Before I moved to Halifax four years ago I had people constantly telling me how friendly and safe a place it was. I pictured a place I, a then 19-year-old student, would be able to walk around free of fear of being threatened or harassed. I constantly hear smack talk about places like Toronto, saying how dangerous or sketchy it is, when in reality you can walk home late at night on a well maintained, brightly-lit street you can see more than a block in every direction on. I've lived in Halifax's south and now north end and have never felt safe walking home, even with a friend, let alone by myself. My street certainly has lights, but they are all either out, ready to burn out, or covered by overgrown trees. The sidewalks are so dark most of the time I can barely see what's on the ground in front of me. Dozens of my classmates have told stories of how they've been verbally harassed, followed and even chased home in the area. I don't know why the area seems so poorly maintained in that way, but in my mind having well-lit streets should be a priority in a place that has the highest rate of reported sexual assaults in the country. —Just trying to get home