My daughter is moving to Boston for grad school in Sept.  The school is located in Back Bay.  She is looking at sharing an apartment in Kenmore Sq. which would require walking about 10 minutes east on Beacon St to the school.    Would this be a safe walk for a single women walking alone?  I assume in the winter it will be dark when she is walking back.  My knowledge of Boston is limited but I believe that Back Bay is one of the safer areas of Boston.  What about Kenmore Sq.?  It looks like it surrounded by BU building so I assume its fairly well patrolled?  
Thanks

It is safest if she walks with a friend that she makes in Boston. Women walking alone in any city can easily be targeted.

And Mass laws don't allow for any "personal protection" devices other than a whistle, especially on any school/college grounds.

Time of day won't make much of a difference. Just make sure she travels with a friend whenever out and about.

Recent incident not too far from Back Bay.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/boston-juveniles-broad-daylight-beating-woman-race-hairstyle-video

It's definitely safer in Kenmore Square. There are homeless there, but it's also home to thousands of Boston U. and Northeastern students. BU owns most of it. It's mostly dorms and frat/sorority houses and Northeastern owns "the towers". It's also right on the Charles River and a block from Fenway Park.

Parts of Back Bay are safe, but it's also home to one of the city's largest homeless shelters, housing projects, and gangs. I went to college in Back Bay and watched a guy get murdered right at the steps of the Boston PD station there (Area D). He got stabbed about 20 times before enough cops could get out of the station to break up the fight and get to the victim (gang related, about 20 people involved). They'd chased him out of the housing projects about a block away. My college was right across the street, it all happened as I was sitting in a window overlooking the street in front of the police station.

That's my take on it anyway. I grew up in Boston. I also worked as an EMT in Boston and we spent every free minute hanging out in Kenmore Square because all the girls and clubs made it a fun place. We called it Hollywood. We never went out of our way to park the ambulance in Back Bay. But in all fairness, I never really felt unsafe in Back Bay, either. I stayed away from the projects so didn't have any problems. I'm originally from Mattapan so as a native, Back Bay was a walk in the park.

Thanks. It seems like a nice area.  Lots of students roaming the streets.  We are actually in the area this weekend visiting her. We left her apartment after 11 tonight and it seemed fine.

Back Bay is a good, safe neighborhood but any woman needs to know how to be safe in a city.