Is Paterson, NJ dangerous? (Newark, Elizabeth: gated, place to live, shop)

[lockladie]

I have lived in Paterson for over 30+ years. I have never heard gunshots, and yes I have gone out at night in my car. Just like everywhere else, you have to be careful. I don't know of one place in the USA that does not have crime. Would I buy a house in Paterson, no. People there act just as they are spoken about. People don't clean up after themselves and property taxes are ridiculous...these are the main reasons I left. Believe it or not, I just purchased a condo in East Orange, and I have to tell you, the mind set is different here then in Paterson.

[Gemini365i]

Funny thread. this is like asking is Newark or Eliz Dangerous and i don't wanna rehash that thread..lol

[Busch Boy]

Although I must admit that Paterson is not a great town, it's not the worst we have in NJ. I don't mind when people give constructive criticism and weigh the pro's and cons (stating why they hate or love a place and why it's good or bad). But I think it's ridiculous when people just bash a place because of hearsay and have no idea what they're talking about. It shows ignorance. I'm not talking to anybody in particular, but if the shoe fits...

I found something interesting online. It's a ranking of how dangerous cities (the ones with higher populations) are in America. I listed the ones in NJ. The first # represents how they rank when it comes to crime and the second number represents where they rank when it comes to safety.

Camden - 3/313
Newark - 16/300
Trenton - 39/277
Jersey City - 68/248
Elizabeth - 74/242
Paterson - 126/190
Woodbridge - 254/62
Edison - 292/24
Brick - 302/14
Dover - 303/13


http://www.worst-city.com/100-most-d...s-10-20-50.htm

[SilkCity0416]

^^^ So, that pretty much prove that Paterson isn't the hellhole people make it out to be. One would think Paterson would rank in the top 3 in terms of most dangerous cities in America.

[patersonresident1225]

It is our perception of the city that makesit so bad. I recently bought a house in Paterson. Unfortunately, my means could not keep me in Clifton; however, I must say it is really not as bad as society or most outsiders might believe. Yes, there are crimes and community concerns but only similiar to what we see in other towns or communities. I grew up in Hackensack --- Bergen County... Hackensack is not know to be a high crime area; however, I recall their were issues with gangs, drugs, crimes, etc. Please lets get our facts together. More so, it is not safe to hang out anywhere at night unless it is a club or appropriate venue for socializing.

[JWhiskey]

I think patersonresident1225 has a very good point that can apply to almost any "bad" area. Essentially, don't hang around street corners and alleys, etc at night. Nightclubs, bars, etc are prefectly acceptable places to be. The important thing about most urban areas is just to be smart. Don't go wandering around alone.

When I moved to New Brunswick there was a serial rapist on the loose. I still lived there, had no problems, went out at night, but I was sure to never go alone and to always get where I was going quickly at night, rather than hanging around the streets. I often opted for cabs instead of walking during that time. Crime is inevitable in heavily populated areas, but it can be avoided if you take the proper precautions. This goes for any area, including Paterson

[demetrius790]

Yes, Paterson,NJ is dangerous. So is Jersey City, Newark, Elizabeth, Irvington, Plainfield & Camden.
I grew up in Jersey City, it's not that dangerous though.
Like the Downtown Area is nice.

[NJ_History57]

While there is still quite a bit of debate here about just how "bad" things actually are in Paterson right now, I think its pretty clear that every single poster agrees that the city is nothing like it was at the height of silk or war industry periods.

Some suggest that organized labor (notably the 1913 I.W.W. Silk Strike and other radical labor movements) caused the downfall of Paterson, while others suggest that the departure of heavy industry (Wright Aeronautical is just one example) some thirty-years later was the primary culprit. Still others suggest, as has been mentioned on this board, that the process of sub-urbanization ("white-flight" colloquially) robbed Paterson of its important retail economy and a crucial tax base. Race relations certainly played a part in the decline of the city, as the 1964 Fourth Ward riots foreshadowed Newark, Detroit, and Watts. The book "About Paterson: The Making and Unmaking of an American City" details the corrupt Passaic county political machines which Norwood asserts thwarted the city's last best hope at successful urban renewal. Local officials apparently designed projects like the construciton of Bunker Hill with visions of kick-backs instead of urban renewal.

In 1974 the city complied with state regulation and adopted the Mayor-Council plan, and many wanted to believe that Pateron could at last be saved. However, the thirty-five year since (as this discussion board so thoroughly documents) have been tumultous ones characterized by several failed reforms in housing, education, and public saftey. None of this is meant to take away from the resilience of Patersonians, who despite these numerous disadvantages can boast membership in a culturally thriving, hard-working, ethnically diverse, and historic community. But the fact that Paterson fell metorically between 1950-1970 seems undeniable.

We have to ask ourselves "what happened to Paterson?" Are all these above things equally responsible for the death of America's first planned industrial city? Or are certain events more significant than others? If we answer that, we can better understand how to fix the city's problems.

[StoicCrying]

I was born in Paterson, but let me tell you I've seen it's worst. You have a lot more chance of getting mugged, jumped, and shot than back in 2004-2005. You have gangs, rapists (registered or not), a creepy white van that tries to pick up woman, and the kids?- They own the streets! They all spread out and are put under kid's watches under a big gang- EVERY STREET IS OWNED! Plus, Paterson is expensive- so it's a waste of time since if you have children- THEY WILL GET HURT! (From personal experience) Seriously, I had to carry a knife in case at age 8 with my brother while walking to my private school (since Public is dangerous, and Private is okay-but it's like $2,000 a month for one kid).

As a Jersey Girl, I will probably always have soft spot-but I would never try to go back, even before I moved wasn't as bad as now. It's a shame because I used to love the city even with it's problems and my parents, brother, and family always comes first.

It was bound to happen.

[Edison Winter]

Yeah Paterson is a dump. A dangerous dump. Dont let anyone tell you any different either. Elizabeth, Rahway, Newark, Irvington, Camden, Paterson, hmmm what do all these places have in common that makes them so dangerous