I'm about 1/2 mile from there in Weehawken (other side of Park Ave.) and walk around there as well as Union City a lot. The boundary lines between the three towns (four counting North Bergen) are pretty fluid, or nonexistent.
It feels safe in the daytime - there's a lot of street life because of all the businesses on Bergenline and, to a lesser extent, Palisade. But the economic level is iffy. There are good patches but in general it's pretty low and it shows in things like bad sidewalks and poor street lighting, so I'm not comfortable walking around the side streets much after dark. Some stores and restaurants on Bergenline are open late but the crowds thin out a lot after dark and it feels less safe.
This site might be helpful.
New Jersey by the Numbers - NJ.com
if you don't speak Spanish I wonder if you're going to be happy in the area. It's about 95% Latino. Many also speak English but many do not. It's a problem for us and I do speak some Spanish - it's just a matter of feeling at home or not.
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West New York - is it safe to live there
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