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Roselle Park: During January 2008 - one day it was an unusual 75 degrees. My husband (older man in 50's) was walking in Roselle Park on weekday around Walnut Ave. & East Clay -midafternoon. A convertible car with top down pulled over from the other side of the street in opposite direction. There were 4 men in car with ski masks on (remember, it was sunny and about 75 degrees that day - you did not need a ski mask to keep warm that day). They eyed him up and down (I guess to determine if he had anything of value to take?). My husband, who still thinks he's 25 and buff, glared back at them. Thankfully they just laughed at him and drove away. We have seen the deterioration in the Union Township/Roselle Park area for the past few years and Kenilworth is next. I am originally from Newark/Irvington area & this area (Union Twp/Roselle Park) is beginning to feel the crime stats increasing in the same way that the Irvington/Newak border did 20 years ago. The Maplewood/Irvington/Newark border was hit with higher crime 20 years ago as well. I have relatives still in West Ward of Newark near South Orange and they hear gun shots quite often; neighbors on the block shoot off "38s" on holidays like 4th of July. Even a stray bullet is unwanted. I've been "down this road" for over 30 years now watching crime increasing in the towns and having to constantly move out to get a little further away from the crime each time I move. What's next? I suppose I will have to either move over the Driscoll Bridge or go southwest into Somerset County/Mercer County area or western Union county. If only I could afford it.....
Now some of you want proof that the crime exists and I can only say check the statisics on the County's crime reports. As for me, while in Newark we had a car stolen in our family and while in Irvington we've had our car vandalised twice. While in Irvington a friend of mine (female age 40) was punched in the face and robbed (25 years ago) - and I am sure it hasn't gotten any better.
Earlier this year 2009 a friend of mine was in Rt. 22 W parking lot of Pathmark/Best Buy and an attempted abduction was done to her. She's about 65 years old! 2 vans pulled up as she got out of her car and they were blasting music to act as a "cover." A man started pulling her into an open van but a bystander (man) saw what was going on. At first she thought he was part of the scheme but he was pulling her away from the man in the van. When she was rescued, the vans pulled off onto Rt. 22 West and when called by cellphone by the hero man, the police refused to come to the scene siting that it's too late: the vans were gone and neither of them got the plate number of the vans in all the excitement. So much for Union Township....She doesn't live in Union Twp. but up until that point she was about to move back into Union from Millburn but changed her mind after this incident.
I attended the grammar school in Newark where those teenagers were executed in the playground in broad daylight a couple of years ago. My mother lives just a few blocks from there in Newark. I visit her, but only during daylight hours and I bug out before sunset. She can't receive any mail larger than a manila evelope because the mailman can't get into her building because the front door is locked - so he has to push the mail throught the "mail slot." Last time the door was unlocked, their mail was stolen from the vestibule. These are also the little nonsenses you have to put up with when living in a bad area. I've been living in Union for many years and just recently the mail in our hall has begun to get stolen. So it's starting in Union too.
My sister in law in Maplewood on Irvington border told me that several months (Fall 2008) ago someone tried to pry their front door open during the night but were unsuccessful. We saw the mauling of the wooden door for ourselves.
I think Union Twp. can be compared to be the same as Linden was about 5 years ago, but maybe not Elizabeth yet.
Just because a crime happens doesn't mean that a neighborhood is getting bad. Crime happens everywhere.
Look, I live in Maplewood right on the border of Irvington and you making it sound like it's Irvington. You need to relax with the overexaggeration and breathe. Maplewood is safe.
And I'm sorry. No offense but that story about Route 22 with the 65 year old sounds fake. I go to that Best Buy all the time. In a parking lot which is occupied most of the day with security driving around and people as well as cameras from the bank and Best Buy and Pathmark, I doubt that something crazy like that would occur without more than one person seeing something wrong. There's way too many people for something like that to occur without anything coming out of it. That's one of the busy shopping centers in Union County. So you must be making something up or somebody was lying to you. And I doubt Union police would take something like that lightly being that it's a suburb. The incident would have appeared on the Channel 7 news. I'm sure of that.
"Look, I live in Maplewood right on the border of Irvington and you making it sound like it's Irvington. You need to relax with the overexaggeration and breathe. Maplewood is safe."
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"Safe" is a matter of personal opinion. If you feel it's safe, by all means then, it's the town for you. Didn't I tell you that my sister-in-law had an attempted break in last Fall and she's in Maplewood on Irvington border (near Mayfair Cleaners)? She no longer feels safe.
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The story about the woman being punched 25 years ago happened on Mill Road across the street from the Mill Run Apts. Back then they were called Stuyvesant Village - right around your area.
"And I'm sorry. No offense but that story about Route 22 with the 65 year old sounds fake. I go to that Best Buy all the time. In a parking lot which is occupied most of the day with security driving around and people as well as cameras from the bank and Best Buy and Pathmark, I doubt that something crazy like that would occur without more than one person seeing something wrong. There's way too many people for something like that to occur without anything coming out of it. That's one of the busy shopping centers in Union County. So you must be making something up or somebody was lying to you. And I doubt Union police would take something like that lightly being that it's a suburb. The incident would have appeared on the Channel 7 news. I'm sure of that."
No, this is a legit incident. I do not lie (thank you for the public accusation that I do - that hurts). The woman it happened to is a friend of mine for the past 30 years who does NOT tell tales. If anyone else told me this I would say the same thing you are saying. I believe Union Twp. would not want a story like this getting out to the public. Yes, it sounds incredible but it DID happen. My friend had the bruises to prove it. The 2 vans pulled to her right and left sides and made a "wall" to hide the action. The loud blaring music was a cover as well to drown out her screams. The by-stander just happened to drive by and notice the incident.
A lot of things happen in life and it doesn't make the 6 o'clock news.
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"Safe" is a matter of personal opinion. If you feel it's safe, by all means then, it's the town for you. Didn't I tell you that my sister-in-law had an attempted break in last Fall and she's in Maplewood on Irvington border (near Mayfair Cleaners)? She no longer feels safe.
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LMAO! Attempted break ins happen everywhere in New Jersey from the run down cities to the nicest areas. It just happened to be her turn to get her house broken into. That's life. I wouldn't lose sleep over that. After all, it was only an attempt. It's Maplewood. Crime rarely happens in the whole town for that matter.
The story about the woman being punched 25 years ago happened on Mill Road across the street from the Mill Run Apts. Back then they were called Stuyvesant Village - right around your area.
Once again, I will say this. You are talking about an incident that happened 25 years ago. What does that have to do with how the area is now? Trust me when I say this. Irvington was a NICE TOWN to live in in the 90s. I know that for a fact because I used to live around that part. Nothing happened back then. No shootings, no murders, no stabbings, no robberies or any crime to the point where people moved out.
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No, this is a legit incident. I do not lie (thank you for the public accusation that I do - that hurts). The woman it happened to is a friend of mine for the past 30 years who does NOT tell tales. If anyone else told me this I would say the same thing you are saying. I believe Union Twp. would not want a story like this getting out to the public. Yes, it sounds incredible but it DID happen. My friend had the bruises to prove it. The 2 vans pulled to her right and left sides and made a "wall" to hide the action. The loud blaring music was a cover as well to drown out her screams. The by-stander just happened to drive by and notice the incident.
I'm still skeptical about that incident you talked about. Keep in mind, Best Buy on Route 22 is a busy busy area. There's a Ruby Tuesday there that's always busy, as well as a Pathmark that's open 24/7, a bank, and Best Buy. That area has a lot of cameras as well as a security car that drives around the whole parking lot. Route 22 going westward is extremely busy, full of traffic especially in the daytime hours especially around that area towards the turn off on Liberty Ave. So those vans would have to wait sometime to be able to get on the roadway with all that traffic. I'm pretty sure that if something like that occurred, there would have been a scene or the cameras would have caught it. And another thing too.. there has to be more to that story for something like that. That crime sounds way too personal for some random body to have 2 vans come and try to abduct them in a public place without it catching anybody's attention. That just doesn't make any sense. That's why the police prolly didn't want anything to do with it because a crime like that has to involve something more. Was the lady involved in any criminal activity? I'm going to call that incident a hoax or made up. Something like that would have made the news being that crime rarely happens over in that area. Trust me on that one. I've lived in that area long enough to know something like that just doesn't happen randomly without other elements being involved.
A lot of things happen in life and it doesn't make the 6 o'clock news.
I agree but not crimes like that.
Last edited by angerinthenation; 05-28-2009 at 09:05 AM..
Crime happens everywhere, I see the concern people have. The way to stop it is to fight back and not allow it to get worse. Also, I am not accusing anyone of anything but that woman being abducted sounds strange, I go there all the time never seen a problem. By laws cop would have to come to the scene and not be relaxed about it.
Anyway about Union County
Roselle, Elizabeth and Plainfield are the worst in the county in my opinion.
Next tier is Linden, Rahway, Hillside. Though Hillside is much different for better or worse.
Roselle Park, Kenilworth, safe but in my opinion not the nicest towns, I do also know as a fact Kenilworth has a drug problem. ( I know nothing about winfield Park)
Union Would be a step under overall a good town, not great.
Rest of the county is nice.
The woman in the Rt. 22 incident:
1) She is not involved in crime in any manner. Not ever. It's not nice to extrapolate something nefarious about an innocent senior citizen woman who was the victim of an incident, no matter how incredulous.
2) She has medical problems which could make her a "target" for criminals. She has lost ability to walk quickly.
3) She's 65 years old or older (I have known her for 30+ years and never knew her real age because she doesn't look her age, she looks at lot younger).
4) She doesn't tell tales for as long as I have known and worked with her.
5) She had no idea that the lot has cameras - neither do I for that matter. Next time I am out there I am going to have to look for them.
I don't what else to say to convince you that it happened, but I'd really like you to avoid implying that I am not speaking the truth. It disturbs me more than the fact that you don't believe the story. You are refuting the story almost on a personal level. I do not want anyone to label me as a story teller as it could hurt my reputation. So let's just agree to "not agree" because to you this story is so incredulous that you can't believe it. I know that lot has Ruby Tuesday & Best Buy, etc. and there's people coming & going but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, as the old expression goes.
onvince you that it happened, but I'd really like you to avoid implying that I am not speaking the truth. It disturbs me more than the fact that you don't believe the story. You are refuting the story almost on a personal level.
I don't think your honesty is really the issue here. The issue is that this story isn't verifiable. As far as he is concerned, it is a third hand story -- basically hearsay.
Also, there is a fundamental information asymmetry in that you and the other poster do not have equal access to the primary source (the alleged victim), therefore there is no opportunity to verify the details of the story. For example, I would try to get to the bottom of what crime precisely was being attempted. It's not that clear to me from this story. Abductions aren't very common, abductions of random victims are extraordinarily rare.
There were 4 men in car with ski masks on (remember, it was sunny and about 75 degrees that day - you did not need a ski mask to keep warm that day). They eyed him up and down (I guess to determine if he had anything of value to take?).
I don't think these guys weren't looking for a strong arm robbery opportunity. They were looking to beat someone to a pulp for the hell of it. Strong arm robbers have little need for masks, large groups, or a car with a number plate. He really should have run. A strong arm robbery attempt would look more like what happened to your other friend -- hit, grab and run. Your husband probably lucked out because he didn't match the profile of their desired target (if he really was 25 and buff, it would have worked out worse for him)
Wow... This thread is so interesting to me. I grew up in Hillside. Now I live in Roselle. If people call these bad areas of Union County... then a place like Westfield must be "ok". LoL
ALL i can say about all this is i lived in elizabeth most of my life raised my kids there they turned out great and so did most of ther friends.Just moved out about 2 years ago from bayway because my street had one bad egg and of course they lived wright next store.They would change motors and transmissions wright on the sidewalk.There kid was selling drugs from the house,stole a car and almost died ,was in jail a couple of times but he as a good kid just ask his folks.Once i found a bag of dope in front of his house gave it to the police and they told me it was proubly crap or he would not have lost it (true story).Well to all you folks who still live there GOOD LUCK.
Last edited by olddude; 06-07-2009 at 06:27 PM..
Reason: missing words
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Rt. 22 Parking lot incident
