Looking for the nice area of Trenton NJ (Newark, Paterson: relocating, real estate)

[Badfish740]

In the top 25 you also have Camden, NJ, Baltimore MD, Washington, D.C., Newark, NJ, and Orlando, FL. Funny, I've been to concerts at Camden many times, my fiancee and I took a long weekend in the Inner Harbor in Baltimore two weeks ago, I go to D.C. quite frequently for work, I've been to the Ironbound in Newark many times, and I think we've all been to Disney World

The point is there are good and bad areas of every city in the United States. Would I venture far outside of the Inner Harbor at night? No. Would I walk around Southeast D.C. at night? Absolutely not. In the same token, while I like to go to De Lorenzo's Hamilton Avenue, (with all the rest of the suburban white folks who supposedly are nowhere to be found in the city), Rossi's Tavern, Tir Na Nog, or John Henry's on a Saturday night, I don't go cruising Stuyvesant Avenue afterwards, or take a walk through Cadwalader Park after dark. A little common sense goes a long way-if it looks like somewhere you shouldn't be, don't go there.

Case in point-my mother grew up on Monmouth Street near the train station in what used to be a solid neighborhood of nicely kept two family/rowhouses. Now its run down, infested with drug and gang activity, and sadly, that's one of the places I don't go anymore. However, on a Saturday morning I still go to State Barber Shop on Warren Street for a haircut and Cafe Ole down the street for a cup of coffee. Walks through Mill Hill park are always nice too.

The "don't go there" and "just forget about it" mentality is part of the problem and ultimately irresponsible. Ewing, Lawrence, Hamilton, and even Princeton have long taken the head in the sand approach to Trenton and now they are all experiencing problems in their border areas. Gang members don't respect municipal borders. Every business in Trenton that closes is one more nail in the coffin of the city. I'm not one to forget where I came from and I refuse to give the city over to the bad guys.

[apvbguy]

Originally Posted by Badfish740

In the top 25 you also have Camden, NJ, Baltimore MD, Washington, D.C., Newark, NJ, and Orlando, FL. Funny, I've been to concerts at Camden many times, my fiancee and I took a long weekend in the Inner Harbor in Baltimore two weeks ago, I go to D.C. quite frequently for work, I've been to the Ironbound in Newark many times, and I think we've all been to Disney World

The point is there are good and bad areas of every city in the United States. Would I venture far outside of the Inner Harbor at night? No. Would I walk around Southeast D.C. at night? Absolutely not. In the same token, while I like to go to De Lorenzo's Hamilton Avenue, (with all the rest of the suburban white folks who supposedly are nowhere to be found in the city), Rossi's Tavern, Tir Na Nog, or John Henry's on a Saturday night, I don't go cruising Stuyvesant Avenue afterwards, or take a walk through Cadwalader Park after dark. A little common sense goes a long way-if it looks like somewhere you shouldn't be, don't go there.

Case in point-my mother grew up on Monmouth Street near the train station in what used to be a solid neighborhood of nicely kept two family/rowhouses. Now its run down, infested with drug and gang activity, and sadly, that's one of the places I don't go anymore. However, on a Saturday morning I still go to State Barber Shop on Warren Street for a haircut and Cafe Ole down the street for a cup of coffee. Walks through Mill Hill park are always nice too.

The "don't go there" and "just forget about it" mentality is part of the problem and ultimately irresponsible. Ewing, Lawrence, Hamilton, and even Princeton have long taken the head in the sand approach to Trenton and now they are all experiencing problems in their border areas. Gang members don't respect municipal borders. Every business in Trenton that closes is one more nail in the coffin of the city. I'm not one to forget where I came from and I refuse to give the city over to the bad guys.

the op was NOT asking about where the nice restaurants are, she is planning a move to the area and I assume that she is not buying a place on the one or 2 streets where it is some what safe to go to dine. She is looking for a safe place where the schools are decent where her children can play in a safe and clean environment, where she can go to a normal supermarket for their daily needs without fear, where her family can find decent schooling and sadly Trenton is NOT a place to find satisfy these basic needs.
So while you can go there for a good meal once in awhile without encountering the problems that abound there, living there 24/7 is a different story.
Thanks for your input and continue to enjoy your brief visits to places like trenton, but until you move back in, don't advise others that it's ok to live there because it's not a place anyone should be trying to raise a family

[Badfish740]

Originally Posted by apvbguy

Thanks for your input and continue to enjoy your brief visits to places like trenton, but until you move back in, don't advise others that it's ok to live there because it's not a place anyone should be trying to raise a family

Please read my posts before you respond to them:

Originally Posted by Badfish740

Trenton is a city in the very early stages of a transition after a long period of decline. There are pockets of neighborhoods that are nice (Glen Afton, Hiltonia, Mill Hill, certain sections of Chambersburg, etc...) but Bob is right, the schools are a mess. I would look in the areas he recommended, but don't be afraid of the city either. There are a lot of great restaurants, a growing arts/theater scene, etc... With time, smart growth policies, etc...Trenton will once again be a vibrant place, but right now most of the folks who are moving in are childless couples who want to help change the city and don't have to worry about the school system.

Clearly, I stated that Trenton was not a great place to raise a family, and that the poster should check out the outlying suburbs Bob had mentioned. NOWHERE did I advocate MOVING to the city. I did mention that many CHILDLESS couples were moving in and transforming the city little by little. Please explain to me where it says in my post "MOVE TO TRENTON AND ENROLL YOUR KIDS IN THE SCHOOLS!!!" What I did say, however, is that while you might not want to live in Trenton, there are many good things to be found there (historical sights, museums, restaurants, etc...) and not to shun the city totally.

As for moving in, I wish I could. I don't plan on having children for at least another 5 years and it would be nice to either restore and older home or move into one of the growing number of new construction projects. There's a wonderful loft condominium project that's just been completed on Centre Street in an 1850s era brick factory building. The architects live on Mill Hill in a beautifully restored townhome. Unfortunately though I work in the Princeton/Trenton area, my fiancee works in North Jersey and commutes 45 minutes to work as it is. It would not make sense for her to live so far south. That being said, I do what I can to support the city from whence I came.

[JBrown]

Originally Posted by Badfish740

Please read my posts before you respond to them:

That's a Real good idea...you should take your own advice; here's the OP.

"My husband is being transferred to Trenton and I have two children. I need to know where the nicer areas of town are to relocate? Please Help! "

The question from some out of towners wasn't about where do I get a great pizza( De Lorenzo's) or a burger(Rossi's) etc. etc. It should be responded to with....

" There are NO nicer areas of Trenton.! "

The rest is all feel good non-sense...

[Badfish740]

Originally Posted by JBrown

That's a Real good idea...you should take your own advice; here's the OP.
"My husband is being transferred to Trenton and I have two children. I need to know where the nicer areas of town are to relocate? Please Help! "

Oddly enough, in the beginning of my post, that's exactly what I responded to:

Originally Posted by Badfish740

Bob is right, the schools are a mess. I would look in the areas he recommended...

Again, where did I say "Move to Trenton?" I was merely trying to explain to a potential future resident of the surrounding area that you don't need to avoid the city like the plague like you're suggesting. I'd even bet that there are residents of Hopewell who've taken in a Trenton Thunder game or two on a Sunday afternoon or been to a hockey game at Sovereign Bank Arena. Part of getting this state back on track is reinvesting in its cities, not taking pleasure in watching them die.

[apvbguy]

Originally Posted by Badfish740

Oddly enough, in the beginning of my post, that's exactly what I responded to:



Again, where did I say "Move to Trenton?" I was merely trying to explain to a potential future resident of the surrounding area that you don't need to avoid the city like the plague like you're suggesting. I'd even bet that there are residents of Hopewell who've taken in a Trenton Thunder game or two on a Sunday afternoon or been to a hockey game at Sovereign Bank Arena. Part of getting this state back on track is reinvesting in its cities, not taking pleasure in watching them die.

what you are not graping is the fact that the person is looking for a place to move their family to, they are not looking for a politically correct diatribe about not abandoning decaying inner city areas.
thanks for playing, maybe next time you could put your valuable knowledge to better use

[Badfish740]

Originally Posted by apvbguy

what you are not graping is the fact that the person is looking for a place to move their family to, they are not looking for a politically correct diatribe about not abandoning decaying inner city areas.
thanks for playing, maybe next time you could put your valuable knowledge to better use

One more time folks...

Originally Posted by Badfish740

Bob is right, the schools are a mess. I would look in the areas he recommended...

Politically correct diatribe huh? What about smart growth and good economic sense? I don't know about you, but as an avid hunter and fisherman I value the rapidly dissapearing open space in New Jersey. I'd rather see our cities rebuilt rather than acres upon acres of McMansions and Home Depots. Abandoning the cities totally will simply mean losing more farmland and open space, more traffic and congestion, an overtaxed highway system, a rail system left to decay even further, and ultimately a greater tax burden/lower quality of life for all of us. I'm no bleeding heart-just a person with enough common sense to know that God isn't making any more open space in New Jersey

[NJTina]

Not wishing to be part of this debate I will say one thing. I went through the very same VERY heated argument with Nexxus about Newark (yes, it got ugly :-(, sorry Nexxus). People are coming here looking for ADVICE and not fortune telling into the future about re-vitalization. I can only imagine some poor OP taking some of this really crappy advice and moving from some mid-western hick town into Camden based on some politcally correct, idealistic rhetoric. We all know the cities to avoid and we owe it to others to be honest about it.

[Badfish740]

Originally Posted by NJTina

Not wishing to be part of this debate I will say one thing. I went through the very same VERY heated argument with Nexxus about Newark (yes, it got ugly :-(, sorry Nexxus). People are coming here looking for ADVICE and not fortune telling into the future about re-vitalization. I can only imagine some poor OP taking some of this really crappy advice and moving from some mid-western hick town into Camden based on some politcally correct, idealistic rhetoric. We all know the cities to avoid and we owe it to others to be honest about it.

Okaaaaaay...Agaaaaaaain...

Originally Posted by Badfish740

Bob is right, the schools are a mess. I would look in the areas he recommended...

Am I the only one who can see this? One more thing-if some mid-western hick picks up and moves to Camden, Paterson, Newark, or Trenton sight unseen solely based on testimony from a webforum, that person has bigger problems to worry about...such as, oh, I don't know, the fact that they're a complete imbecile who can't think for themselves? Tina, can you honestly say that if you were relocating across the country that you would base your decision on what you read in this forum alone?

[apvbguy]

Originally Posted by Badfish740

Okaaaaaay...Agaaaaaaain...



Am I the only one who can see this? One more thing-if some mid-western hick picks up and moves to Camden, Paterson, Newark, or Trenton sight unseen solely based on testimony from a webforum, that person has bigger problems to worry about...such as, oh, I don't know, the fact that they're a complete imbecile who can't think for themselves? Tina, can you honestly say that if you were relocating across the country that you would base your decision on what you read in this forum alone?

they might be hicks from podunk, but bad and arrogant advice is of little use!

try and be helpful and maybe someday you'll be in the need of advice and someone will help you avoid some easy to avoid pitfalls.

there are some very nice people in NJ who try and be helpful and there are many in NJ who just seem incapable of being nice.