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I'll address the original question. When I worked on Paulison Avenue 40 years ago, Clifton was a solid middle/working class town. From recent conversations with someone who teaches in the Clifton public school system and someone else who recently retired from the Clifton PD, it appears that the situation of 40 years ago has markedly deteriorated. The race baiters, apologists, and others can argue why.
I rented for a couple years in Clifton (recently) and its no different from towns like Elmwood Park, Garfield, etc. Its an affordable town and the schools have a bad reputation. Its been the same way for 20 years. What you see is what you get.
Never had any issues with crime or anything along those lines...
I brought up the issue of diversity because it's the sad, ugly truth. Clifton enjoys a diverse demographic population, and some people have a problem with that. I know this because I live here and have had people from NJ express this specific issue to my face when I tell them that I live here.
I second that. Sad truth is many whites hate diverse towns and will live in towns they can not afford just to escape diversity or have their kids exposed to different people. This is usually under the rouse that they are looking to live in a town with good schools, which is a non racist way of being racist.
I'm a numbers guy and while anecdotal experiences are great for conversation and adding color to a discussion the numbers tell the real story. The numbers story is that Clifton is a relatively safe place to live with overall crime rates actually declining over the past 15 years AND always well below the national average. Further, non violent crimes make up the bulk of the little crime that there is. These are Burglaries, Auto Theft and Theft. All in all you have less than a 2% chance of having any crime committed against you in Clifton, not bad for city with 84,000 people living in it.
I'm a numbers guy and while anecdotal experiences are great for conversation and adding color to a discussion the numbers tell the real story. The numbers story is that Clifton is a relatively safe place to live with overall crime rates actually declining over the past 15 years AND always well below the national average. Further, non violent crimes make up the bulk of the little crime that there is. These are Burglaries, Auto Theft and Theft. All in all you have less than a 2% chance of having any crime committed against you in Clifton, not bad for city with 84,000 people living in it.
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I'm not being racist or biased. If I had to go shop at KMART in the "ghetto" near ackerman ave or target on rt. 3, which one do you think I'm going to go to? My wife grew up near the midtown grill, and my parents near Bellins Swim Club. An 80 yr old woman was robbed in her office on Sylvan ave last year in broad daylight. I don't like picking up from San Remo anymore as i's not safe in the dark to park my car and get out.
That's not racist, it's simply that I know which parts I would bring my kids to. Those parts happen to border Passaic and Paterson. In fact, Woodland Park is accused of setting up one way traffic stops for any cars exiting Paterson. I'm not surprised at all.
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
I'm not being racist or biased. If I had to go shop at KMART in the "ghetto" near ackerman ave or target on rt. 3, which one do you think I'm going to go to? My wife grew up near the midtown grill, and my parents near Bellins Swim Club. An 80 yr old woman was robbed in her office on Sylvan ave last year in broad daylight. I don't like picking up from San Remo anymore as i's not safe in the dark to park my car and get out.
That's not racist, it's simply that I know which parts I would bring my kids to. Those parts happen to border Passaic and Paterson. In fact, Woodland Park is accused of setting up one way traffic stops for any cars exiting Paterson. I'm not surprised at all.
I just do not understand why people worry so much about venturing into certain neighborhoods, especially when they are from those neighborhoods. Crime happens everywhere, people get robbed everywhere, muggings happen everywhere.
If you have no business being there, then don't go there. If you do, just mind your business and don't act nervous or out of place and no one will bother you. I've never been a crime victim in any of these places. Only time I was ever mugged was at an apartment complex in a suburban town where I used to live. Like I have said before, I frequented that Clash Bar on Harding Ave many many times when I was away at school, and was just there recently as well to see a friend play. I stepped outside for a smoke several times well past midnight and saw ZERO shady activity. My car was parked in the bank parking lot across the street.
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
I'm not being racist or biased. If I had to go shop at KMART in the "ghetto" near ackerman ave or target on rt. 3, which one do you think I'm going to go to? My wife grew up near the midtown grill, and my parents near Bellins Swim Club. An 80 yr old woman was robbed in her office on Sylvan ave last year in broad daylight. I don't like picking up from San Remo anymore as i's not safe in the dark to park my car and get out.
That's not racist, it's simply that I know which parts I would bring my kids to. Those parts happen to border Passaic and Paterson. In fact, Woodland Park is accused of setting up one way traffic stops for any cars exiting Paterson. I'm not surprised at all.
LOL. They were doing that when I lived there, from 1986 to 1996 (when it was still called West Paterson.) They'd sit by New Street, which runs out of Paterson into WP. A lot of West Paterson people moved out of Paterson to get away from Paterson's crime, and they didn't want it spilling over into their town. And if you ever sat through a night of West Paterson municipal court, you'd know they had good reason.
My family left Clifton in the 70s.
When I was growing up there the schools were excellent. Our neighborhood was made up of Dutch, Germans , east Europeans and a few Irish and Italians.
If you were to speak with one of my black classmates on the phone, there would nothing that would make you think you were talking to a "black" person.
When we moved to the south it was kind of a culture shock. Blacks and whites didn't get along very well, and with the accents it was hard to understand some people.
I often think fondly of Clifton, but I know Main Memorial park is not what t it was when I was a kid.
I'd like to go back one of these days and just walk around.
Diversity is overrated. Seriously, who cares? People should choose to live wherever they want without being called racists or bigots. You see plenty of nonwhite ethnic enclaves all over New Jersey and nobody makes a peep. It's not an issue. It only seems to be an issue when whites want to live around other whites. Get over it already, and don't worry about who wants to live where. It's none of your business, and you are nobody to judge.
Diversity is overrated. Seriously, who cares? People should choose to live wherever they want without being called racists or bigots. You see plenty of nonwhite ethnic enclaves all over New Jersey and nobody makes a peep. It's not an issue. It only seems to be an issue when whites want to live around other whites. Get over it already, and don't worry about who wants to live where. It's none of your business, and you are nobody to judge.
I mostly agree with you,but here is the thing.
Why not just say in the Op "Want to live in all white neighborhood"?
Whether people want to admit it,other groups express a desire to live among themselves do it.
"Looking for town with lots of Jewish professional people"
"Looking for towns with large population of Hispanics"
"Towns with gay friendly businesses"
"Does Edison have a large Indian population?
"Is Bellville still a middle class,Italian town?"
What does these questions have in common?
Basically,all are asking the same thing,a desire to be with one's own group.
Why say code words like "looking for good schools,upper middle class with many professionals,etc?"
Why dance around it?
I don't think many people are aware that there are neighborhoods with professional,upper middle class blacks,with good school systems. I might suggest such a town to you without knowing what you really meant.
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