parisbound07

how safe is it for a woman (36 yo)to travel to nyc solo? i was suppose to go this march with a couple of friends but now it looks like i might have to go alone. i should also add that this is my first trip, so any advice on where to go, where not to go etc would be greatly appreciated. i plan on going at the end of march for a few days. also, what is the weather like in march?

parisbound07

i should also add that i plan on staying in midtown.

dmlove

NY is very safe. In fact, I believe NY is the safest (in terms of crime statistics) of all the big cities in the country. When we go, with our 20-year old daughter, we often visit friends (in whom she has no interest) and she goes to the movies or shopping on her own. Never a problem.

nytraveler

Well considering that the city is full of women - many as young as 21 or so - living her alone I don't see any problem with a 36 year old woman coming here.

NYC is the safest large city in the country - and I wouldn't hesitate to do anything or go anyplace in tourist areas. Although, I wouldn;t wander down dark alleys near the piers alone at 3 or 4 am.

The subway is perfectly safe - but it you don;t want to ride it late at night (after midnight) a cab is always esy to get. (We do cabs , but just because the trains don;t run that often then.)

As for dining alone, you're fine in almost any restaurant. If you prefer not to sit at a table alone many places - even quite upscale ones - offer simple meals at the bar - and you might even meet someone interesting to talk to.

March is late winter/very early spring - no leaves or many flowers yet. You can get relatively warm weather (50's) but you can get also snow, sleet or rain and temps in the 30's. (Winter so far has been warm with practically no snow.) I would look at the forecast about a week before you arrive to see if you need a heavy winter coat and boots or something midweight and layers. Either way you need good waterproofed walking shoes and a good sturdy folding umbrella.

Where to go depends on your interests. I would NOT stay in Times Square (too tacky, loud and garish, with lots of teen tour groups) - but look at Central Park south, midtown east or the upper wet side.

tchoiniere

Its the same as any other city. You need to be safe and cautious but shouldn't have a problem as long as you are cognizant of your surroundings and stick to the high traffic locations. be wary of the times that you are alone. NYC is one of the more tourist-friendly cities but once you get away from the tourist spots, it can get very shady. You might be better off taking cabs if you are going out at night. During the day, subways shouldn't be an issue.

Top of the Rock
Ferry around Ellis Island
Broadway show
Shopping.

As for weather, it could be an early spring or it could be cold and wet. Where are you traveling from?

bbjj109

I went to NYC by myself in May a couple of years ago and had a great time.
I stayed in Time's Square area (Hilton). The only thing I did different than previous trips there was to take taxis rather than the subway. I'm sure I would be fine in subways alone, especially during the day, but it was just easier to walk to the street and hail a cab.
I took a great walking food tour of Greenwich Village.
Two great advantages of being alone are going to great restaurants that you couldn't normally get a seat in and just eating alone at the bar. You'll almost always sit by someone also alone and have some conversation.
I also took the Sex in the City tour, which was silly, but kind of fun. Would be more fun with a bunch of girlfriends, though.
Also, you can get great seats at B'Way shows when you are a single.
It was one of my greatest weekends ever.

tmenyc

I live in Greenwich Village, just below Union Square, and have for 30 years. My wife and I brought up two daughters here, we've both worked all over town, and love it here. I agree with the earlier comment that it is completely safe, and in my view, safer when you're not in the areas that thrive on tourists, like Times Square. There is no area of Manhattan (and almost no area in Brooklyn, Queens, or the Bronx, or SI) in which I do not feel completely comfortable. I use the subways at least twice daily. The cops are friendly and helpful. great town!

gard

Hi

I think you will be pretty safe when you are in the city and around lots of other people. When it comes to weather you should check out stats on http://www.weatherbase.com

I went there in December last year and here is my trip report with pictures and links http://gardkarlsen.com/NYC_travelogue_2007.htm . I also went there in July 2004 and here is the trip report http://gardkarlsen.com/new_york_city_trip_report.htm . Hope that you can find some useful info there. Get in touch if you have any questions or comments

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

cobbie

bb: How did you find out about the walking food tour of the Village? Was it worth it??

Ryan

The weather can be mixed. Unlikely to be warm, but you never know. We've had a funny winter thus far.

In terms of safety, you always need to be aware of your surroundings. But, the violent crime rates in the areas most freqeunted by tourists is very low.

If you do need to be vigilant, it's in keeping an eye on your purse if shopping or eating. Like other major cities, there are those who prey on tourists not paying attention. But, the NYPD maintains a fairly large presence in most major tourist spots.

nytraveler

Don't know what you mean by NYC being "shady". There are areas with higher crime rates - but fortunately for tourists they tend to be poor residential areas in the outer boroughs - where tourists will not find themselves.

I'm not aware of anyplace "shady" in tourist territory, although naturally in the middle of the night in March the streets won;t be crowded.

speckles

The question I would ask is whether the cabs are safe at night? The city I live in in Australia has had a spate of sexual assaults on young women taking cab rides home late at night. A cab is supposed to be the safe option.

emcash

I've been in New York several times alone and the only place that makes me nervous is times square. Its so congested and crazy and unrelaxing. I avoid it whenever possible. You've gotten some great advice on areas-- there are some beautiful neghborhoods in midtown and around. If you're open to other places to stay, union square is a really fun area and you could walk to soho and the village from there (it's not a "short" walk to soho, but it's do-able.)

NYTravelers advice is spot on, especially aboout dining at the bar-- it's a fun way to meet people too.

Weather is hit or miss, but bring an umbrella that fits in your purse just in case. It will likely be on the cold side but not frigid.

Have a wonderful trip. NYC is anamazing place.

lp_nyc

All the above posters have given you great advice.

Just to temper emcash's statement about Times Square...

Yes, it's crowded and not relaxing, but it is not a dangerous or shady area. But since it is crowded and highly touristed, I would advise paying closer attention to one's purse/backpack/camera.

Personally, I don't love it either, for pretty much the same reasons as emcash, but it doesn't make me nervous for my safety, just annoyed at the crowds in my way when I am in a NY rush to get somewhere.

When I moved to NYC nearly 20 years ago, I would have advised a solo woman traveller to avoid Times Square at night. It was empty and 42nd street was still lined with porn shops and shady people. Today is a completely different story.

And licensed cabs (the yellow ones with medallions on their roof) in NYC are safe. There will always be an exception to the norm (no matter where you are), so use common sense and you should be fine.

emcash

Just to clarify, since i don't think my post needed "tempering", i didn't say Times Square is dangerous, just that i feel nervous there-- one person's opinion. Any place that there are massive crowds of people in which i need to take extra care of my purse, etc isn't one of my favorite areas to be in alone. I don't fear for my actual safety there, just not one of the places i choose to go, alone or otherwise, unless to see a show.

GoTravel

Manhattan is my favorite place to travel solo and I've done it often.

NYC is the safest large city in the US and one of the safest cities in the US.

Weather will be iffy. Cold and rainy or cool and sunny or snow. Take your pick.

Pack clothes prepared for the worst and hope for the best. Wear a pair of rubber soled shoes or boots, wool coat, hat, scarf, and gloves.

I have been on the subways in Midtown after 1AM by myself and not had a problem.

Just act how you would normally act when you are by yourself and you will be fine.

I'm envious!

nytraveler

Well - there may be a rogue cabbie in your town - but in NYC the worst that will happen is they may say something rude if you stiff them on the tip. (The Taxi & Limousine Commission has a bunch of staff that do nothing whip around the city in cabs looking for drivers with issues.) I would never hesitate to take a NYC cab.

321go

parisbound07, I'm sure you've gotten the picture, but let me add my voice to the chorus: I've done solo trips to NYC several times and would do it again in a heartbeat. Take the same sensible precautions you'd take in any large city (mostly keep hold of your handbag and as nytraveler says, don't wander down dark alleys in the middle of the night), and have a great time.

Bluehour

You can definitely do this alone and have a great time. I used to live in NYC and went EVERYWHERE alone. Just don't be shy about looking around you, moving away from people who make you uncomfortable, or not engaging with people who ask "can I ask you a question?"

(If you want directions, just smile and say straight out, "Hi, which way is Broadway?" and people will be happy to point it out. I have even had people walk me to where I'm going if they thought I'd get lost. New Yorkers can be REALLY nice.)

I think, in the stats, NYC is like the 130th most dangerous city in America. So relax.

The wind between the buildings can be ferocious, driving even a light rain or snow under your coat and making an umbrella useless. So definitely have some layers, and treat yourself to coffee often!

I don't know what you like to do/eat, etc., but the NY edition of dailycandy.com throws out some surprising things sometimes, and the Best of New York lists in New York Magazine (which you can view free online) has highlights. New Yorkers eat out a LOT, so a woman eating alone is not a freakshow.

People = safety, so I actually feel safer on the subway than a cab. Tip: in most stations, if you look up, there's a striped wooden bar hanging from the ceiling at the edge of the platform. The subway car with the driver in it will pull up under this striped bar, so that's the safest one on that train.

Areas to stay out of? If you're there just a few days and doing tourist/shopping things in Manhattan, you're not likely to have to worry. As I said, people = safety, so just don't wander too far off the beaten path.

Have a great time.

baysidegirl

I've been solo 3 times to NYC and I have always felt safe except for around Macy's on the Broadway side. Don't ask me why there, and no where else, but I do. I just got a bad feeling. Otherwise I always take cabs, ride the subway and walk the streets. At night I do tend to stick to the streets where there are lots of people and try to look as if I know where I'm going.

I can also recommend the Greenwich food tour. Really interesting and some great food to sample.

Just do the usual tourist things that interest you. I love Central Park and have felt quite safe walking on the major tracks alone during the day.

One thing I wouldn't do again or recommend is the cruise around the whole of Manhattan. It takes up pretty much the whole day and is just not worth it. Your time could be much better spent doing something else.

On my last trip I visited Ellis Island but not the Statue of Liberty. The ferry goes past the statue and you get really good views. I was happy with that as there is very limited access to the statue now. Ellis Island is worth visiting and get the audio guide or join a free tour with the rangers.

What ever you decide you will have a great time. It's an amazing city.