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I've been interested in NJ for a while now (if you haven't seen my pervious trhread on the NJ forums) and I seemed to have my eyes on Harrison. Now I've done some research on the forums and heard that it's up and coming and that it's a complete dump- Which is it?
It's all hi-def on google street view, and it seems to be quite an urban charm. It's centralized between The Ironbound (Newark) and JC/Hoboken, plus it has a PATH station. It seems to be calling my name.
I'm assuming the areas around the rail roads/PATH are where people are pulling the "It's a dump" card from. But is the actual town that bad? I heard about a huge shopping/luxury living complex is going up, and it's supposedly a big deal for Harrison's future... I don't care that I'm "close to ugly", as long as I'm not surrounded by it.
I know, yadda yadda yadda. Let me just get down to what I'm looking for.
-I work in downtown Newark
-I'm gay (I know JC/Hoboken/Ironbound seems pretty gay friendly for the most part, more so than Staten Island- my home)
-I'd love to have 15-20 minute access into Manhattan
-My budget is $1,100/mo for a 1bd
-Safety isn't a huge concern, but I'd prefer an area to be relatively safe.
-I'm young (24)
So, I'm asking you, is Harrison a bad choice?
I'm going to try and make a detour through Harrison tomorrow to and from work.
Its in Transition form an old Industrial town to a glitzy Urban Metropolis. Hopefully should be done by 2025ish (whole project) The older Residential part of Harrison is very nice , its well connected into the Transit gird. Harrison even though its across form Newark seems to have a very low crime rate...but then again it borders the nice and decent areas of Newark. The Hi-def was done in Feb 2010 in Harrison and Early spring....there are 5 towns like it in NJ , in Transition form there past.
Harrison would be perfect for you; you'd have the best commute to your job and have the PATH to get to NYC easy. Your price range is just about right too. It's safe.
Harrison's not a dump. It's just not hip, cool, happening or glitzy (yet). It's in transition but still very much an industrial, working class, blue collar town. If you're looking for a certain vibe...like a Hoboken, Montclair, JC, Ironbound, hipster Brooklyn neighborhood vibe...it's NOT Harrison (yet). I think the people calling Harrison a dump are holding it up to their specific hipster standards. Also, Harrison is kind of in the armpit of Rt. 280. Even after all the gentrification and the 'Urban Metropolis' makeover, it's always going to have 280 hanging over it like a black cloud.
Thanks for the responses everyone.
I drove around Harrison today like I said I would and I was please. I wish there wasn't as much gray slush laying around, since that seemed to lessen the appeal. But overall, I liked the vibe of the city. Lots of Portuguese/Spanish folks? It seems like an extension of the Ironbound.
280 is ugly, sure. But like I said, ugly doesn't bother me- As long as the neighborhood is nice, and the location is ideal. I thought Harrisons Main streets were pretty thriving.
What about Kearny? is it better or worst? I prefer the location of Harrison, but Kearny seems doable as well.
Kearny is less grim , and more Residential. Its 2x the size of Harrison and currently has no connection to NYC , although NJT wants to reopen a railway that would run through the Northern section of town.
Harrison is the place to be. I recently visited this town after 20 years of not seeing it. I was very impressed in the way the homes and the businesses are taken care of. There are many updates to property. There is a pride in this town that you can feel. There is an action, a busyness, a feeling of people getting things done. There wasnt a lot of people just hanging around looking for trouble or being unproductive. The government seems to have a tight handle on controliing the quality of life. Being so close to large city with major problems, that is dificult. The infratructure of this town is tremendous: The grand Water front and it's potential,The Path, Red Bull Stadium, 280 access, Harrison Ave going from the Newark business district to the Turnpike, Frank E Rodger Blvd coming down from Bergen County to the Iron Bound. This is from a person that has just recently rediscovered Harrison and I'm impressed by its potential. This is a town with a bright future. And anyone with a dime should invest in it if they know whats good for them. Did the town spend over their heads? Maybe! Will it be the ruin of Harrison? Not a chance! People will stay in a clean safe town that has great infratructure. Falling short on planning doesnt mean you have lack of vision.
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This City has much potential!
