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Irvington used to be a safe haven from Newark after the riots. Now its a war zone. Its been on a steady decline since around 1980. Some parts aren't as bad as others, but its still not a good place to live. I grew up there and got out around 1982. Finally got my grandparents to move around 5-6 years ago. They lived near the Maplewood border but my grandmother still got mugged once and someone broke into their apartment once through a bathroom window. Just avoid the whole town.
For the OP who is thinking about moving to Irvington by the Hospital, don't. I lived in that area since I was born and have seen this area go to shambles. It is very true that your car will get stolen or broken into. (happened to everyone on my block). You will be car jacked (almost happend to a friend of mine on her way to my house, but she escaped). You will be a victim of a drive by or get randomly shot (my fathers SUV got hit one day on his way home around the block). You will hear gun shots at night (check out union or stuyvesant ave during the summer nights). Your house will get robbed (almost happened to us). You will get held up while working on your car in the driveway (happend to my brother). There is prostitution now in that area (johns park in front of my parents house at night and my father shines a light on them to scare them off). There are too many crack/meth addicts in that area that they will rob your house and steal anything on your property and sell it to someone for drug money (my old schoolmate is one of them). Wait till summer, it gets worse. More people on the streets, gang members hangin' in front of their stoop showing their colors (look at Krotik street during the summer). Kids from Newark/Hillside doubling up on bicycles looking to steal another bike from a lil kid. Your dog will get stolen and used in a dog fight. Trust me, I've seen all of this happen in that area. I lived on Cornell and Chancellor right at the bottom of the hill of the hospital all my life. The day my daughter was born 5 years ago is when I decided to move out of that area. I am very sorry to leave my parents there all alone, but they are moving to my area in the next few months. During the day, Irvington may look normal, but its not. There are drug deals going on at the corners. The city goverment doesn't care. The narcs will roll up on the dealers, but sometimes they have the wrong guy or wont give chase. That area is just like the movies. You can tell who the drug dealers are by the expensive cars they roll in while hanging out at the corner collecting. Luther Wright, the star basketball player from Seton Hall and Utah Jazz lived on Webster street and turned into a crack addict. I am sorry that Irvington is the way it is now. To me, the only decent area of Irvington would be near the Maplewood/Union area (near Dairy Queen). Trust me, if I didn't like you, I would suggest you to buy or move to Irvington. Hope this helps..
ive lived here for 19 years and i live on the side near the hospital and union border. Irvington isnt that bad. Many people have compared it to camden, but it s nowhere near camden and trenton!! the best schools in irvington are chancellor ave school, next to the hopsital and union avenue middle school. But overall, if your coming from another town, i woud put irvington as a last resort. its not that bad, but it would be my last option on my list, not unless it was a place near union or maplewood border. and i no longer go into irvington center, there are just too many bums always asking for change. it drives me crazy. I stay on campus now at school but as soon as i graduate im moving to sc!!!!!
oh and i woudnt put my chid in irvington high!!!!!!!!
trust me, i graduated from there, i wouldnt teach there also!!!!!!!!!!!!
lyricaearth;1449655] My agent told me that upper irvington was a sought after place to live even though the rest of irvington is horrible. Is that true?
where do you people get your information about irvington new jersey.
have you ever been to irvington at all are you feel that way because it is
a black area. and that all we have to do is go around killing each other.
you act like it is the worse place in the world. every where you go is crime. i live in bergen county for 31 years and still did not feel safe. you have drugs every where you go. there are some nice area in irvington where people care.
you have GOT to be kidding me. you think irvington is nice while bergen county is scary? that's the most dubious comment on this entire thread (other than the OP's realtor who claimed that "upper irvington" was nice).
i grew up 5 minutes from arguably the worst part of bergen county - central hackensack, near the intersection of first st & central ave - and believe me, that area was like mayberry compared with irvington. the worst parts of hackensack, fairview, west englewood, or garfield in bergen county are poor-to-working class, but generally not dangerous. there's some drug dealing and the occasional mugging/robbery/shooting, but it's BIG NEWS when it happens in any of those areas - meaning that a major incident happens very infrequently. pretty much anywhere in the rest of the county is super safe, drug- and violence-free, and middle/upper middle/upper class.
but irvington? the town is in shambles, and doesn't appear to be getting any better. i always hear of violent crimes (shootings, stabbings, rapes, carjackings, etc) going on in that town - seriously, those types of major crimes are a regular occurrence in irvington. i wouldn't live there even if you gave me the house for free. it's really sad, b/c it was once a very respectable town, but now it's one of the 5 worst towns in the entire state.
I agree with the fire your realtor sentiment! I grew up next to Irvington. Had friends from there (20+) years ago and it wasn't safe then.
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