I recently moved from outside of US and have been living in JSQ for four months. I read about some crimes in local news but I think that is the thing in most places now. Personally, I have found it safe so far . Someone on this post said Indian Street to McGinley SQ as a safe strip, and I will concur with that. The rent is decent too and you could go for one of the older buildings too if the luxury ones are expensive ( they are !) . I know there are a lot of Facebook groups where people look for room mates , so that could be helpful to you. There are a lot of scammers there so don’t pay a dime before you see the place .