It's almost perfectly safe. Bowery is really trendy right now so it's pretty expensive. And, for the most part, it's young professionals and there isn't a ton of crime. There's always a lot of people out, as well, so it's never scary late at night. The only problem with the Bowery is that there is still a little bit of linger from its glory days as the meth / crack capital of Manhattan: there's some riffraff still milling about -- especially around Mars Bar and the Astor Place Starbucks (which I am convinced is the porthole to Hell). Some of my really yuppie friends live there and they've never had a problem, though.
