Which Neighborhoods are safer: Stevens Institute of Technology or Rutgers University Busch / New Brunswick Campus

[coolio]

I got accepted to the industrial engineering M.S. programs at both Stevens Institute of Technology (SIT) and Rutgers University (RU), New Brunswick and I am looking to move to be near one of these school. (I assume that most classes at RU would take place at the Busch Campus in Piscataway.)  I want to stay off-campus in a surrounding neighborhood, hopefully within 3 miles of campus.  If I have to go by neighborhoods alone, which universities would offer better personal and home safety?

I am not looking for the cheapest suggestion, as I am willing to pay a bit more for the comfort of safety, or the perceived better safety...  I am always vigilant anyway.  I will have a car, too.  Not sure if house/car break & enter is more prominent some of these neighborhoods over the others?

[avflinsch]

I have been working on the Busch campus for close to 14 years now, and several of my colleagues live close to campus -

The area around the Busch campus is fairly safe, not all that much happens in Piscataway. Downtown New Brunswick and the area around the College Ave campus can get pretty dicey at times.

[St Andrews Lynx]

On 9 March 2017 at 1:34 PM, avflinsch said:

I have been working on the Busch campus for close to 14 years now, and several of my colleagues live close to campus -

The area around the Busch campus is fairly safe, not all that much happens in Piscataway. Downtown New Brunswick and the area around the College Ave campus can get pretty dicey at times.

Though to clarify - the area around College Ave campus is almost 100% fine during the day time; but I'd advise against walking around by yourself after 11pm. However, I figure this is true of most urban areas (especially with a large student population). 

The Piscataway/Highland Park areas are safe. That's where most of the grad students live in any case. 

[fritolay]

I went to Rutgers for undergrad. Busch campus is very safe. I would also suggest looking into Highland Park for apartments/houses. College Ave/downtown New Brunswick is really not that bad as long as you have some street smarts i.e. not walking alone late, avoiding dark desolate areas, stay alert.  

[angesradieux]

I second the HIghland Park suggestion. It's a pretty nice area not too far from campus. Several professors live there. You might also look into East Brunswick. You won't really be able to walk to campus from there, but it's a pretty short drive. That's where we lived when I was little and my parents brought my sister and I to Rutgers' for pretty much everything--daycare, kindergarten, summer camp, and swim lessons--and we attended ag/field day (now renamed to Rutgers day) every year when we lived there. We also went out to eat at the restaurants right off of College Ave campus frequently, so Rutgers was always really easily accessible.

As others have said, you'll also probably be fine living right near College Ave just as long as you use common sense. As an undergrad, I felt perfectly safe walking around the area during the day. Most of the crime reports involved someone walking around alone really late at night. If you're out late, definitely go with a group and stay aware of your surroundings. Other than that, though, you should be fine. However, if you're looking for something quiet and peaceful, I'd stay away from College Ave. There are plenty of bars and restaurants, so you'll probably find an abundance of undergrads out partying. Also, there are a ton of fraternities and sororities on College Ave campus. When they're all having fundraisers, walking down the main strip of the campus can get really annoying really fast, and unfortunately that's the best place to catch a bus to another campus.