What's the deal with Gloucester City? (Camden, Brooklawn: bars, moving, living)

[Badfish740]

My fiancee and I recently heard about the Gloucester City Shamrock Festival and were hoping to go so I figured I'd do a little research because I've seen it on the map but have never been there. This is a small portion of what I came up with:

Originally Posted by girl-973-908-732

I know. Gloucester City in South Jersey, Gloucester City,Brooklawn to name a few are very, very "white" towns and are the scariest places I've seen.

Originally Posted by Calcbunny

Gloucester City..if I was gay, I'd be afraid I would get beat up.

Originally Posted by girl-973-908-732

I was also looking at Gloucester before because the rents were so cheap but it is over 96% white, non-hispanic which seems a little strange.

Originally Posted by steamboat

If you're gay or a minority I definitely don't suggest downtown Gloucester but don't rule out the city in general.

What's the deal? Ok, so Gloucester City is obviously an "urban" area. It's not a big city, but it's a city nonetheless. Is there supposed to be some kind of connection between Caucasians living in an urban area and racism? Is it some kind of perceived notion that Irish-Americans are racist? Would anyone consider South Boston to be a "racist" neighborhood?

It's not an incredibly big deal to me as I'm not planning on moving there anytime soon, just a curiosity. We're going to go regardless and I guess maybe we'll find out for ourselves. I can't wait to see Black 47.

[JerzBoy]

Gloucester is a fine place to visit. It's a blue-collar Irish town and yes it is like 99% white.

It is kind of a racist place (esp against blacks) as it is so close to Camden. I heard during the racial tensions of the 60s and 70s Gloucester barracaded all the roads that connect them with Camden.

[girl-973-908-732]

Yeah. It's hard to believe that Gloucester is a racist as it is, but I don't think it's just towards black - it's towards minorities in general. Let them keep their town. No interest in visiting, driving through, nada.

[StuckPA]

It's basically an extension of Philly.

[imperieux]

One reason to venture into Gloucester City:

Max's mussels.

[Geoff MRT]

At one time, Gloucester City had the most bars per capita in the US. I got drunk there quite a few times...

I was up there last year (for the first time in 20 years) and it looked and felt better. There's a push to fix up the waterfront and many of the seedy areas were fixed up.

[StuckPA]

Originally Posted by Geoff MRT

At one time, Gloucester City had the most bars per capita in the US.

That must go along with the blue collar population because I have been in a couple towns that have claimed the same,not to mention of course there's also a bar on every corner here in Philly