how safe is the columbia neighborhood?

[coralfangs]

my friend told me that someone got stabbed to death recently....

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[riceman04]

my friend told me that someone got stabbed to death recently....

😱 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱
My friend told me one of her friend's classmates was raped.

Spanish Harlem is pretty dangerous...real hood living...I'm down...sign me up!!!!

Hablo espanol tambien

 

[riceman04]

my friend told me that someone got stabbed to death recently....

😱 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱
My friend told me one of her friend's classmates was raped.

Spanish Harlem is pretty dangerous...real hood living...I'm down...sign me up!!!!

Hablo espanol tambien

 

[2010MD]

😱 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱
My friend told me one of her friend's classmates was raped.

Spanish Harlem is pretty dangerous...real hood living...I'm down...sign me up!!!!

Hablo espanol tambien

Actually, Spanish Harlem is on the east side of Manhattan, and goes from approx 96th Street to 125th Street. Columbia is in Washington Heights, on 168th Street on the west side, so... not in Spanish Harlem.

If you do a search, the consensus seems to be that Washington Heights is pretty safe. New York is a big city and **** happens, but it can happen in any neighborhood (or any city, for that matter).

 

[LizzyM]

😱 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱
My friend told me one of her friend's classmates was raped.

Spanish Harlem is pretty dangerous...real hood living...I'm down...sign me up!!!!

Hablo espanol tambien

Columbia is not in Spanish Harlem. That area is on the east side of Manhattan roughly between 96th and 125th Streets (near the Mt. Sinai campus).

Every college & university is required by law (Jeanne Clery Act) to publicize 3 years of selected crime statistics; it is often called the Campus Crime and Security Report.

Here's the most recent from Columbia's website (pdf file)
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/publicsafety/crime_report.PDF

 

[CptCrunch]

Columbia's med school is situated in Washington Heights, not Spanish Harlem. Google it for more info. You should be pretty safe as long as you don't wander the streets at night all alone.

 

[coralfangs]

u guys are the best!

 

[riceman04]

Columbia is not in Spanish Harlem. That area is on the east side of Manhattan roughly between 96th and 125th Streets (near the Mt. Sinai campus).

Every college & university is required by law (Jeanne Clery Act) to publicize 3 years of selected crime statistics; it is often called the Campus Crime and Security Report.

Here's the most recent from Columbia's website (pdf file)
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/publicsafety/crime_report.PDF

oh...that's just what someone told me...guess I was wrong

Do you know what the makeup of wash. heights is?

 

[Doc Martins]

oh...that's just what someone told me...guess I was wrong

Do you know what the makeup of wash. heights is?

large population of dominicanos

 

[LizzyM]

Do you know what the makeup of wash. heights is?

Here's the scoop from Columbia's website

The Washington Heights and Inwood Community extends form 155 Street to the Northern tip of the Manhattan Island (from North to South) and is surrounded in the East by the Harlem River and in the West by the Hudson River. The total population of this community as of the 1990 census enumeration was 198,192. Racial/ethnic data show the following distribution: Latino 67%, African-American 11.4%, White non-Latino 18.7%. From 1980 to 1990, a third of all immigrants to Manhattan settled in Washington Heights and Inwood. The neighborhood is now one of the largest points of initial settlement in the eastern U.S.; 78% of all new immigrants to Washington Heights and Inwood in the Last 10 years were Dominicans (the fastest growing ethnic group in New York City). Yet 77% of Latino heads of household immigrated before 1982, suggesting that most new arrivals that enter a household are already partially acculturated. Per capital income in Washington Heights and Inwood is $13,022. White per capita income is $21,333, lower for African-American ($14,558) and much lower for Latinos ($11,174). By most measures, economic disadvantage is much higher in Washington Heights than in New York City as a whole. From 1980 to 1993, the proportion of the population on public assistance rose in New York City from 10.2% to 13.3%. In the same period, it rose form 16.7% to 24.4% in Washington Heights and Inwood. The Washington Heights and Inwood community's age distribution show a high proportion of both young and elderly. The birth rate is about 50% grater in Washington Height and Inwood than New York City. As a result, the pediatric population is about 50% higher than the city average, and 25% higher than the Washington Heights-Inwood average 20 years ago. Fifteen percent of the community residents are people 65 years and over. The average number of residents per household is 2.8%. Housing in Northern Manhattan has a large number of deficiencies and other problems. Ninety two percent of the housing in Washington Heights-Inwood was build prior to 1960. It has the fifth oldest housing stock and 10th highest rate of lead poisoning of the 30 health districts of the city. The area has a higher death rate for homicide in comparison to Manhattan average. The malignant neoplasm and cardiovascular death rate (per 100,00 population) are much higher than the national goals for the year 20000 (neoplasm death rates in Washington Heights and Inwood 181, national goal 130; cardiovascular disease death rates in Washington Heights and Inwood 278, national goal 100).

Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center (CPMC) is the major health care source for the Washington Heights-Inwood Community and the only hospital in the area. The Hospital opened in 1928 and is renowned for its breakthroughs in tertiary care. CPMC has approximately 1,100 beds and is staffed by more then 1,100 attending physicians, 400 residents, and 100 visiting fellows. Each year, the Hospital admits more than 40,000 inpatients and handles close to 750,000 visits to its outpatient clinics, doctor's offices, and emergency room. The Medical Center also functions as a community hospital for the Northern end of Manhattan, which provides a population base for clinical studies. The College of Physician and Surgeons of Columbia University is physically integrated with Presbyterian Hospital, which allows close interaction between researchers and clinicians.

 

[coralfangs]

"The area has a higher death rate for homicide in comparison to Manhattan average."

it doesnt sound too safe.....

 

[Eamonn]

as a NYer and former summer employee of columbia, i can say it's not too bad. walking 10-15 blocks to my car near there, i would sometimes experience bad vibes (stare downs, etc) occasionally. whoever said it is largely dominican is exactly right. typically, walking around you will not hear a word of english. in terms of neighborhoods in NY, sinai's location is slightly more worrisome than columbia's. i have worked at sinai, einstein and columbia so if anyone has any questions about neighborhoods, feel free to ask.

 

[Nakhrewali]

Hey all. I lived in the CUMC neighborhood for 1.5 years while attending the grad school there. Good lord was I excited to move outta Washington Heights! Umm it's definitely not the safest place in the world... there are always signs being put up of people who were mugged on Haven. The sketchier areas are to the west of Broadway though...

Right around Bard is alright. I mean I've lived in bad neighborhoods before...you just gotta be smart! If you're a female, don't walk alone late at night from Hammer. Always call the walk service! They have a car too and if you ask for it, they'll drive you home. Hmmm what else? Ohhh the grocery situation. Get used to ordering from Freshdirect.com and spending a lotta money. Apparently that Gristedes on 169th and Broadway is the last delivery stop and gets all the nasty vegetables and whatnot. I used to go there for non-perishable items only (and beer of course). The neighborhood is indeed largely Dominican. There are a lot of initiatives and research studies that are done and tons of outreach for the communities that live in the Washington Heights-Inwood area that's been going on for years. It's pretty interesting. But yeah, I hated not having any cafes or any good places to eat (Mallecon is a favorite and I love the cheap Italian food at Aquamarina). You definitely do NOT get a Manhattan feel living that far uptown.

I suggest living in Morningside Heights and commuting after the first year. If you can afford it... Best of luck! PM me if you want any more info on the area. 👍

 

[coralfangs]

is w.heights close to brooklyn in terms of public transportation at night (after happy hour)?

 

[sponge]

"The area has a higher death rate for homicide in comparison to Manhattan average."

it doesnt sound too safe.....

Well, there are cities in the US with a higher homicide rate than NYC.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_cities_by_crime_rate
There are certainly worse places to be than Washington Heights... plus, the campus seemed to be pretty safe with everything in close proximity.

 

[riceman04]

Here's the scoop from Columbia's website

The Washington Heights and Inwood Community extends form 155 Street to the Northern tip of the Manhattan Island (from North to South) and is surrounded in the East by the Harlem River and in the West by the Hudson River. The total population of this community as of the 1990 census enumeration was 198,192. Racial/ethnic data show the following distribution: Latino 67%, African-American 11.4%, White non-Latino 18.7%. From 1980 to 1990, a third of all immigrants to Manhattan settled in Washington Heights and Inwood. The neighborhood is now one of the largest points of initial settlement in the eastern U.S.; 78% of all new immigrants to Washington Heights and Inwood in the Last 10 years were Dominicans (the fastest growing ethnic group in New York City). Yet 77% of Latino heads of household immigrated before 1982, suggesting that most new arrivals that enter a household are already partially acculturated. Per capital income in Washington Heights and Inwood is $13,022. White per capita income is $21,333, lower for African-American ($14,558) and much lower for Latinos ($11,174). By most measures, economic disadvantage is much higher in Washington Heights than in New York City as a whole. From 1980 to 1993, the proportion of the population on public assistance rose in New York City from 10.2% to 13.3%. In the same period, it rose form 16.7% to 24.4% in Washington Heights and Inwood. The Washington Heights and Inwood community's age distribution show a high proportion of both young and elderly. The birth rate is about 50% grater in Washington Height and Inwood than New York City. As a result, the pediatric population is about 50% higher than the city average, and 25% higher than the Washington Heights-Inwood average 20 years ago. Fifteen percent of the community residents are people 65 years and over. The average number of residents per household is 2.8%. Housing in Northern Manhattan has a large number of deficiencies and other problems. Ninety two percent of the housing in Washington Heights-Inwood was build prior to 1960. It has the fifth oldest housing stock and 10th highest rate of lead poisoning of the 30 health districts of the city. The area has a higher death rate for homicide in comparison to Manhattan average. The malignant neoplasm and cardiovascular death rate (per 100,00 population) are much higher than the national goals for the year 20000 (neoplasm death rates in Washington Heights and Inwood 181, national goal 130; cardiovascular disease death rates in Washington Heights and Inwood 278, national goal 100).

Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center (CPMC) is the major health care source for the Washington Heights-Inwood Community and the only hospital in the area. The Hospital opened in 1928 and is renowned for its breakthroughs in tertiary care. CPMC has approximately 1,100 beds and is staffed by more then 1,100 attending physicians, 400 residents, and 100 visiting fellows. Each year, the Hospital admits more than 40,000 inpatients and handles close to 750,000 visits to its outpatient clinics, doctor's offices, and emergency room. The Medical Center also functions as a community hospital for the Northern end of Manhattan, which provides a population base for clinical studies. The College of Physician and Surgeons of Columbia University is physically integrated with Presbyterian Hospital, which allows close interaction between researchers and clinicians.

awesome...hey how do you know soooooooooo much about NY...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...you must be an adcomm at a school in NY (well maybe not but I am throwing that out there anyway)?...

 

[riceman04]

"The area has a higher death rate for homicide in comparison to Manhattan average."

it doesnt sound too safe.....

Yeah but isnt that like comparing the homicide rates of Compton, Ca to Beverly Hills, Ca.

 

[LizzyM]

is w.heights close to brooklyn in terms of public transportation at night (after happy hour)?

No. Couldn't be further away... The Bronx is the furthest north in NYC and the only part of NYC that is on the "mainland". Manhattan is immediately south of the Bronx and is a long, relatively narrow island. The west side of Manhattan extends further north than the east side and Morningside Heights is in that furtherest northwestern section. Immediately south of Manhattan is Staten Island. It is a round-ish island. Queens and Brooklyn are on Long Island which is located east of Manhattan Island and extending eastward for over 100 miles. Queens is on the northern side (connected to Manhattan and the Bronx by bridges) and Brooklyn is on the south (connected to Statan Island and Manhattan by bridges). Beyond Queens and Brooklyn are the more suburban and rural sections of Long Island (although the rural is fast disappearing to development) including SUNY - Stony Brook and the rich folks playground "The Hamptons" (as seen on Sex and the City).

Brooklyn to Morningside Heights would be 90-120 minutes by train, I think, if you survived.

 

[n3ur05ur930n]

is w.heights close to brooklyn in terms of public transportation at night (after happy hour)?

Washington Heights is just about the farthest point in Manhattan from Brooklyn. Not even close. It's about an hour to 1.5 hours by subway depending on what time you go and what part of Brooklyn.

I've lived in Washington Heights (163 now, 168 before) since Jan 06 and LOVE IT. I would not want to live anywhere else. It's close to CUMC, safe, and everything up here is cheap. I have a beautiful view of a park and the Hudson River for a fraction of what my friends are paying in rent every month. I am female and I go out very frequently in this neighborhood alone and return home late at night from going out and have never felt unsafe.

 

[MAC12383]

my friend at columbia dental told me a baby was found on the street with its throat slashed. watch out...

 

[heparin]

New York City is the safest big city in America, and ranks 222/240 in crime in cities over 100,000 inhabitants.

Of the 240 cities with a population of 100,000 or more that reported to the FBI, New York City now ranks 222 between Fontana, California and Port St. Lucie, Florida. Out of the nation’s 10 and 25 largest cities, New York City ranked the safest with the fewest overall crimes on the total crime index.

source

http://www.nycvisit.com/content/index.cfm?pagePkey=1610

 

[MrJordan]

I lived in Washington Heights for a couple of years after college. I was a few blocks south of Columbia Pres, but not too far. I was at 158th and Riverside. Like other folks have said, west of Broadway's pretty safe and east of Broadway's less safe. That said, I routinely walked around all parts of my neighborhood at all hours of the day and night. I never felt unsafe (though, I'm a guy). The area I lived in predominantly comprised Dominican families and poor teachers.

On top of that, the area seems to be getting safer every year. During the years I was there (2001-2003), Washington Heights had the single largest property value increase of any zip code in New York City.

Geographically, Washington Heights is a ways from Spanish Harlem and an ENORMOUS trek from Brooklyn. Brooklyn's about as far as you can get and still be in NY. Though you can catch an express train that'll get you through the city in, say 45 minutes.

I'm from small town New Hampshire and always felt fine in Washington Heights. Since moving, I've lived in Boston and San Francisco, and have felt much less safe in both of those cities despite living in more economically vibrant areas.

 

[n3ur05ur930n]

No. Couldn't be further away... The Bronx is the furthest north in NYC and the only part of NYC that is on the "mainland". Manhattan is immediately south of the Bronx and is a long, relatively narrow island. The west side of Manhattan extends further north than the east side and Morningside Heights is in that furtherest northwestern section. Immediately south of Manhattan is Staten Island. It is a round-ish island. Queens and Brooklyn are on Long Island which is located east of Manhattan Island and extending eastward for over 100 miles. Queens is on the northern side (connected to Manhattan and the Bronx by bridges) and Brooklyn is on the south (connected to Statan Island and Manhattan by bridges). Beyond Queens and Brooklyn are the more suburban and rural sections of Long Island (although the rural is fast disappearing to development) including SUNY - Stony Brook and the rich folks playground "The Hamptons" (as seen on Sex and the City).

Brooklyn to Morningside Heights would be 90-120 minutes by train, I think, if you survived.

Morningside Heights is not to be confused with Washington Heights.
The former is the area surrounding the Columbia University campus (116th St). The latter is the area surrounding the Health Sciences Campus (168th St).
Morningside Heights is the area from about 125 down to 110th street on the west side (west of central park).
Washington Heights is the area from about 155 to 181 on the west side (amsterdam to riverside, which is the only side once you get up that far north).

 

[LizzyM]

Morningside Heights is not to be confused with Washington Heights.
The former is the area surrounding the Columbia University campus (116th St). The latter is the area surrounding the Health Sciences Campus (168th St).
Morningside Heights is the area from about 125 down to 110th street on the west side (west of central park).
Washington Heights is the area from about 155 to 181 on the west side (amsterdam to riverside, which is the only side once you get up that far north).

Right you are... a slip of the pen and I"ve got us all 30 blocks out of our way!

 

[wendywellesley]

my friend at columbia dental told me a baby was found on the street with its throat slashed. watch out...

hey, that sounds a lot like our future 'hood.

 

[LizzyM]

my friend at columbia dental told me a baby was found on the street with its throat slashed. watch out...

There was a 10 month old girl who was stabbed in the abdomen in broad daylight on 171st St. & Ft. Washington Ave. while out in her stroller last September. The man who stabbed her was recently found to be unfit to stand trial (mentally ill).

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/407124p-344599c.html

 

[grapeflavorsoda]

i live in bronx. And i am probably the only non-hispanic/black person in the nearest 50 blocks, excluding arabic/asian merchants.

As long as you dont do anything stupid you will be fine.

 

[coralfangs]

thx for the info, guys
ya, i will be headin there for graduate studies in fall (then apply for med afterwards)
so i guess i will stay near the morningside height area
😀