The Safest Place In America

[All Seeing Eye]

What's the safest place in America to have a holiday?

I'm considering going on holiday to the states but don't know where the best place might be to go and where might be safer. I mean I don't want to be walking down the wrong part of town in the middle of the night where I might end up likely getting shot and/or mugged if you know what I mean.

I'm not saying that's what happens all the time over there and I'm not saying it would happen to me but I like to be safe than sorry.

Also other than safety where is the best place to see sights? sample some American culture? and where has a mixture of the most things to do?

Would I be better off going to some kind of coastal resort or do any inland cities offer some holiday excitement?

America is a big place, I simply don't know where to begin.

 

[Colonel Green]

IIRC you live in the UK. Your violent crime rates are comparable to those of the US. Limiting your visit to the "safest" parts of the US would be largely meaningless in terms of your personal safety and detrimental to your experience of American culture.

A better question would be: "What parts of your city or state should I avoid at all costs?"

*edit* A coastal resort? I can't think of a better way to AVOID experiencing the local culture. That said, it seems to be all the rage with Brits AND Yanks for some odd reason.

 

[Shikarnov]

What's the safest place in America to have a holiday?

I'm considering going on holiday to the states but don't know where the best place might be to go and where might be safer. I mean I don't want to be walking down the wrong part of town in the middle of the night where I might end up likely getting shot and/or mugged if you know what I mean.

I'm not saying that's what happens all the time over there and I'm not saying it would happen to me but I like to be safe than sorry.

Also other than safety where is the best place to see sights? sample some American culture? and where has a mixture of the most things to do?

Would I be better off going to some kind of coastal resort or do any inland cities offer some holiday excitement?

America is a big place, I simply don't know where to begin.

When are you coming?

I'd say that there is magnificent scenery in update Vermont and New Hampshire, with excellent accommodations and social opportunities at the various Bed and Breakfast locations. But only during the mid-autumn. This time of year, you'd be freezing your arse and trudging through a half meter of snow.

 

[Finn]

This is a naive and lame question. America is a huge place, full of MANY different faith, values and traditation. We have deserts, dense rainforests, grasslands and expanses of barren tundra. We have huge cities, suburbia, farmlands and tiny villages all over the place.

And what are you into? One can't really give you a good recommendation since people have different preferences and persectives. Just go to a city, perhaps plan a short road trip and just go with the flow. Don't dwell on your safety any more than one would in London or Paris....

 

[RJDiogenes]

Also other than safety where is the best place to see sights? sample some American culture? and where has a mixture of the most things to do?

The most things or the most variety of things? There are lots of things to do in any major city. And American Culture encompasses a lot; unless you plan on relocating, you'll only see a small fraction of it. But if you want to see essential Americana, I'd head for the Washington DC area. Aside from having the White House and Congress, there are the Smithsonian museums, including the museum of American History, the Revolutionary War and Civil War monuments, like Jefferson and Lincoln, and the Vietnam Wall. Depending on how long you're staying, you might also be able to head into Virginia and see Monticello, Mount Vernon and/or Colonial Williamsburg..

As for safety, don't worry about it; you'll most likely be safe wherever you go.

 

[Kommander]

Detroit is more safe than any other city in the US.

 

[RoJoHen]

Um, I'd say as long as you avoid dark alleys in the middle of the night, you're probably going to be fine. I don't know anyone who has ever been mugged or shot.

 

[Spot's Meow]

This is a difficult question to answer. No matter where you end up going in the U.S. there's no way you will get the full flavor of the country because there are just so many different areas. I have lived in California all my life and have visited a handful of other states but I know nothing of the culture in the Northeast, South, or Midwest besides what I see on TV. And each of those areas has about a million different subcultures to explore. It's just too much to even begin to contemplate trying to take in in one visit. I say, tell us what some of your preferences are on a vacation, what activities you like to do, whether you like a lot of museums and tourist locations or just relaxing in the sand or whatever - and then maybe we can narrow it down for you a bit.

As for the safety part, you will be safe anywhere you go...there may be specific parts of big cities that aren't hugely safe but those areas would be so miniscule compared to the other safe parts of the country. There's no whole cities or states that are considered unsafe or anything like that. Also, choosing based on safety becomes meaningless anyway because you can be attacked or get in an accident anywhere at any time, even in the safest of areas, no matter what country you are in.

 

[RoJoHen]

Questions like this make me wonder if people really have a clue just how big the USA is.

 

[auntiehill]

America is a big place, I simply don't know where to begin.

What are you interested in? American history? Philadelphia and Boston. Big city theater and shopping? New York and Chicago. The Old West? Arizona, Texas, New Mexico. The movies? Los Angeles. Beaches and tropical temperatures? Florida or Hawaii.

What do you want to do and, even more importantly, how much do you want to spend?

 

[RoJoHen]

Do you like fields? Come to the Midwest!

 

[TheLonelySquire]

What's the safest place in America to have a holiday?

I'm considering going on holiday to the states but don't know where the best place might be to go and where might be safer. I mean I don't want to be walking down the wrong part of town in the middle of the night where I might end up likely getting shot and/or mugged if you know what I mean.

I'm not saying that's what happens all the time over there and I'm not saying it would happen to me but I like to be safe than sorry.

Also other than safety where is the best place to see sights? sample some American culture? and where has a mixture of the most things to do?

Would I be better off going to some kind of coastal resort or do any inland cities offer some holiday excitement?

America is a big place, I simply don't know where to begin.

I'd go in the summertime to New York City. You're close to the beaches in the Hamptons and the Jersay Shore. You can go upstate or up to New England to Boston. It's a nice time of year. Personally I prefer autumn in the same areas though.

 

[nevermore]

Also other than safety where is the best place to see sights? sample some American culture? and where has a mixture of the most things to do?

Most of the sights and culture are not in the safest parts, I'm afraid. I think perhaps you should find somewhere else to visit, because you'd probably just be gunned down right off the plane and stuff, what with us being such a primitive, violent people. You might survive colonial Williamsburg, because they just have muskets there.

 

[USS Triumphant]

Two recommendations:

1. Do the tourist-y thing and go to Orlando, Florida, and hit Disneyworld and Epcot. Not so much of an authentic American experience from one perspective, but from another perspective, NOTHING is as American as the corporate empire that Walt Disney built. There's a bit of American historical stuff in Frontierland, and Epcot has a Nations of the World area around the lake that is like making mini trips to our idea of what 9 other countries are like, plus your own! A LOT of fun - and I highly recommend eating at the Nine Dragons in "China" and the Restaurant Marrakesh in "Morocco". Visit a mall near the park, and maybe visit a Baptist church, and that'd be a decent trip to tell the folks back home about. If you stay in one of the Disneyworld Resorts, it should be pretty safe, too.

2. For a more regular American experience, go stay in the city of Springfield, Missouri. Visit the Bass Pro Shop world headquarters, which is bigger than many malls and includes a large wildlife museum and a zoo. Check out Wild Animal Safari just outside of town, which is a drive-thru park with a lot of (many from North American) animals that you can feed through the window of the car. And Springfield is very close to Branson - close enough to drive over pretty quick (30 minutes), but far enough to be much more reasonable on hotel rates. Branson has a TON of celebrity theatres and shows featuring a lot of American music, mostly Country, plus Silver Dollar City, a theme park owned by Dolly Parton that has some good rides and mostly focuses on Missouri's role as the Gateway to the West in the 1800s - in a much less tourist-y way than a Disney attraction. Between Springfield and Branson are a couple of small towns that you could ride through to see how a lot of rural Americans live, and you might even see some Mennonites driving horse-drawn carriages. Round that off with a trip to one of the mega-churches (there are a few in Branson), a visit to the local Battlefield Mall (it's a historical landmark of a Civil War battle, AND a store-filled commercial hell ), and dining at any of the huge number of excellent Chinese/American buffet restaurants that serve Cashew Chicken, an awesome local dish that is almost entirely NOT Chinese.

If that second option appeals to you, let me know, and I'd be glad to help find you a hotel room in a safe part of Springfield that is on the Branson side, if you'd like. Disney offers packages for the first option.

 

[RoJoHen]

I live in America, and I've never even been to Disneyworld.

 

[Mysterion]

Detroit is more safe than any other city in the US.

Mosty because there ain't hardly anyone there anymore.

The safest place to spend your vaction in the US is: The bunker that VP Dick Cheney spent most of the period from mid-September 2001 to January 2009 in. You probably want to bring a sweater, though.

 

[Trekker4747]

Setting aside some notable exceptions (Compton, Detroit, East St. Louis) you're not likely to visit anywhere in the US that will pose any significant danger to you beyond what you experience in your home town.

The US streets aren't some wild hip-hop gang filled murder scene like in the movies and TV. Hell driving around a town in the day one should get a "good feel" for what is a safe area and what isn't. But for the most part all the more touristy places should be perfectly safe.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Where you go depends on what I would recommend. If you're going on the west coast, I'd recommend Compton. It's exactly what you're looking for. White picket fences, leave it to beaver mothers, warm sunny weather - everything you need. If you're going east, I recommend West Philadelphia. Everybody there is like Will Smith from the Fresh Prince. Sure, they dress kinda funny, but you couldn't meet better people. Plus, it's a good way to see traditional American culture.

My suggestion is to just drive across the country. You can go from one site to the other in a day, so it's no big deal.

 

[RoJoHen]

My suggestion is to just drive across the country. You can go from one site to the other in a day, so it's no big deal.

That's a lot of gas money.

I'm all for roadtrips, but maybe it wouldn't be the best idea for a first time vacation.

 

[Canadave]

My suggestion is to just drive across the country. You can go from one site to the other in a day, so it's no big deal.

And if you want, you can even do Canada in an afternoon! You should probably budget a whole day if you want to make it up to Yellowknife, though.

Oh, and a Google search tells me your destination is Amherst, New York. Have fun!