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I was over in Elizabeth Traffic Court to get a ticket settled late in the afternoon. I have never been there before, I noticed there were lots of historical buildings in the town but now it looks like a dump. The streets look dirty with trash like beverage cups and paper everywhere.
Once I got out of court and the sun went down, the place looks scary.
Was Elizabeth this bad in the 70s? How did a city that looked like it had some urban feel to it became zombieland?
Here's an NY Times article from 1983 and it seems like Elizabeth has already became a crime hotspot.
"The perception of crime in Elizabeth may be worse than the reality. Police Chief John F. Brennan said that although the city had its ''share of street crime,'' incidents of breaking and entering, car theft and larceny had all either stabilized or been reduced over the last year. The crime rate per 1,000 residents declined from 88 in 1981 to 84.9 in 1982, according to the New Jersey State Police Uniform Crime Report. The rate in 1982 was 112 in Newark, 98.7 in Paterson and 84.1 in Jersey City." - NYTimes 1983
It's one of the most famous places in history and everyone, almost everyone is from Elizabeth,,, I know what you mean.
At one point it was considered to be a Capital of the United States back in the 1700s.
It's one of the greatest places in NJ. I'm from there you are from there too. Everyone is. The destitute look is just a facade to keep hipsters from Brooklyn who really only lived there for 2 months and are actually from Ohio away and ruining everything.
Elizabeth is FAR BETTER today than it was just 15-20 years ago. I used to appraise in the Port area and the Peterstown area and it was a burnt out mess with row after row of abandoned homes and factories and destitution everywhere. Today the Port is a vibrant residential community and abandoned properties are relatively rare. I used to dread assignments in Elizabeth. Today, no problem. Elmora is actually quite expensive, and downtown ain't cheap either. North Elizabeth is still a but run down especially near 1&9, but even there it's not that bad. Overall Elizabeth has improved 100% over the past 2 decades.
Elizabeth is a great city, it doesn't get the credit it deserves. There are so many great restaurants like Valenco's, El Iman, Spirito's, Yoly's, and many others. DeSantos pizzeria was rated as the best pizzeria in New Jersey by nj.com. The crime rate, per 100,000 ratio, is very similar to that of New York City, which is one of the safest major cities in the United States. Elizabeth has great shopping options whether you are in Midtown, Jersey Gardens, or nearby IKEA. Plus it is close to Newark Liberty Airport, New York City, the turnpike and Routes 1 and 9. The ethnic diversity is also worth mentioning. Elizabeth has Colombians, Cubans, Central and South Americans, Portuguese, Italians, and West Indians. The ethnic diversity is reflected in its stores and restaurants. I went to Little Colombia, on Morris Avenue near Broad Street, which is a very beautiful tree lined street with businesses and buildings well taken care of. I had lunch at Monchy's (the maricuya is worth trying by the way). Great food at a reasonable price. If I were you, I would make a day for myself to visit Elizabeth.
I know Elizabeth city outskirts are ok since I've eaten at some places on Elmora Ave but I have never been downtown. It's quite a contrast since downtown seems less diverse to me. It looks ghetto at night because it was dirty like the streets weren't cleaned for weeks and teenagers hanging out by the train station on the lookout.
Yet, it is only about 10mins away from Cranford town center which look nothing like Elizabeth.
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