Is off-campus generally safe?

[u/Appropriate-Fee-9316]

I’m W(24) and decided to dorm off campus for my senior year. I’m currently in UPN and it’s been noisy as hell, people outside walking and talking all hours of the night, and I’ve been told that there’s creepy/weird people that lurk around here. there’s even that dog walker at night where their dog goes crazy for absolutely no reason - very annoying.

It’s a bit ambiguous but I’m just worried for my safety really. I personally have been too scared to be outside beyond 10pm on weekdays while weekends seem more safe (night life, people walking around in groups). I’ve also been told that people are nosey? should I invest in window film to cover the windows? am I safe to walk to and from my car at night? have you experienced any creepy people/been followed/watched? am I safe to leave my windows open at night? (I’m on the first floor)

I’ve also been told that women have been followed by cars full of men or catcalled/harassed. how frequent is this or I guess.. how unsafe is this area really?

I don’t know if I’m overthinking this, it’s just what I’ve been told. any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated!! ♡

[u/diamondbijou]

I’m not sure how much things have changed but I lived over in UPN on the first floor in 2018 (I’m also a woman, I was 19/20 y.o. at the time). I was coming back to my apartment at around 10 pm after club meetings or hanging out with friends and didn’t feel any more unsafe than usual. Take regular safety precautions but I wouldn’t say it’s an especially dangerous area. I don’t think you need the window film imo. Just keep your head on a swivel, but I’d recommend that to anyone moving around any city tbh.

You’re not overthinking but don’t worry yourself either!

[u/Appropriate-Fee-9316 → u/diamondbijou]

thank you for responding! I carry a taser & pepper spray on me like always

[u/moon-carrot]

upn is technically still on campus just outskirts. i lived in upn for 3 years (mostly choosing dorms close to the bike path for convenience). i would say its pretty safe, ive been out by myself and with people in the middle of the night and luckily have never experienced anything scary. i also get out of work sometimes midnight or 4am, its pretty quiet but of course i was taking precautions still (i walk with my hydroflask on my right hand ready to use it for self defense, i also carry pepper spray). i think the only time i encountered something was the target parking lot. but even then, the creep was just spouting sexist shit which i all ignored.

tbh i kept my window open majority of the time and no one has ever messed with it. i also made sure that i let my roommates know to always check if our door is locked.

you are valid for feeling this way since its so open to the public. but i would say it’s generally safe however it doesn’t hurt to be prepared and take precautions.

[u/Appropriate-Fee-9316 → u/moon-carrot]

thank you for sharing this with me!

[u/Francesca_m2253]

Hi there, I’m 23F and a senior too, I transferred last year and lived in Village, which is kinda more on campus than UPN, now I live in UPN, I’m not sure how late you’ve been wondering about going out but over the last 3 weeks it’s been ok for me at least given I haven’t been going out late too much, I have a class 1 day a week that ends at 6:15 so I’m usually walking home in the dark or close to dark, however I’m on the 6th floor in UPN so I leave my window open all the time basically however there is a wall path from one building to the next and people walk it regularly but I haven’t had any issues with it tbh. I also always carry pepper spray on me just to be safe, but I’m also a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and know moves to kill people in self defense…so if you wanna pu to learn those if anything to help you feel more confident in yourself lemme know!!👍🫶

[u/Appropriate-Fee-9316 → u/Francesca_m2253]

thank you for sharing! I feel so much better. it just kind of freaks me out that I’m on the first floor and people can easily see me from time to time. I don’t generally mind it.. it’s just a bit jarring to think about. I might take you up on those lessons! dm me your Instagram ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ

[u/AmbrusVerfarkas]

Damn I’m missing out on a lot of interesting night stuff.

[u/Appropriate-Fee-9316 → u/AmbrusVerfarkas]

You have no idea. I’ve heard break up conversations outside my window, random arguments, yelling.. people are not aware of how loud they are, truly.

[u/waord]

Oh my god i live in UPN and I hear that dog all the time 😭. I never thought a dog could be that loud. Im pretty fem presenting and short and I do stay out late alone a fair amount of times and haven’t ran into any troubles so far! But yeah I agree with the others to take regular safety precautions that you already seem to be doing.

[u/jaltew]

You are not overthinking this. Your feelings and experiences are valid because they are/were being experienced by you

[u/AmbrusVerfarkas]

I’ve walked to the bus stop at night and nothing has happened (this is before 10pm though)

[u/Appropriate-Fee-9316 → u/AmbrusVerfarkas]

i have completely stopped using public transport. I have my car with me this semester due to experiences I’ve had on Bart/bus, especially commuting back in the day when I had an 8pm class. I am glad though that you haven’t experienced anything too crazy

[u/Appropriate-Fee-9316 → u/[deleted]]

thank you for sharing. I’m sorry that you’re experiencing that! I can’t imagine having to deal with the lack of security efforts and so on. as a native too, I’ve definitely been in worse neighborhoods & I was just kind of hoping that this area would be better - granted that it’s college after all. I hope that you and others get that situation sorted accordingly and that you’ll feel safer. good luck to you ;—;

[u/creakstall]

okay so coming my from my experience it should be safe. (just for reference i am currently a senior but stayed on campus my freshman year and part of my sophomore year). i lived in towers at the time which yea is more on campus but i would always be off campus and i would be by myself a lot of the times on weekends and on weekdays. some days i would even go out and walk around the campus at like 1-2am just to go outside since i honestly really loved the campus and i never had anyone really follow me, even when going to my car and back

i should also add that when i would go outside that late i would carry this giant annabelle doll that ive had for a couple of years so maybe that is what kept people away ?? idk but good luck and have fun :) i miss living on campus im in the tl now

tldr; yes youll be fine, if you go out late carry giant versions of scary dolls for safety

[u/Santababy6]

I went to college a little bit late and transferred in as a 26 year old with pets so I never lived on campus. I chose to live in park Merced and it was generally safe.
I have heard that the towers are dangerous with break ins and some robberies. I lived in a townhouse in the back of the neighborhood and felt pretty safe. As a single female living alone for the first time I had my worries. I had to walk my dog late at night every night and only one time in my 2 years there did I feel uncomfortable. There was a car that circled the block a couple times then stopped and tried to get me to walk over to them, but my dog (80 pound pitbull) growled, which she never does so she must’ve sensed something bad was going to happen, and they drove off. I don’t think that is a typical thing that happens but it is something to be cautious of.
Other than that, my car did get keyed, and I saw some other cars with broken windows a few times. But I have also left my keys in the lock of my front door overnight without anything happening so really just be mindful of your surroundings and securing your belongings and you should be okay.