Harlem is Safe for Tourists? Nigga, please!

You can't state the obvious without being racist.

HARLEM IS DANGEROUS.

It's more dangerous than other, WHITER areas of the city. Especially for a female tourist.

Proof? Oh, how about THIS:

Is this German woman stupid? No. She is not.

She's not any more stupid than a tourist who visits some city in England that has a "NO GO" zone because it's been taken over by Muslims. Or Poles. Or Chavs.

Is there a tour guide to England that will admit, "there are unsafe parts of town"? Hell no. They'll tell you quite happily, to go to see where Jack the Ripper wielded his knife. YOU might get a similar surprise.

All over the CIVILIZED world there are UNCIVILIZED AREAS, thanks to MINORITIES usually.

You can't say so. A tour guide will worn you if you're going to Syria or Brazil or some other place where bombs could land on you, or there are red light districts loaded with murderers, drug addicts and maniacs.

But if you're going to Manhattan? Why, of COURSE you'll want to visit wonderful Harlem. It's so HISTORIC.

Will you at least be warned to have a companion with you? HELL NO.

Since any asshole can sublet an apartment or start up a "bed and breakfast," there's little safety for tourists. No doubt this German woman was told that black people are merely the victims of ethnic profiling and stereotyping, and Harlem is VERY safe, and it make sense to stay in a cheap BNB there rather than an expensive midtown hotel.

Christ. I know German tourists who come into the city every year or two, and they know better. They stay in hostels. The last time they were in town, they stayed in one that was about 30 blocks from Harlem. But that's THIRTY BLOCKS away. The odds of miscreants meandering downtown a bit to prey on gullible tourists is less. And this couple travel TOGETHER, so the odds of a truly serious problem like a sexual assault are much less. They know better than to wander around after dark alone, like this unfortunate woman.

It's always a good idea to be in the midst of a crowd (although pickpockets are a problem.) It's outrageous that people who might be given simple reminders about safety, are deliberately NOT told that certain ethnic areas are NO GO and downright DANGEROUS.

This woman was apparently living at some obscure BNB on a side street.

You want to blame the victim? She was out alone after midnight. That's pretty stupid. But, was she told that Harlem was safe and gentrified and she was not in danger? Did she read any popular tour guide for NYC that said "Do NOT trust BNB's and do NOT stay out late alone in Harlem?

Yes, some streets in Harlem are pretty safe and crowded during the DAY. You can get plenty of Nigga Flava-Flav strolling down A hunnid twenny fiff street at noon, glomming the soul food restaurants and the gaudy stores and glimpsing the famous APOLLO. BUT who is gonna tell you to be more careful at night, and on side streets? It sure wasn't the owner of the BNB where this German woman is recovering from a feeding of Harlem Knockwurst.