things to do around L.A.–but none close to USC when the campus is closed down.</p>
<p>if she’s at CarGar then she can just walk across the street and eat at subway, yoshinoya, and other places in the UV for the next week or so. yeah it may not be the best food but it’s only for a week.</p>
<p>also she likely has friends that went home for break but will be around the LA area. if she hangs out with them i’m sure they would drop her off right in front of CG.</p>
<p>Madbean–you are describing exactly the scenario I was envisioning, based on what I observed during our summertime visit when D was in high school. Maybe we need to rethink the logistics. It will cost more, but perhaps she can arrive the same day as her buddies and perhaps should just stay in the same hotel where they’re staying.</p>
<p>Campus may be empty of students but I know for a fact that DPS is still around and patrolling on full schedules.</p>
<p>As for places to eat, the UV is one choice, and the fast food places and restaurants on Figueroa are still open. There’s also the nice restaurants next to the Radisson of course, but those are pricey. You can also walk across the street from CarGar to the Superior grocery store.</p>
<p>You say your daughter is not a USC student. How familiar is she with the area around campus? Has she ever been in similar settings before?</p>
<p>She is at Yale, which has a setting similar to USC in that there are some sketchy areas right around the campus. I think the difference is that there is more street life in New Haven, and it’s a little easier to grab a cab or a city bus. So as long as one is not out in the wee hours, there are enough people around that things don’t feel so deserted/dangerous.</p>
<p>She has visited the USC campus a few times, but she definitely doesn’t know her way around very well or know what areas to avoid. I kind of gulp hard at the image of her getting a little turned around and then unwittingly wandering away from the apartment area into a less safe area. But then moms always imagine the worst scenarios…</p>
<p>I think my biggest concern is just that the building and the area will be so DESERTED. I feel like she will be so obviously a young woman alone in an apartment where no one is around to hear if she cries out for help. And since she is not a USC student, I don’t think she would be able to call for a security escort and so forth. I know that they would respond to an emergency call, but it’s not their job to babysit a non-USC student.</p>
<p>wow Yale - anyway if shes staying with friends just staying around them all the time - walking in groups, going out together etc will make her a lot safer. Generally my experience in the area hasn’t been too bad - I was on campus during thanksgiving break and walking around at night alone felt pretty safe. There may be a lot of homeless ppl asking for money even in the big streets tho, but I think theyre pretty harmless.</p>
<p>lonestarmom,</p>
<p>My dd is not college age yet, but my sons are. HappyBuddha means well, but his age-appropriate invincible attitude is precisely why I would strongly recommend that your dd stay with her friends at the hotel or wherever they’re staying. As you said, us moms imagine the “worst case scenario” and when I read HappyBuddha’s statement about homeless people being “pretty harmless,” I thought of Elizabeth Smart’s family. Back in college, I had the same exact attitude as HappyBuddha, but as a mom of a daughter in this day and age, I would rather be safe than sorry where she is concerned.</p>
<p>As you’ve said, when school is in, it’s a completely different environment. With the students away on break, you wisely are assessing the situation and advising your dd accordingly.</p>
<p>If she doesn’t know the area then she definitely shouldn’t be walking around alone.</p>
<p>lonestarmom, you mentioned that maybe your daughter can arrive with her friends and stay in the same hotel as them. that would probably be the best option, even if it costs more. safety is priceless</p>