Really worried about Manchester Metropolitan University's safety .

[Lisa O`Brien]

Just been on the phone to my sister in Manchester, telling her me and my son were going over to visit on 26th, taking in two Universities in Liverpool on the same day.  I told her if he accepts the offer from Man Met, he won't be studying on the main campus on Oxford Road, but on the other new campus called Birley. It is in Hulme. Now Hulme was completely transformed about twenty years ago, with decent housing and I was under the impression it was now a safe area to live and work. Am I wrong about Hulme? She told me she would be worried sick if Sean were to go there to study, as she would be worried for his safety. She told me actual University students mugged a University security guard; people are beaten up, especially students, by the residents of Hulme. She doesn't live anywhere near the area, and I assume is never in it, so I don't know how she can come to these conclusions. Obviously the Campus and accommodation is very secure, with 24/7 security. But is Hulme the area, no better than it was in the Eighties? 

Edited April 11, 2017 by Lisa O`Brien

[alison]

Lisa, I know nothing about the area, but if you go onto the local police force's website I suspect you can find a lot of graphics, maps showing crime locations and so on - unless it's just the Met Police who do this.  Warning: don't get freaked out by the display/frequency of events: it can be very disconcerting to see just how many crimes have been recorded - I looked at my road once, and it appeared to be an absolute hotbed of crime!

[Quintus]

I don't know Hulme, but my son is studying at a Manchester music production college BIMM and lives in nearby Moss Side, the mention of which similarly filled me with horror.  He has to carry expensive kit around and is very much into the club scene, so we were very worried. In the event, despite the area still being pretty grim, resembling a suburb of Kabul, he's had no issues at all so far, but says in Manchester generally you do need to be a bit street savvy around where you go when.  His view is that most violence is related to the binge drinking scene, which is concentrated in a few streets in the city centre. He has also taken precautions in his digs like putting a translucent film over his window so that people outside can't see his valuables.

[Kate_N]

I think you need to be very careful of scare-mongering and rumour. Manchester is a big city & anyone living there, particularly in the more densely-populated areas - needs to have some street awareness. 

 

Parents always ask this sort of question at Open Days - so your sister - or better still the intending student! - should ask about personal safety. Universities take that VERY seriously. But, honestly, scare-mongering doesn't help.

 

(And you might want to take the name of your nephew out of your post - it's could be identifying, and while it's our choice to write about our own lives, maybe it's not your nephew's?.)

[Jacqueline]

I don't know Hulme or Manchester in general, other than what you hear and read about big city crime, regeneration and so on. I think it is a matter of keeping things in perspective. No disrespect to your sister but I would treat what she says with caution as it sounds rather over excited and factually questionable. I have read that Hulme is unrecognisable now, compared to how it used to be, but in any case, city living is very different to the provinces. My first experience was an enormous culture shock and I had to wise up fast, develop street savvy and learn to look after myself. I also had the disadvantage of being in another country, so had to learn the language pretty quickly as well.

There is sure to be plenty of advice available to students, about how to develop common sense and keep safe. An invaluable opportunity for young people having to take real responsibility for themselves perhaps for the first time, to listen and learn from those who really know.

 

[aileen]

If the campus is in Hulme then there should be 'safety in numbers'. You, or better still, the student-to-be could ask this question the Student Room website. As others have said, I think that you and your sister need to keep your worries under control otherwise it will undermine the student-to-be's confidence about going away to study. With the greatest respect to your sister, even though she lives in / near Manchester I wonder whether she really has an accurate perspective on this matter. There is crime in all big cities - and, let's face it, NI is not entirely crime-free, albeit some of the crime is sectarian / politically motivated - and this is something that you just have to factor in to city life.

[Lisa O`Brien]

Thank you all. I asked people on a local Facebook page for their honest opinions. Not a Hulme page but near enough. So far there have been about 24 replies and every one has said what a different area it is compared to what it used to be. Apparently the drugs and the gangs have moved to Wythenshawe [poor Wythenshawe]. They are all saying not only the actual campus and accommodation, but the area as a whole is terrific. One man has driven a black cab around Manchester for 20 years. He said every single day there are students in Hulme using him to go into the city centre [more money than sense? LOL]. He said it is utterly transformed. He told me that many people who work at Media City in Salford live in Hulme. I Googled property. Always a good indication of an area, I think. For instance, when I lived in the Langworthy Estate in Salford you could buy a 2 bed terraced house for four thousand pounds. They couldn't give them away it was such a bad place to live. Anyway, various estate agents call Hulme " Hugely popular" and " Highly sought after". Lovely looking apartments and nice houses. One woman who messaged me on F/Book told me she sends her 11 year old daughter to school very close by the Uni and there was no way she would have allowed her to go there and travel there on her own on the bus if it was anything like it used to be.  I DID think it was a transformed place, TBH. But my sister, saying what she did, naturally made me concerned. Oh and I did wonder why the University would invest £139 million in a new building and accommodation in a "bad" area. I'll phone my sister later and tell her what people have been telling me.

Edited April 12, 2017 by Lisa O`Brien

[Zoe]

I actually went to Manchester Met and lived in Hulme for my first year (2011/12) and can say I never experienced any danger. I lived near to the Asda there so would often walk down on my own and it was perfectly safe. I know they were developing the uni whilst I was there and the new areas were looking great. I wouldn't go out on my own at night, but then again I wouldn't do that in most places!

Don't think there's anything to worry about. There's always bad stories that you hear at university, but you'll find that in any city.

I absolutely loved Manchester