chandler, most people in Philadelphia (even most people outside of Center City) have no desire to rob or murder anyone. With you being generally unfamiliar with the culture and this city I would recommend not traveling alone to places where there aren't lots of people - on campus, off campus, Center City - anywhere at anytime except business hours. This doesn't mean Philadelphia is like the Thunderdome (despite what some folks here seem to believe) but it reduces your already relatively low risk of becoming the reason behind one of Phillyblog's famous "I Heard Sirens Last Night!" threads.

And ignore the Chicken Littles. I've lived in one of those "red zones" from zur's map my entire life and haven't been killed yet. Minding one's own business and not engaging in crime tends to reduce one's risk in those areas.

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