Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I was in Arthur Avenue in the Bronx the other day and I liked how they have retained the Italian stores, bakeries, and restaurants and it seems like it draws Italian Americans from other places as well. I am very proud of being Latino and I admire what the Latinos have done for Paterson by bringing in more stores, restaurants, hair salons, and even a jitney bus company that runs every five minutes but I wish there was more diversity as well.
Let's be honest, Paterson's biggest asset is probably its ethnic diversity. It is too far from NYC to attract young urban professionals. It has an arts scene but I honestly don't know if it will go far. Very few middle class citizens would want to live here because of its stigma. Even the city landmarks like Hinchcliffe Stadium are in disrepair and that isn't counting the many streets filled with graffiti and litter. I just don't see much investment coming into Paterson anytime soon. I know the Great Falls park is undergoing a project but we will have to see the end result. I spoke to a Rutgers professor who has worked with municipal governments in NJ and he said that downtown Paterson won't see an influx of professionals because land is too expensive and space is already being used to see it happen. It is not like downtown Camden where you have so much vacant land which makes it easier for developers to build projects.
The diversity is one thing that Paterson should invest in. I know this is what they are doing with South Paterson (they built a new strip mall there) and now the Peruvian section along Market, west of Main, is now renamed Peru Square. However, Dominican, Colombian, even Peruvian food (which is very good by the way) are not considered mainstream yet. People who aren't Hispanic often won't come to Paterson or any city just to eat these types of cuisines.
Italian food and culture is pretty mainstream. This is kind of why I wish 21st Avenue and Cianci Street have maintained their Italian owned businesses. It would be nice to go eat cebiche or pollo a la brasa in Peru Square then go to neighboring Little Italy and get Italian meats, sip an espresso, and maybe get a gelato. People who would otherwise just go for Italian restaurants, bakeries, or coffee shops could walk further down and see Colombian, Dominican, and Peruvian eateries and might eat at them too. I wouldn't want to push these populations out but would like to include the Italians and other groups as well.
I'm not sure how much more diverse Paterson can get. The OP didn't even mention the large population from Bangladesh and the Levant. Really everything along the Passaic River from Paterson down to Elizabeth is one big salad bowl of ethnicities. Paterson is in a rough spot that transportation wont help it revitalize as it has in Newark and JC, nor does it have a great institutional anchor like Rutgers in New Brunswick. The Great Falls area, with the National Park, could be a boon for the city if it were better funded. Lowell Massachusetts used a similar heritage-tourism scheme to revitalize, but Lowell NHP has a huge budget compared to Paterson Great Falls.
Until the public schools improve, Paterson will remain a tough place to revitalize. The other problem is that the property taxes are very high. Paterson property taxes are under collected and that magnifies the problem.
I think the issue in Paterson is safety. You mentioned Cianci - the Lou Costello park is filled with homeless and that neighborhood is dangerous at night. Add the strip clubs and I'm not sure I'd feel safe walking a few blocks after 7pm around there... although I do like the chicken place and Tannas.
Its a poor city and they have a tough time with controlling serious crime.
That's pretty much what I got from it. Bring in some more Italian eateries to attract white people. Could you imagine that's all it took to improve a city?
That's pretty much what I got from it. Bring in some more Italian eateries to attract white people. Could you imagine that's all it took to improve a city?
Until the public schools improve, Paterson will remain a tough place to revitalize.
Was that an obstacle for Jersey City?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
