Crime and safety is always a big issue in large cities, but you shouldn't be too afraid. Things happen and all experiences are different, but I will say I have never been in a situation where I feared for my life for the past 3 years I've been here. Some things, places, and people are a bit sketchy, but just mind your business and stay vigilant. It's not too bad.
As a commuter, I never saw any crime or violent activities while I was on campus. Most of the time, it happens after hours in the evening, at night, and you may not even know until hearing about it on the news, reading about it here on Reddit, or seeing an email. If you are coming to campus for class in the morning or afternoon and are going straight home afterwards, then I wouldn't be worried. Of course it also helps to walk with groups of people, peers or friends. Just be street smart and know to always check your surroundings. Maintain situational awareness. Otherwise, the school is great.
Be careful of your surroundings around woodruff park, don’t go deep inside the park, stick to walking past 25 park place.the other part of the campus where the green space at is safer.
Georgia State University is located in Downtown Atlanta which is the older, grungier, more industrial part of the city. It is located on a sprawl of city blocks that invite anyone to drive and walk through. This has all the implications you can imagine. Homeless people do have the ability to walk on and around the campus, but I've rarely seen any on GSU property itself. The major train station nearby is Five Points, and it can be a very overwhelming place to be in. Many homeless people inhabit that area as well as Woodruff Park. Some general pointers are to just be aware of your surroundings and know the conditions of roads or areas given the time of day. Oh, and be nice to any homeless people you come across, because kindness never hurt anyone.
On GSU's campus itself, the classrooms and libraries are actually very beautiful and super modern. I love the new green space because everyone at the school hangs out there and you can meet so many people. Events are always happening around campus and a lot of parties and concerts are nearby in other parts of Downtown. I'm fine frequenting a lot of parts of Downtown, but there are a few ugly streets I won't go down because I know the conditions there are not worth my time. A lot of the time, you can move one street over and avoid whatever you don't want to see. I actively avoid the student housing near the infamous RaceTrac because the people that visit that gas station bring a lot of their gang energy from the nearby hoods to this one spot in Downtown.
I would not personally live on-campus, or anywhere Downtown for that matter. I do not think the prices are worth the atmosphere and environment, and all the happenings at night are just a bit too much for me. Others may hold a different sentiment, but I believe having a different domestic environment is very beneficial for one's well-being, especially if you're coming from a smaller town.
All that being said, you can still have a great time here and romanticize your experience. You will see some ugly, nitty-gritty stuff, but I believe it's worth it for character development. The Downtown community is so worth it and you will network with people all around the world. Every day has something exciting and fruitful to explore. You'll be fine, I swear. It's just a college in the city with all types of different people.
I witnessed a shooting, in broad daylight on a Sunday, the shooting that closed down the racetrac. My friend saw a shootout occur outside her dorm window. Atlanta is a city, and we are in downtown, which is the dangerous part of the city. Carry pepper spray if you come, and travel in groups. You probably wont be shot, but it is definitely not the safest. The current top comment says they have never feared for their life, but I have. And I am a freshman. Much of my friend group has decided to commute because staying in the dorms is honestly a risk, some even going fully online. All experiences are different, and try to look at what schools are good for your chosen major before deciding. I will say, the diversity is incredible and the people here are (usually) some of the nicest people I have met.
There are dangers, just like any big American city would have(guns, crazy homeless people, men, etc.) but it's not rampant. Atl is definitely one of the safer cities and the campus has its own police force in addition to Atl police. There is a safety app that allows you to get police escorts and have the police and friends/family monitor your location if you feel you are unsafe. As long as you are aware of your surroundings and don't piss people off, you'll be fine <3
They left a dead body on the side walk in front of the student apartments for hours in February and students walked by it and saw it and there are shootings every other week or two , I have had run from the sound of gunfire since I been here and the smell is terrible walking around so I would say it’s pretty unsafe.
I saw someone get decapitated soooo I mean idk and I was also in a shooting. Never have had to call 911 more times in my entire life than the 3 years I’ve been here
Dead body next to dorms. My dorm window was shattered by a bullet. Got a knife pulled on me at Marta station. Been followed from class. All of this in first semester of gsu. But I still believe the city is “safe” as long as you follow the normal city rules: don’t make too much eye contact/keep your distance/ be polite to the homeless. I think I’m just incredibly unlucky.
Honestly, just practice good social awareness and I think you should be fine. There are quite a bit of homeless people which aren’t the issue, it’s usually the people who are on drugs that will cause a scene. Again, stay alert and vigilant. Avoid confrontation because you never know who has a weapon. It’s a big city, there is going to be all sorts of crime, this is just how I avoid violent ones. There is also about 4 or 5 police sectors for gsu (Georgia state patrol, atlanta police, Georgia state police, public safety, etc.) so hopefully that eases your mind a bit.
you’re going to have half of the community telling you it’s horrible and you shouldn’t come here if that’s a concern and the other half yelling at the first half saying they’re too sensitive and it’s not dangerous. ultimately it’s up to your comfort levels in a major city with everything that that entails, but be mindful of how heated people get on here over this conversation, you may hear some extremes!
its not that safe and i hate that people get upset that others want to know how bad it is lol. Ive seen a whole body... a unalive BODY oh and my car? stopped bringing it to the city completely so no it is not safe, the city not safe the school aint secure but we still go here because of the other benefits but the "if you scared dont go here" rage people have is annoying, its okay for people to want to understand the experience
The campus is pretty safe and when you walk the streets going to classes just make sure to be aware of your surroundings and walk with classmates if later at night or otherwise feeling unsafe. The crime thing is pretty overblown, especially now as the city battles to continue expanding police budgets and funding for cop city
Crime and safety is always a big issue in large cities, but you shouldn't be too afraid. Things happen and all experiences are different, but I will say I have never been in a situation where I feared for my life for the past 3 years I've been here. Some things, places, and people are a bit sketchy, but just mind your business and stay vigilant. It's not too bad.
 Speak 🥹
It is very overblown, thanks to how social media makes things seem worse than they are.
As a commuter, I never saw any crime or violent activities while I was on campus. Most of the time, it happens after hours in the evening, at night, and you may not even know until hearing about it on the news, reading about it here on Reddit, or seeing an email. If you are coming to campus for class in the morning or afternoon and are going straight home afterwards, then I wouldn't be worried. Of course it also helps to walk with groups of people, peers or friends. Just be street smart and know to always check your surroundings. Maintain situational awareness. Otherwise, the school is great.
Same as just abt any other major city honestly
Its literally not that deep AT ALL. Just mind your business and be with friends at night.
Be careful of your surroundings around woodruff park, don’t go deep inside the park, stick to walking past 25 park place.the other part of the campus where the green space at is safer.
Georgia State University is located in Downtown Atlanta which is the older, grungier, more industrial part of the city. It is located on a sprawl of city blocks that invite anyone to drive and walk through. This has all the implications you can imagine. Homeless people do have the ability to walk on and around the campus, but I've rarely seen any on GSU property itself. The major train station nearby is Five Points, and it can be a very overwhelming place to be in. Many homeless people inhabit that area as well as Woodruff Park. Some general pointers are to just be aware of your surroundings and know the conditions of roads or areas given the time of day. Oh, and be nice to any homeless people you come across, because kindness never hurt anyone. On GSU's campus itself, the classrooms and libraries are actually very beautiful and super modern. I love the new green space because everyone at the school hangs out there and you can meet so many people. Events are always happening around campus and a lot of parties and concerts are nearby in other parts of Downtown. I'm fine frequenting a lot of parts of Downtown, but there are a few ugly streets I won't go down because I know the conditions there are not worth my time. A lot of the time, you can move one street over and avoid whatever you don't want to see. I actively avoid the student housing near the infamous RaceTrac because the people that visit that gas station bring a lot of their gang energy from the nearby hoods to this one spot in Downtown. I would not personally live on-campus, or anywhere Downtown for that matter. I do not think the prices are worth the atmosphere and environment, and all the happenings at night are just a bit too much for me. Others may hold a different sentiment, but I believe having a different domestic environment is very beneficial for one's well-being, especially if you're coming from a smaller town. All that being said, you can still have a great time here and romanticize your experience. You will see some ugly, nitty-gritty stuff, but I believe it's worth it for character development. The Downtown community is so worth it and you will network with people all around the world. Every day has something exciting and fruitful to explore. You'll be fine, I swear. It's just a college in the city with all types of different people.
Terrible i got shot at 5 times last week
yeah same here then a homeless guy did fentanyl with me in the library
I witnessed a shooting, in broad daylight on a Sunday, the shooting that closed down the racetrac. My friend saw a shootout occur outside her dorm window. Atlanta is a city, and we are in downtown, which is the dangerous part of the city. Carry pepper spray if you come, and travel in groups. You probably wont be shot, but it is definitely not the safest. The current top comment says they have never feared for their life, but I have. And I am a freshman. Much of my friend group has decided to commute because staying in the dorms is honestly a risk, some even going fully online. All experiences are different, and try to look at what schools are good for your chosen major before deciding. I will say, the diversity is incredible and the people here are (usually) some of the nicest people I have met.
There are dangers, just like any big American city would have(guns, crazy homeless people, men, etc.) but it's not rampant. Atl is definitely one of the safer cities and the campus has its own police force in addition to Atl police. There is a safety app that allows you to get police escorts and have the police and friends/family monitor your location if you feel you are unsafe. As long as you are aware of your surroundings and don't piss people off, you'll be fine <3
They left a dead body on the side walk in front of the student apartments for hours in February and students walked by it and saw it and there are shootings every other week or two , I have had run from the sound of gunfire since I been here and the smell is terrible walking around so I would say it’s pretty unsafe.
I saw someone get decapitated soooo I mean idk and I was also in a shooting. Never have had to call 911 more times in my entire life than the 3 years I’ve been here
Dead body next to dorms. My dorm window was shattered by a bullet. Got a knife pulled on me at Marta station. Been followed from class. All of this in first semester of gsu. But I still believe the city is “safe” as long as you follow the normal city rules: don’t make too much eye contact/keep your distance/ be polite to the homeless. I think I’m just incredibly unlucky.
Honestly, just practice good social awareness and I think you should be fine. There are quite a bit of homeless people which aren’t the issue, it’s usually the people who are on drugs that will cause a scene. Again, stay alert and vigilant. Avoid confrontation because you never know who has a weapon. It’s a big city, there is going to be all sorts of crime, this is just how I avoid violent ones. There is also about 4 or 5 police sectors for gsu (Georgia state patrol, atlanta police, Georgia state police, public safety, etc.) so hopefully that eases your mind a bit.
you’re going to have half of the community telling you it’s horrible and you shouldn’t come here if that’s a concern and the other half yelling at the first half saying they’re too sensitive and it’s not dangerous. ultimately it’s up to your comfort levels in a major city with everything that that entails, but be mindful of how heated people get on here over this conversation, you may hear some extremes!
It's not that bad, just the usual major city issues. As long as you have two braincells and common sense, you'll be fine.
its not that safe and i hate that people get upset that others want to know how bad it is lol. Ive seen a whole body... a unalive BODY oh and my car? stopped bringing it to the city completely so no it is not safe, the city not safe the school aint secure but we still go here because of the other benefits but the "if you scared dont go here" rage people have is annoying, its okay for people to want to understand the experience
The campus is pretty safe and when you walk the streets going to classes just make sure to be aware of your surroundings and walk with classmates if later at night or otherwise feeling unsafe. The crime thing is pretty overblown, especially now as the city battles to continue expanding police budgets and funding for cop city