7 Tips for Staying Safe when Moving to a New City ...

One of the easiest and most effective ways to stay safe when moving to a new city is to stay away from bad neighborhoods. You’ll need to find out what these are before you move, and when you do move, make sure you navigate travel options to avoid lingering near them. Just walking one or two blocks past a safe area can lead you into an unsafe neighborhood, so know where unsafe neighborhoods are to avoid scary situations.

Don’t ever leave your house or apartment, along with your car, without locking your door. I know that sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how many people leave their door unlocked while they’re in their apartment. Don’t do this! Even if you live in a nice building, you’re in a new city where anything can happen. Even if you’re driving and don’t think you need to lock your door, do it anyway. You just never know what can happen in a new city where there are new people. Lock your door and keep your peace of mind.

It’s always best to ask locals in your new city about certain safety tips or the areas to avoid. Even if you think you already know them all, established locals can share information you haven't heard yet. This can help you avoid situations you weren’t aware of and prevent trouble you didn’t even know existed.

When walking down the street in a new city, be sure you stay bag smart. What do I mean? Well, for starters, never carry your bag by hand lingering down by your legs and knees. Always, always keep it on your shoulder, zipped and closed, and underneath your arm. It’s much more likely to get snagged by a stranger running down the street mugging people or pick pocketing if you’re dangling it by your cute skirt!

If you’re coming home from a late night out on the town, or taking an early morning jog before the sun comes up, why don’t you consider asking someone to join you? This can help prevent something from happening to you during peak crime opportunities, when it’s dark and you’re alone. Besides, investigating a new city with a person you trust, a new neighbor or a friend that’s with you can make the experience much better anyway!

Another tip is never to carry cash with you. If your debit card or credit card gets stolen, it’s simple enough to report it immediately to the card company, and you can avoid debt that incurs on the card from the crime. However, if you’re carrying cash and it gets stolen, that money is gone forever.

When you move to a city, you’re basically surrounded by new strangers, which isn’t a bad thing. Strangers can eventually turn into friends, but if someone gives you a bad vibe and seems sketchy, it’s best to stay away. This is often your intuition telling you better, and it’s always best to listen to your intuition, no matter what anyone else says about them.

If you’ve recently moved to a new city, these tips can really come in handy, but if you have any others to add to the list, I’d love to hear them as well! How do you stay safe in your city?