You were all so much less sheltered than I was! We went in as a family many times, and I even almost went to NYU, but I moved to the Bronx at 18 for college & took the subway into Manhattan on my first day, but when I came home for the summer at *19!* my mother still didn't want me going to meet up with my friends in Manhattan. (from Nassau.)

I think 17 is fine as long as she has a phone with her.