Is Hato Rey any safe?

Question

Looking at an apartment now that is 475 a month which is a little low. It says " Ideal para estudiantes ".

Answer 1

If you are going to study at University of Puerto Rico, they have apartments near the university and  there are dorms for girls. They are nice, but the streets at nights gets "busy".  In Hato Rey, you may want to check the following areas because they are nice, such as Puerto Nuevo, La Riviera, Metropolitano and San Francisco. San Francisco may be a bit high, but there are apartments near that area which is south of La Riviera. I lived before in Puerto Nuevo and the Upper part by Roosevelt Ave. is nice and down by Pinero Ave too. By Pinero Ave, it is close to University of Puerto Rico. You can check clasificadosonline which is the most widly used classified ads on line in Puerto Rico and it is in Spanish and English. There you can enter the area you want, then rent or buy and the type of place you want apartment, house or what you like, then click and it will  come out with the list of places and many will have photos of the place so you can see.

Answer 2

I have visited the San Juan metro many times and have visited family and friends there.  They have all told me the same thing about Hato Rey......don't go there!!!  



First, it is one thing to go there during the daytime on business, but the nightlife in Puerto Rico is another.  Hato Rey has a reputation of having the worst crime rates in the world.  Yes, even worse then what you hear on television about the Bronx in NYC or SouthCentral LA.   I was told by many that there are more guns in Puerto Rico than in any other state.....or at least the highest per capita (of people with handguns).  If you have been to Puerto Rico please take notice of how many homes have barbed wire and razor wire strung up around their properties.  Not only are these people trying to protect their property from theft, but they are scared for their lives at night.  Break-ins are very popular, and the rough criminal types don't like witnesses.  Yikes!

I have seen quite a lot of high-rise apartment buildings in the Hato Rey district, and have gone there with friends to pick someone up at night.  Notice that even the high rises usually have security guards, and also gates.

If I were you I would look for something in another area.  Cars tend to be expensive in Puerto Rico.  There is a common joke among among the young people there.  Either you have your own apartment with no car, or you own a nice vehicle, but still live with your mother!  LOL!  Many people share apartments.  Also, note that the public transportation in Puerto Rico is very cheap.  I haven't been there in the last two years, but the public bus is only 25 cents!  That's got to be the cheapest that I know of in the free world.

One important note:  in all of my worldly travels I have been reminded of one important saying....."You get what you pay for!"   In other words.....when it seems to good to be true, it isn't.  Especially when I was much younger I tried to find good cheap deals when I traveled.  This was so very true on my first trip to San Juan.  I saw an advertisement on the Internet for a really good deal for a small boutique hotel in the Condado section of San Juan.  I jumped at the opportunity and forwarded a deposit.  Even with all of the nice pictures they had posted on the web, the placed turned out to be a real dump.  And, the worst part was that there was no water pressure.  The water just dripped from the faucet, and I couldn't take a shower for several days.  It also ruined my vacation.

So, you see, if the place you are interested in seems to be a good deal....it probably isn't.  Remeber the first rule of economics is supply and demand.  If the rent is cheap it is because there is no demand for the place.  Nobody else there wants to rent this place and that drives down the price.  Also, and I don't want to sound like a parent here.....but remember that Puerto Rico is in the tropics, and the roaches are bigger than my thumb!  LOL!

Hey!  Good luck to you, and I hope this has message has been helpful.

Answer 3

Must be near the colleges  you can do a map quest and check the area  Hato rey is a Bussiness Banking district...

Answer 4

its a metro area, so its not bad, but there are other areas that are safer than hato rey.