Would it be safe to travel to Romania to visit a friend, and is the border even open to go?

romania is a part of EU now ... why are you so worried?
the border has been open for quite some time ....

this is sth you should have checked out with your friend...

Romania is perfectly fine...there are no more visa requirements (actually that's been the case for a few years now) and petty crime is really no different than any other European country. Really don't worry...as a member of the E.U. Romanian officials no longer resort to passport or border crossing shenanigans which were quite commonplace before the year 2000. Have fun or as we say in Romanian: "petrecere frumoase!"

It is quite safe to travel to Romania, safer in some areas than in others. The biggest problems are pick-pockets and beggars and by taking simple precautions you can avoid both. Pickpockets can be avoided by carrying your backpack in front, a fake wallet in your back pocket and keeping your money in your front pockets. Also when taking taxis be sure to take a legitimate one and set a price before getting in. When dealing with beggars it is probably the hardest because they are mostly children just carry hard candy and give that to them instead. Also beware of scams such as petting the "lucky" lamb to receive it's blessings and then you are asked to pay for this. This is a newer scam that you can just avoid by walking away. Also there are 2 types of trains one is better, cleaner, and faster than the other I am not sure which is which but you can find that out easily. By visiting this travel forum the people are locals or have traveled there and eagerly offer advice. This is where I go alot.
http://forum.virtualtourist.com/

A lot of the younger locals speak english but here is a free website that will help you learn some basics such as greetings and ordering food.
http://www.byki.com/FLSIndPage.pl?Lang=YANL&engine=yahoo!9225&keyword= before+you+know+it&OVRAW=before%20you%20know%20it& OVKEY=before%20you%20know%20it&OVMTC=standard&ysmw a=Z4LZgz2alph1Q8GGtrCw_1Jmb3TuMOCtPXrn-9s5MhzqqcMn8DlD_9shbeUaUqN0

Good luck and enjoy your visit, it is a beautiful country and the people are nice.