New Yorkers please advise - current situation

[Anonymous]

Ignore the haters OP. Many cities have recovered slowly from the pandemic and crime is up all over the US. Your question is completely valid! If someone asked the same about DC I would definitely suggest areas to avoid that I wouldn't have been concerned about 2 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son is also at Fordham RH. Are you planning to visit your daughter for parents weekend? Or are you scoping out safer areas for your daughter to explore? Let's commiserate OP.

Hi! We only did Parents Weekend when she was a freshman (she’s a junior now), but we much preferred other times for visiting just bc it’s easier to get into restaurants in Arthur Ave and stuff like that. My typical routine was to take the Vamoose bus up, which drops you off near Penn Station. And then because I love walking, I’d walk from Penn Station to a hotel in Chelsea. I’d do my own thing for a bit, then take Metro North from Grand Central to the Bronx to take her and her friends out for dinner on Arthur Ave. And then on Sunday she’d come down to wherever we were staying and we’d go out to brunch. I’m a huge walker so would cover a lot of this ground at all times of day and night. I actually am going through a divorce and my dad is dying so I just wanted to find a weekend to get away and see her, and have one weekend that feels a little normal, maybe kinda avoid any areas currently overrun with junkies, y’know? You can see the rage that this unleashed. 😜 I’m going to stay in a different neighborhood this time, based on advice above. We love Fordham and I hope you do too!

[Anonymous]

My DH just stayed a few days at the Mandarin off Columbus Circle and took cabs everywhere. He was fine and saw nothing.

https://www.mandarinoriental.com/new-york/manhattan/luxury-hotel?htl=MONYC&kw=MONYC&eng=google&src=local

[Anonymous]

OP, I am a born and bred New Yorker. I live in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn and work on Wall Street in Manhattan. On the weekends my family and I are all over the city. It's fine. I think at one point the subways were sketchy but now that the subway cars are filling up again, things are safe.

If you do come, download the NYC Covid Safe app (I think that's the name) and upload a picture of your vaccine card. Makes it very easy to show the card for entry into restaurants etc. (if you're not vaccinated you can still do outside dining).

[Anonymous]

I’ve always hated the area around penn station and Times Square. Precovid I went up and my train was delayed so I got in at midnight or so, and the walk to my hotel a few blocks from penn station was seriously creepy. There’s just no good foot traffic in that neighborhood that late.

I find “Chelsea” can be sort of a loose definition. When Chelsea got hot in the 90s, a lot of places that aren’t Chelsea proper started saying they were in Chelsea …. Even if they were rather north or Chelsea.

[Anonymous]

Native New Yorker here living in DC. I took a late-arriving Amtrak a couple of times in the past few months and arrived at Penn Station/ Moynihan Trail close to 1am. It is really bad. Lots of junkies and homeless people - didn't see much police down there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looking for advice from anyone *actually living/working in Manhattan right now.* What’s the situation in terms of safest neighborhoods if one were to do a quick weekend trip? Before the pandemic I always stayed in Chelsea or the Flatiron near Madison Square Park. Any first hand experience with what is going on in those areas right now? The open-air drug situation in Chelsea sounds pretty scary - is this overblown? What’s currently the best bet in terms of a NYC (Manhattan) neighborhood for a reasonably safe and fun weekend right now? Just looking to walk, shop, and eat.

Are you really worried about staying in Chelsea? Youre a total loser. Stay out of NYC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking for advice from anyone *actually living/working in Manhattan right now.* What’s the situation in terms of safest neighborhoods if one were to do a quick weekend trip? Before the pandemic I always stayed in Chelsea or the Flatiron near Madison Square Park. Any first hand experience with what is going on in those areas right now? The open-air drug situation in Chelsea sounds pretty scary - is this overblown? What’s currently the best bet in terms of a NYC (Manhattan) neighborhood for a reasonably safe and fun weekend right now? Just looking to walk, shop, and eat.

Are you really worried about staying in Chelsea? Youre a total loser. Stay out of NYC.

You again? Run along now and let the grown-ups talk.

[Anonymous]

I think some of the points here are exxagerated, yet will say that I am trying to be more aware and trying to get my teens to behave similarly. Empty storefronts are not helping.