Is it reasonably safe for a single woman in Washington Heights, NY?

My daughter is going to school in New York, and has an apartment in Washington Heights. She (and me) is not feeling terribly safe. Should she be worried??
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12 Answers

TracyD 2yrs+
Many of my friends who are public school teachers live in the area- it's a lot less expensive than most of Manhattan. No one had problems that I knew of, and I always felt safe when I spent time there.
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nicky9 2yrs+
Just read what Google has to say about the 34th precinct. Also read the Patch on the internet about Washington Heights, and then check youtube.com. You'd be very surprised. Gangs, killings, drugs are as rampant as ever.
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nicky8 2yrs+
No.Not as safe as people would say.
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RubinaHassan 2yrs+
I would not worry about the cat calls. Just keep walking. It is a cultural thing. It happens in Rome(Italy), Madrid, Athens, and India too not just Washington Hts.
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JenMac 2yrs+
Yes, Washington Heights is pretty far up there; and, yes, it is New York City. But, crime can happen anywhere. As long as she exercises common sense, she'll be just fine. The nice thing about nearly every neighborhood in Manhattan is that there are people out pretty much 24 hours a day. She should look into getting mace, though, for the times she may have to walk home from the train late at night. Other than that, she's fine.
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jonc6 2yrs+
I've lived in the neighborhood for almost twenty years and it depends on the block and building. A co-worker who visited her sister in one of the sketchy sections was chased by a group of men. Just the other day I passed a sidewalk memorial with hundreds of candles in memory of a young man who was gunned down at 9pm a few blocks from a busy street. But honestly, there seems to be an uptick in murders and petty crimes in the last year. Check out the statistics on the 34th Police Precinct online to see how crime has risen since last year. Also, packages continue to be stolen from inside buildings at alarming rates, however, the police say these are low level crimes so not much is being done to stop it.
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laurag18 2yrs+
NYC college student here (currently living in Morningside Heights). I’ve been catcalled in every borough. The worst catcalling I’ve experienced was actually in the Herald Square subway station and in East Village. I love Washington Heights (specifically Fort Tyron Park). Catcalling is gross and obnoxious but not at all dangerous. Washington Heights is gorgeous and feels quite a bit more residential than many other parts of the city. Just my two cents :)
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Hello,
I moved to Washington Heights in 2014 and could not be happier...!! As a Real Estate broker,
I have a large apartment and I have a young female roommate (i am in my 50's)
I tell everyone that its a very safe neighborhood. My roommate gets home sometimes very late /early morning..
And you have to be sensible, If you are drinking and it 2 am take a Uber
If young guys start calling you out and hitting on you, just say Thanks...this throws them off their game and next time they will
show you respect....
Its all in how we handle our circumstances...isn't it....? Come on up here and if there is anything I can do to help you get settled, feel free to reach out to me at
646 505 7001 or on my FB wall at Pat McKeon
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BS5 2yrs+
This is such a dated question. NYC is the safest big city in America and Washington Heights is the third safest neighborhood in Manhattan, after the Upper East and West Sides (according to the official NYPD crime stats). Meaning places like the East and West Village, the Lower East Side, and Midtown have more crime than Washington Heights, Washington Heights is a great place to live if you are looking to live on the island of Manhattan. It offers great deals for those who are willing to tack on 15 minutes to their subway commute. It is a poor neighborhood and the streets aren't the cleanest, but residents are very friendly. Great Mexican, Dominican and Ecuadorian restaurants are aplenty. Japanese, Chinese, Indian and Thai places are able to deliver, but are few and far between.
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BS5
BS5 http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/crime-safety-report/ranking
2yrs+
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purplev 2yrs+
I (a 22 at the time year old single woman) moved to Washington Heights (176th and St, Nicholas, then 170th and Amsterdam) in 2008-2010 and while I felt safe, I wasn't exactly happy walking around on the streets there. It's not crime-ridden or anything, and I never got threatened, but I could not step foot outside my door without the lovely cat-calling, both in English and Spanish. And not nice things - there were some very, VERY disgusting things said. I moved to Bushwick once I could FINALLY afford a security deposit, and nothing like that was ever said. Washington Heights is known (from what I've heard) as harassment zone.

Anyway, she may be on a different subway stop, or closer to Inwood, and she won't get as much of that. If she's on 168th on the A/C, near the hospital, she's in a nice place. If it it has changed, great. But don't move east of St. Nicholas, stay the heck west. And don't move near Highbridge Park.

Sorry if I've freaked you out or anything, but she might as well expect it if she's not there yet. She'll be safe, just annoyed.
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sarahschwartz6
sarahschwartz6 Do you know anything about 160th and Amsterdam? I am looking at a place there and unsure about the area...

Thanks.
2yrs+
purplev
purplev I was on 170th and Amsterdam - In general, look west - Amsterdam/Audubon are still kind of sketchy.
2yrs+
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jakesoky 2yrs+
Yes, Washington Heights is notable for its past, but is much safer now. Being a Gramercy native, id say this neighborhood has a great charm
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tammalama 2yrs+
Thank you! I did tell her to buy some mace. :-)
Just a mother from the rural midwest worrying a little.
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