My son has been accepted to Vanderbilt. The school's reputation is first class but I don't know anything about Nashville. The campus seems to be right in the city. I have heard that a lot of Memphis is a no-go zone, but what about Nashville? Relatively safe as cities go?  

Thank you for any feedback.

My ex-wife earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees at Vandy while we were dating/engaged. From my experience, I would say Vanderbilt is fairly safe, and that the students are more in danger of being victimized by a classmate than someone from outside the school.

While Vandy is right downtown, it is in a fairly affluent area. There are less affluent areas not too far away, but the Vandy and Metro PD's and Vandy security do a pretty good job of patrolling campus and the area around it. I remember hearing about suspicious persons being reported on campus, as well as some violent crimes (robberies and the occasional rape/attempted rape). But, those are fairly infrequent and the school has taken steps to safeguard the student body. For example, the campus is pretty well lit, there are police/security call boxes all over campus, and students can call security for escorts across campus, if they feel the need.

Additionally, from what I saw, the Vandy campus is pretty tight, meaning the students tend to hang out socially with each other. They are frequently, it seems, going places in groups, which lessens the likelihood anybody is going to try to take advantage of them. Also, many of the students live either on campus or very close to it. They're less likely to live in places such as Antioch or Bordeaux-two of the less reputable neighborhoods in the city.

The downside to them spending so much time together is the fact that they can often become too comfortable with each other, often resulting in them lowering their guard, which can result in victimization from those closest to them. Whether it's a roommate stealing from them, a drunken fight at a party, or a case of date rape, there is always the potential for people who spend lots of time together to become predator/prey. One example would be the case of the football player who encouraged his teammates to rape a drunken female.

In short, Vandy, like any other school, has some safety issues; but, they aren't nearly as bad as many other schools. MTSU, in nearby Murfreesboro, for example, has a little bit more of a problem with crime than Vandy does. And I say that as an MTSU alum. Of course, it's much easier for the criminal element from the lower income areas of Memphis, Nashville, and other cities to be accepted to, and afford, MTSU.

My folks taught there for thirty years, and I grew up walking distance from the campus. That part of Nashville is tony and expensive, and his biggest worry would be getting on the shit-list of the Vandy PD.

Safe.

He's most likely to be mugged by overpriced new developments in the area.

Vandy is a good school.

Thank you all very much. You've put a dad's mind more at ease.

Be advised freshmen are not allowed to park on campus. So if he has a car, he'll have to hoof it back & forth at all hours to where ever he parks it.

A small can of bear spray would be a good idea, IMO.

I've heard nothing but good things about Vandy.

Other than the occasional drunk freshman who falls out of one of the dorm towers, I haven't, either.

My former father-in-law remedied the no parking on campus issue for my ex-wife by getting himself a parking space in one of the VUMC parking garages. It's supposed to be for staff only, I guess, but he told them he was Dr. XXXXXXX and that he needed it for when he was in town for business related stuff. He seemingly omitted the fact that while he is a doctor, he's a JD, not an MD. I also watched him use the "Well, I guess I'll have to tell Senator XXXXXXX the bad news." line when he couldn't get a last minute reservation at Mario's and Nick & Rudy's, two of the nicer restaurants which were once open near Vandy.

Edge hill is right next to the Peabody campus, treat it like Somalia.

Gentrification has almost put an end to that, dude..

Yup.

They are tearing down the hood and building white folk stuff.

Nice!

Last time I was thru there I was sung to sleep by small arms fire

Let's not quite get to leaving doors unlocked when we go to bed at night just yet, gentlemen. Edgehill is and remains very much an "inner city" vibrant society. Putting lipstick on a pig might dress it up some, but in the end, it still remains a pig.

And for the record, *I* could care less what color someone is or where they live as long as they hold a job, keep their yards mowed and clean & not rob folks.  

You don't live here anymore, and you're old, so you don't really have a dog in this race, Bob. Things are changing rapidly here in Nashville, and some of us see with our own eyes the changes that are occurring here.

The education is overrated and the campus is overrun by commies and other God haters.   

Welcome to college.

Lulz.

When's the last time you were down there seeing the new posh restaurants and visiting a friends new 3 story home where public housing used to be?

First step to make the area nicer - build a multi million dollar police station on 12th.

The gulch has more or less expanded to wedgewood and will merge with 12th south within a month or two.

For example the old drive through liquor store and check cashing joint on the corner of wedgewood and 12th.....  

Is now a hopping new smoothie king. They build those all over the inner city.

Hold on a minute.  So, you're telling me the liquor store and the check into cash is now gone?! Shit.  Does this "Smoothie King" you speak of put Ripple in their drinks?

Seriously? I worked for MDHA for five years, Cumberland View on 24th & 25th Ave North. Brand spanking new po-po precinct right next door, on 26th Ave North.

During my short tenure there, I personally witnessed two shootings. As in stood right there and watched them happen. Saw untold dice games, drug deals, domestic disputes & fights. This is in broad daylight mind you, not when I was there on a late night call.

Once roll call is over, there's only a handful of cops in that bldg. There's certainly none walking around the local area nor on bike patrol.

While I applaud the cleaning up of urban Nashville, the idea of the hood rats moving along merely because of some renovation is ludicrous. If anything it might appeal to them even more as now they now it's full of hipsters with money and generally weak intestinal fortitude to defend themselves properly.

As to answering your question, I was last there last August. Has it changed? Possibly, perhaps probably. But I still read the police reports on the Metro web site & they seem to show things still get exciting there. Now there might be less gang related activity going on there, I can agree to that. But as for the common hood rat magically disappearing simply because a liquor store (or new apartments got built) goes away? Puh-leeze.  

Respectfully.

Should have seen the map before they cleaned up this part of town  

Sooo, ripple or no ripple?