Worst towns in NJ (Newark, Jersey City: transplants, new house, movies)

[manicotti]

Originally Posted by formerNYC

You can NOT bunch South Orange and West Orange with the poor towns of Orange and East Orange. They are completely different. The South and West are beautiful in comparison, the population is completely different (middle and upper middle class to rich folks), and the school system is completely different as well. I just moved to SO, and though the close proximity to the poorer towns is the one drawback to the place, it's quiet and pretty (and 35 minute commute to NYC, which is hard to beat).

Why is being wealthy equated with morals? The wealthy are some of the most morally bankrupt people on the face of the earth. I find more of a problem with someone who spends a fortune on remodeling their bathroom when people are still homeless and going hungry than with people who see selling drugs as the only way out of a terrible and desperate situation.

[manicotti]

Originally Posted by SilkCity0416

It's because NJ is one of the most de facto segregated states in the country, when it comes to class, and sadly race. NJ is like NYC. Either you live in Manhattan or some section of the city that have expericence "gentrification" or you live in the South Bronx. There is hardly any gray areas in between. Major cities such as Newark, have been declining since the 1940s partly because of highways that cut right threw the city. 280 and the Turnpike, broke the fabric of the city. The poor that did lived in cities were pretty much forced to live in housing projects. This caused major tension between the have, and the have-nots. Can anyone say 1967 race riots in Newark? That caused an acceleration of middle-class people, to move to the suburbs. Leaving plenty of people to live in a city with a broken tax base, and no jobs. So, that's pretty much it.

I agree, but people find it much easier to attack people based on race or financial status.

[manicotti]

Originally Posted by Nikon35

Why would you even include Dover?

I believe that they included Dover because someone in this thread felt it okay to make a false statement about how much crime there is in Dover, regardless of the facts. I believe they walked through, saw the poor Hispanic population and felt that translated to crime.

[picsesmauve957]

I have some relatives in New Jersey, personally, I would say anywhere that isn't Atlantic City, Cape May, Hunterdon County, or most of the Jersey countryside is not that great. Newark and Camden are some of the saddest places I've been to, it just makes me cry to see what those people go through. Jersey City isn't too bad for that matter, it has it's bad parts, but like most of Jersey's cities, they're easy to avoid. In particular these "avoidable" areas are also pretty sad. Go to the Hispanic part of Downtown New Brunswick near the train station, really sad.

Other than that, Jersey rocks!

[manicotti]

Originally Posted by HerkJason

To quote a cheesy song, "I've been to many places seen pictures of the rest, but of all the places I can think of I like Jersey Best."

Although many of the cities in New Jersey are filled with crime, most of the state does not live in those cities. I should also note that many of the cities are up and coming; the Newport/Pavonia section of Jersey City is beautiful and was built basically in the last 10 years.

Anyway though, there are a lot of misconceptions about New Jersey. It is not all industrial and disgusting like Exit 14 on the turnpike (although that section does help the economy a great deal). I went to college in Atlanta and couldn't even believe how people from places as underwhelming as Columbia, SC would make fun of New Jersey.

Most of the state is beautiful and has a lot of character. I went to school in Atlanta and believe me you might think of "Gone with the Wind" but 95% of everything in Atlanta is characterless. It is sprawl and strip malls.There's no reason to even go from one suburb to another they are all just the same sprawl. Because New Jersey was settled so early on, many of New Jersey's towns and cities have history, character and historical downtowns. I don't know anywhere that has so much of this other than maybe parts of New England. For such a small state, New Jersey is tremendously varied. Yes there are condos, strip malls, and office buildings, but much more than most places there is a sense of place. There are mountain towns in Sussex such as Vernon, varied Jersey Shore towns such as Spring Lake, Cape May, Stone Harbor, Ocean Grove and Barnegat Lighthouse, quite rugged towns near the pinelands, beautiful horse country areas such as Bernardsville, Bedminster and Far Hills (yes New Jersey has more horses than even Kentucky).

Even most of the Philadelphia and New York suburbs have character. How many suburbs in the nation are as unique architectually as Westfield or or Mountain Lakes or Haddonfield, Princeton or Ridgewood or Summit? I have been from here my entire life and I enjoy just driving up and down the 3 digit county roads and I am amazed at what I always find off the beaten track. Such tremendous varied places and interesting mom and pop businesses. I've driven around other states such as Georgia, Florida, Indiana there is nothing to see off the beaten track in most of those states in comparison.

In New Jersey you are near so much: skiing, the shore, 2 world class cities and most of the state is nice, varied and has a sense of character, I don't see what is so horrible about it other than the high cost of living. Even this though is misleading since salaries are the highest in the nation. If you are a non-believer of how beautiful and varied NJ can be look at these pictures:

dbeards3's photos and albums on webshots

Jason

I agree with you. Another fact I find amazingly ignorant is the fact that these people are forced into these cities. Whenever low-cost housing is considered, it is generally pushed into an area that is terribly poor and has no jobs. Does anyone consider that if low-cost housing was allowed everywhere, maybe these people would have a chance to better themselves? It is very difficult to better oneself when the only opportunities for employment are the movie theater and the corner drug-dealer. I wish people would stop complaining about a problem that they make worse by their refusal to have housing that gives people a chance in an area where there is money to be made.

[manicotti]

Originally Posted by CrazyHands

We all forgot about Passaic. Wouldn't drive through there on a weekend morning nevermind at night (did that accidently once).

I have walked through there on many a weekend morning. I had no problem. Do some people have the practice of starting with the locals or what? If you go through an area looking like a sheep or a person who does not like the locals, you are very apt to anger someone. I have been through many supposedly bad cities in the entire country and have not been bothered once. On the other hand, I have been bothered many times in the so-called nice areas in this country. I have been accepted far more by the poor and the inhabitants of these ghettos than by the wonderful, morally bankrupt rich who create many of these ghettos with their not in my neighborhood attitude.

[picsesmauve957]

Originally Posted by CrazyHands

We all forgot about Passaic. Wouldn't drive through there on a weekend morning nevermind at night (did that accidently once).

One of my friend's lives in Passiac, I totally agree with you.

[Suzie B]

Camden, Trenton and Newark would have to build me an inpenetrable bubble to get me to move my family there.

[JennyOnTheMove]

Originally Posted by Jupiter10

Worst towns on my list would be:

Lodi, Garfield, Paterson, Elmwood Park, South Hackensack and Saddle Brook.

Oh COME ON! I bet you are a Paramus resident, to say something like that. How can you compare Lodi, Garfield, Elmwood Park and Saddle Brook, even South Hackensack, to PATERSON? These towns you have mentioned are by NO MEANS the worst in NJ. You're dreaming. You need to get out more. Houses in Saddle Brook, Lodi, Elmwood Park, go up to $600k Why would anyone pay that much to live in a "Bad Town" - I live in Elmwood Park now, and while its NOT the greatest town in the world, it is DEFINITELY not even CLOSE to towns like Passaic, Paterson, Atlantic City, Vineland, Deptford, Newark, etc. I'm only living here until my husband finishes his 1 year assignment here and we are moving on, as we always do. You must be a Bergen County snob. Saddle Brook? What the hell is wrong with Saddle Brook? It is a perfectly nice place. I mean Lodi and Garfield have always been more 'city-ish' but by NO means are they city. They still have great places like Vitamia brothers homemade Ravioli store, and Viscentini Bros. Deli, and Sorrento restaurant. And the Lodi Modern Bakery. Those are NOT the worst towns in Jersey.

[JennyOnTheMove]

Originally Posted by kungfulou

crappy lodi, saddle brook, garfield, elmwood park.. all of them. CRAP.
I've lived here my whole life and my wife and I are moving next month to Montague. I can't wait to get out of this hell hole.

You've got to be kidding me.....While these towns are not the idyllic Saddle Rivers and Westwoods of Bergen County, they are certainly NOT cesspools. Yes, they are FILLED with immigrants, but with NJ, expect the illegal immigrants, and the legal ones to follow you to Montague as well. That could only be the reason you're saying they are cesspools. These are NOT bad areas, not at ALL. Newark, Irvington, Paterson, Passaic, Camden, Trenton, even downtown Hackensack, yes, those are bad. I wouldn't live in downtown Hackensack. I would, and did live in the Fairmount section of Hackensack. I think you're just grumpy.