Is Nova Southeastern safe?
Davie, Florida · safety score updated nightly
Yes — it is one of the safer places in the metro to walk around.
VibeLoco rates Nova Southeastern as “Go”.
Gogo's take on Nova Southeastern
“Go. The Nova Southeastern University area in Davie is a peaceful, well-patrolled suburban academic corridor with very low rates of violent crime. Visitors will find a safe environment dominated by college students, faculty, and institutional facilities.”
About the area
Centered around the sprawling Nova Southeastern University and Broward College campuses, this neighborhood is an educational hub in central Broward County. The landscape features modern academic buildings, student housing complexes, and suburban strip malls surrounded by palm trees and waterways.
- College Campus
- Suburban
- Academic Hub
- Car-Dependent
Walking and biking in Nova Southeastern
Walk score: 48/100 · Bike score: 58/100
The campus interior features dedicated bike paths and racks, though broader connectivity to regional greenways like the New River Greenway requires riding along busy suburban multi-lane roads.
Reasons to go, and reasons to think twice
Pros
- Significantly lower violent crime rate compared to county and national averages due to dedicated campus security and town policing
- High educational attainment and stable institutional anchor providing strong economic security
- Well-lit, beautifully landscaped campus grounds with continuous emergency call stations
Cons
- Sprawling suburban footprint requiring a personal vehicle to navigate between shopping plazas and campuses
- Occasional vehicle burglaries and bicycle thefts in student parking lots and apartment complexes
- Heavy commuter traffic congestion along University Drive and SW 30th Street during peak class hours
Homelessness: Visible homelessness is virtually nonexistent on the university campus and extremely minimal in surrounding shopping centers, with no encampments present.
What Nova Southeastern is like at each time of day
- Morning · 5a – 11a
- Active and orderly as students and university staff arrive for classes amidst well-lit crosswalks and campus patrols.
- Afternoon · 11a – 5p
- Bustling with foot traffic between campus quads, study halls, and adjacent dining plazas with no major safety concerns.
- Evening · 5p – 10p
- Quiet and secure across academic areas, though drivers should watch for students crossing multilane arterial roads.
- Late night · 10p – 5a
- Calm and peaceful with minimal pedestrian activity outside of student dorm areas, maintained by active 24-hour campus security.
Transit, parking and getting around
Broward County Transit (BCT) operates local bus routes like Route 2, 9, and 12 along University Drive and College Avenue; there is no direct rail station within walking distance, with the nearest Tri-Rail station located about 7 miles east at Fort Lauderdale Airport station.
Ample parking is available in multi-level campus garages and student lots, though visitors generally must purchase a day pass or pay via mobile app; shopping centers offer abundant free surface parking.
Things to do in Nova Southeastern
- Explore the art exhibits and extensive research collections inside the Alvin Sherman Library
- Attend collegiate athletic events or community wellness activities at the Don Taft University Center
- Stroll the nature trails and boardwalks through the cypress wetlands at nearby Tree Tops Park
Local favorites
- Flashback Diner · Diner · 4.3★ (3200)A retro 24/7 diner serving all-day breakfast, classic burgers, and oversized milkshakes.
- Wings Plus Davie · American Restaurant · 4.5★ (1150)A casual local sports pub known for award-winning wings and a lively student crowd.
- Vienna Wine Bar · European Restaurant · 4.6★ (890)An upscale dining room offering Austrian-inspired European dishes and an extensive wine list.
Scores are safety-driven — recent reported crime and local news plus Census income, poverty, housing, education, household and access data — refreshed nightly. Walk and bike scores are shown separately and do not affect the safety score. A guide, not a guarantee — conditions change street to street.