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I don't see Jersey City and Newark merging...they're not particularly close together or cohesive geographically, and historically oriented in different directions. However, I would love to see Jersey City annex the Gold Coast and Newark annex the Oranges, Maplewood, Irvington, Bloomfield, Kearny, Harrison, Montclair, and the other towns in that area. You'd have two cities of over a half million at least, with numerous affluent areas and lower income areas. More public transit is needed. At least an enlarged Jersey City would have the HBLR, but Newark still has only the one subway line and whatever NJ Transit heavy rail trains that pass through the region. A light rail web linking the various neighborhoods of Greater Newark would help build a much better city.
I was reading an article a few days ago about the possible relocation of a baseball team to Portland, which has an urban population of about 500,000, while St. Louis has a population in the 300's. If either of our major cities incorporated more widely, they'd easily rank in the top 30. When it comes to cities in NJ, thinking small and readily accepting being in New York's shadow has left us with second tier cities.
To unleash the potential of Newark and even JC the state must invest in a fairly massive public transit project aimed at connecting downtown with the rest of the city/near by suburbs!
Imagine a smaller pool of taxpayer cash to divide among the political bottom feeders and their supporters.
That would never fly.
It would, however, statistically reduce the almost daily murders in Newark as it would now be a larger pool from which to create statistical conclusions.
Hows that 100 million $$ zuckerberg gave newarks edu?
Hows that grocery store CB bought in to end the murders and crime in Newark?
Elizabeth and Newark should merge since many criminals hid there when they commit crimes in Newark they are so close together they should become one town so the police can have greater jurisdiction over these 2 crime ridden cities.
To unleash the potential of Newark and even JC the state must invest in a fairly massive public transit project aimed at connecting downtown with the rest of the city/near by suburbs!
There's already a ton of public transit going to Newark from the suburbs. It's just so many of us would rather not go there.
Imagine a smaller pool of taxpayer cash to divide among the political bottom feeders and their supporters.
That would never fly.
It would, however, statistically reduce the almost daily murders in Newark as it would now be a larger pool from which to create statistical conclusions.
Hows that 100 million $$ zuckerberg gave newarks edu?
Hows that grocery store CB bought in to end the murders and crime in Newark?
Who knew a grocery store commanded such power and ability?!!
I think every city along the in the new york metro area should be one city. Whatever the path and the njtransit light rail reach should become one city. Newark already has an international airport. THere's ports and financial centers. There's also plenty of university. Just need to get crime down first. Order from chaos!
Yeah, not going to happen. Newark's annexing days are over, much to the relief of those in the Oranges, Maplewood, Bloomfied, Kearny, Harrison, Montclair, and the other towns in that area (not sure about Irvington).
Maybe to some psychological degree but definitely not in a property tax relief... being in the city limits would raise maplewoods crime rate at all i can tell you by how the cities are set up
I go to montclair to grocery shop at whole foods.
My child is going great be delivered in mountain side in Glen ridge
The obgyn is in Maplewood I work in westside
My landlord makes me go to south orange to pay every month
I go to school in university heights..
I eat in the iron bound but might walk to tops diner for a late night..
It's already one city... NONE of THESE ARE MORE THAN 5MILES FROM HOME
I just googled this topic and stumbled into this thread but as a native this idea to me -- despite the logistics -- is one that should be on the radar in the next 20 years. Other cities outside of the home rule northeast have already figured this out. Places like Louisville and Denver have rapidly annexed and merged themselves into consolidated county/cities and have managed many benefits out of doing so. Jersey corrupt politics don't necessarily lend themselves to this kind of collaboration and obviously the state's government structure has resisted any attempts anywhere of consolidation.
But this would be a win-win for both communities. As for what county? Again, a consolidated city/county would solve the problem. The naming would probably irk Newarkers who see themselves distinct from Jersey City and vice-versa, but Brooklyn manages just fine as part of the greater New York City. I don't think you have to call it anything other that New Jersey City, NJ. Affixing the "New" part of Newark.
It'd be a very future oriented move, because when gentrification has taken all it can of New York City, a better governed (ha) and consolidated city in NJ with strong investment will probably make both Essex and Hudson county politicians want to be back on the train of being part of the big city, rather than eschewing it.
I realize again the racial politics of this would probably make this a non-starter, beyond any of the associated "jersey reasons" but...if leaders were to get themselves out of the tri-state area and could study what's been done prosperously in other parts of the country that lack much of what the Northern Jersey has in benefits, they'd realize how amazing a collaboration this could be not just for the urban core of New Jersey, but the entire state. New Jersey obviously doesn't have a "major city" of its own, just fragments of whatever New York and Philly to a lesser extent throw back into the water.
The merged towns and the surrounding areas (Newark borders 12 other towns besides JC) would be about the size of Boston square mileage wise, which is really oozing with possibilities.
It's a pipe dream, but I love the idea from a "visionary" perspective.
From a crime perspective, all one has to do is look at Brooklyn to see how a place can change somewhat dramatically. Newark and the towns like it have suffered largely from urban policy and rapid flight of capital from the urban core. Meld that with opportunistic, messianic leadership that didn't just start when the blacks took over -- machine politics are a jersey staple -- and you have a recipe for disaster. What other cities are experiencing in growth, Newark won't get because there aren't generations of kids who grow up going to the big city hoping to make it into something. Newark doesn't capture anybody's imagination unless they are very old and can remember her former glory.
Something dramatic would have to change to make it work and it's not going to be some technocrat who brings in a bunch of New Yorkers to run everything. You have to have investment and give people reasons to want to be someplace. We can blame the people running the city all day for their incompetence, but remember that places like Bridgewater and many of the gilded suburbs of Essex County and beyond contain much of the plunder that used to be in Newark until people decided they'd had enough of the city.
Jersey is an odd place for a lot of reasons, but it's provincialism has always been the reason it's been behind Philly and NYC.
To unleash the potential of Newark and even JC the state must invest in a fairly massive public transit project aimed at connecting downtown with the rest of the city/near by suburbs!
The pols and their hangeron in each town, that feed off the bales of taxpayer money directed to help these needy cities will be loathe to share their profits. If they, and gang drug territory can be appropriately divided it just might work.
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