In 2 months I m going to new york with my family, and I like to explore. I might get these names wrong, so please excuse me. But I m sure that the places me and my best friend want to adventure into together is the bronx, queens, harlem and so on. I v seen things on tv and stuff , but I don t always judge from tv , so can i get your opinion on two white english girls going in these places.
There are white people that live in these areas and many of the people I work with commute from the Bronx and Harlem---one is white middle class, the other indian middle class. But, I have to say, most tourists usually just stick around Mahattan---that is where most of the action is. If you travel to the Bronx, you should check out the Bronx zoo I guess. Im sure theres some stuff to do in Queens. But, most of the stuff is in Manhattan anyhow.If you go to the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, etc, maybe take a touristy bus that is going there and don t wander around aimlessly at night. Ive been to some parts of Brooklyn during the day and I was pretty scared at some of the stuff I saw---people were all in the street yelling at each other---no violence, just a lot of poor people who were yelling and carrying on (not saying it wasnt for good reason)
Oh my gosh ! No you should not go out exploring with your girlfriend in these areas, and most of them not even with your parents. http://projects.nytimes.com/crime/homici��Zoom out to the furthest viewThis is a current homicide/murder mapThe nearly solid blue area below The Bronx is Harlem (upper Manhattan) NY Police Dept crime states week to date and year to date.http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/nypd/downlo��
Residential areas are not the safest place if you don t know the area. When i went, during the night people would stare at you from their homes as i walked by, its kinda creepy.
Almost all of Queens is safe. Most parts of the Bronx and Harlem are safe, especially during the day, but some parts are dangerous - the South Bronx and East Harlem have higher crime than the rest. There s really no problem visiting the Bronx Zoo, Yankee Stadium, Harlem s 125th Street area, or the area around Columbia University in Harlem. On the other hand, you really don t want to be wandering around the South Bronx or Harlem aimlessly late at night with no idea where you are going.Tourists visit Harlem for its jazz clubs, soul food and barbecue restaurants, and many sites that are important to black history and culture. Many tourists also visit Harlem s Apollo Theater for live music events, and Harlem churches for Sunday services featuring gospel music. There are specialized tours of Harlem focusing on the Civil Rights movement, the Harlem Renaissance, jazz music, and hip-hop. There s also a part of Harlem where many African immigrants live, and that features African restaurants and stores selling African clothing and music. East Harlem is also known as Spanish Harlem , and was the center of New York s Puerto Rican community, and now also has many immigrants from other parts of Latin America. In East Harlem you find Latin restaurants and clubs featuring salsa dancing.I would recommend visiting Harlem, since it is an important and interesting part of New York that most tourists never see. Just use common sense - don t take photographs of people without asking, don t walk into areas that look like council estates (we call them housing projects), and late at night you should have specific destinations in mind, walk on main streets if possible, and take a taxi if you are unsure.