Feel safe walking alone at night?

A big majority, or 80%, of you do according to a new Gallup poll.

People in the Twin Cities area ranked their communities the safest of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. Other places where residents felt safe: Denver, Raleigh, Boston, Salt Lake City, and Austin.

"Rice Park in St. Paul" photo courtesy of Leo Kim, from his book "St. Paul Serenity"

Memphis ranked the lowest, where 55 percent of poll respondents reported feeling safe walking alone at night. Other cities where residents are more hesitant to venture out: New Orleans, Riverside, Calif, Houston, and Jacksonville, Fla.

In a place that's dark so much of the year, it's a good thing so many of us don't feel like we have to be cooped up inside.

While my colleagues are mocking me for touting the latest "We're number one" story (this is a whole genre for news in Minnesota), feeling like you can walk outside is a huge quality of life indicator.

Do you feel safe in your neighborhood? What makes you feel safe or unsafe?

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