Jersey City,Elizabeth,Paterson,Linden,Irvington, and Union City. Are they really as bad as people say? (Newark: best neighborhood, crimes)

[tommyc_37]

Originally Posted by Tungsten_Udder

I think part of it is that there are a lot of people who frequent the forum who are middle-aged, who have pretty much lived in or near Jersey their entire lives, and either lived in or frequented places like Jersey City when they were much younger. Now they live further away from NYC in the suburbs, and they more think of what places like JC used to be like--back in the 60s through 80s, say. The same thing will be increasingly true of places like Newark in the not-too-distant future, as it's changing a lot . . . but the only way to know that is to spend some time there.

I would have a much harder time believing that they are very familiar with what downtown JC, say, is like NOW, yet they still would feel very unsafe here, and I would love to be able to spend some time with those folks in person, in this area, to try to get a better gauge on what's going on with them.

Tungsten,

MOST people have no idea how awesome Downtown JC is. Simple reason is, they haven't been here in the past 5-6 years. Things have changed DRASTICALLY. Most people in NJ wouldn't even know what is considered Downtown JC (Van Vorst, Paulus Hook, Hamilton Park, Harsimus Cove neighborhoods). They just think Hoboken is the coolest place ever (and it is if you're all about Suburbia, since Hoboken is 97% NJ suburban kids living in brownstones thinking that they are "livin' the city life").

[E-TOWN-R.I.P.]

Originally Posted by Tungsten_Udder

Okay, but I actually am trying to be argumentative about something. I don't buy that one can just look at someone and necesarily tell if they're poor, and especially you can't tell if they're a "shady character who would commit a crime given an opportunity"--that's blatantly ridiculous. I'm asking you how you believe that you can do that.

Do you live in JC? Maybe we could meet in person and you could try to demonstrate this and we'll try to test it.

How can I tell? Simple. I lived in Elizabeth for 25 years. I can tell a fiend from a narc, a person down on their luck from someone slinging dope, a high school kid trying to look tough from a true thug looking for a punk to rob. It's about feel, and someone so accustomed to "city living" like yourself should know exactly what I'm talking about.

[SloshSpice]

Originally Posted by Dorian

Some people were saying it's bad. That's why I am asking for the truth, I am not from the area and the info I've heard is all over the place.

Those places are very definitely BAD and VIOLENT places.

[Tungsten_Udder]

Originally Posted by E-TOWN-R.I.P.

How can I tell? Simple. I lived in Elizabeth for 25 years. I can tell a fiend from a narc, a person down on their luck from someone slinging dope, a high school kid trying to look tough from a true thug looking for a punk to rob. It's about feel, and someone so accustomed to "city living" like yourself should know exactly what I'm talking about.

Are you up for testing this? Because I'm calling b.s.

[E-TOWN-R.I.P.]

Originally Posted by Tungsten_Udder

Are you up for testing this? Because I'm calling b.s.

How exactly would you propose we test this?

[blacknight07607]

As previously stated in MANY other threads, most major/high populated cities will have some good and bad parts.
Speaking for Jersey City (Grew up and lived for 24 years) yeah, there are some bad areas but some good ones also. The Heights and downtown are fairly civil. The newport area is pretty decent as well.
Now going up to the greenville can get a little challenging
Especially if you're traveling up Ocean or M.L.K. blvd

[marye711]

Irvington? is the king of hoods if you were to ask me.....I would live in a tent before I moved there.

[john depta]

i wantto know if ther is an up rise in gang related crime/murder in kearny .My wife works at clara maass and heard stories about same please reply tonight thank you

[gourmetguy]

Even within those numbers you still have to take into account what part of town it is. Jersey City has VERY different sections of town. Downtown is very nice and just as safe as NYC.

[Tungsten_Udder]

Originally Posted by E-TOWN-R.I.P.

How exactly would you propose we test this?

We'd meet in person.

There are two ways we would do this. Both involve you trying to intuit or deduce the kinds of things you believe you can intuit or deduce from total strangers by merely looking at them. I'd simply ask you about various people and you'd guess about the kinds of things you claim you can intuit or deduce by just looking at them.

Under the first method, the people actually are strangers to both of us. Then we talk to them and try to learn something about them and see just how right you are. Of course, we can't just go by what folks say, but we'd have to try to research them a bit more, too.

Under the second method, the people actually aren't strangers to me. They're people I'm familiar with, but you wouldn't know which people are the ones who are not strangers to me.