I work remotely, so I’m not in the city as much these days. In the first year or so following the peak of the pandemic, there seemed to be more unsavory characters floating around, which was made more obvious by how many people moved out the city. Since then, however, it seems to have returned to relative normal. I haven’t checked the stats recently, but when I go into the city, it feels much like it did pre-pandemic. There’s all this talk about roving bands of migrants and homeless people, but I haven’t seen any of that. Still, New York has always had its share of mentally unstable people (not implying that about homeless and migrants), but they’re almost always harmless. I asked my wife what she thinks since she goes into the city for work more than I do. She seems to have a less charitable perspective. She thinks there are noticeably more unsavory types, though she agrees it’s gotten better.

I personally believe you’ll be fine, but, like any major urban center, you don’t want to veer into the wrong neighborhood or find yourself in a remote area after dark. Most of Manhattan is in plain view, though. Anyway, hope that helps. Feel free to email me if you have other questions: pdandreu@gmail.com. P.S. I highly recommend reconsidering Uber or some other ride app. It’s the easiest way to get around. Also recommend the subway. It can seem intimidating but it’s easy to get a handle on.