AirBnB Safe Space App
Introduction
Traveling to new places has two sides of a coin. On one hand, it can be the backdrop to life's best memories; on the other, not being familiar with you destination can pose certain dangers. This can be especially true for solo, female travelers, who can be more at risk to harm.
One of the most travel decisions to make is where we stay. With each listing, we can ask ourselves: is it safe?
Sometimes we are lucky to have local family or friends to help guide the process. But what about the rest of us?
My solution to this issue is AirBnB Safe Space.
This is a R Shiny app which allows a user to explore Airbnb listings on a map and any local crime data connected to that specific area. Thanks to this app, a prospective booker is able to maker safer decisions regarding their stay in New York City.
On the left, we have several criteria in the form of drop-downs or sliders to see listings in New York City. Your selection of listings appear on the map on the left. Below, we have the opportunity to see a zip code's year to date reported crimes.
We can further investigate the listings and crime data within the app's tabs:
Analysis
The purpose of this app is to give the user the tools they need to make informed decisions.
In addition to using the app's interactive map and tabular data, below are findings from the data itself.
So, let's go ahead and take a look at some of the analysis.
Airbnb Data
Considering the room type selections?
The overall averge price of a room in Manhattan is $139.11.
The average price of the room types:
- Entire Home/Apt - $230.78
- Private Room - $106.99
- Shared Room - $79.56
The neighborhoods with the highest number of:
-Entire home/apt - East Village, Harlem, Hell's Kitchen, Midtown, Upper East & West Side.
-Private Room - Harlem
Overall, there are far fewer shared and private room to choose from across Manhattan.
What are the most expensive neighborhoods in Manhattan to stay in?
The top 4 neighborhoods are Tribeca, NoHo, Flatiron District, and SoHo.
It is worth noting these four areas are all found in lower westside of Manhattan & close by.
What are the most popular neighborhoods?
The most popular neighborhoods to stay in are East Harlem, Two Bridges, Harlem, Lower East Side.
It is worth noting these are also among some of the cheapest neighborhoods to stay in. (See graph above.)
NYPD Crime Data
An important part of every vacation is safety. In the Shiny app, the user is able to access year to date crime data based on zipcode.
The user can find the zipcode in the selected listing map pop-up or within the 'Explore Listings' tab. Once the zipcode has been selected in the drop-down menu, the graph on the right-hand side will display the total number of criminal reports filed with the NYPD. You can further investigate this information by also searching for the zipcode in the 'Crime Tabular Data' tab.
To get a quick understanding of local crime for booking the Airbnb, below we have crime analysis from this year's crime report.
What are the neighboorhoods with the most reported crimes?
The zipcodes with the most reported activity are found in the following neighborhoods: Lower East Side, Harlem, Midtown West, and Washington Heights.
Interstingly, if we compare this bar chart to the two neighborhood graphs (above), we can see these are on average the most popular and inexpensive places to stay.
What kind of crimes are being reported in these (and other) areas?
The NYPD report has three categories for offenses: Felony, Misdemeanor, and Violation. Felonies represent the largest group of reported criminal incidents and include grand larcency, burglary, robbery, and rape.
While felonies have the total highest amount of reported incidents, the most frequently reported offenses fall within the Violation and Misdemeanor categories.
What areas are have the lowest amount of reported crime?
No NYC area has a perfect record, but these zipcodes These neighborhoods are Roosevelt Island, Battery Park, the Upper West Side, and Fincical District. These areas have under 100 reported incidents so far this year.
What month(s) show a spike in criminal activity?
When planning a trip, the user may want to consider what months have overall higher criminal activity. There is an uptick during the warmer months. It may be worth seeing how these numbers compare to last year's when planning ahead.
Conclusions
Like with any trip, the user has to take into consideration multiple factors. Safer areas with lower criminal activity generally have higher room prices. The most highly rated areas are the cheapest, but also have more reported crime. By using the app and taking this analysis into ocnsideration, the user can make the best decision for their budget and trip expectations.
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