Harlem is Horrible (Harlem)

Member Name: HooSoo

Product:	Harlem
Date:	14/08/00 (96 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: none

Disadvantages: unsafe

When I went to NYC last summer I stayed in Harlem for a week (in Sugarhill Hostel). People had been telling me that Harlem is a notorious area. And yeah I can confirm that with you. The area is dirty. I saw a lot of weird people around that area, hanging around doing nothing but watching people, making you feel uncomfortable. One night, a British girl who stayed in the same hostel came back after midnight and was horrified cause she was followed by 2 guys from the subway station to the hostel. Fortunately the hostel was not very far away from the subway station and nothing serious happened. She felt unsafe so moved out the next day. Another night I heard a gun shot just outside the hostel.
NYC is huge. How to tell whether an area is notorious or not? One American told me this: go to the MacDonald's in that area. If the counter is all 'wrapped up' by bullet-proof glass, straight away you can tell that the area is not particularly safe. There was a MacDonald's like this in Harlem, where I had my breakfast on most mornings during my stay there.

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