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Actually Downtown is expensive because people that can not afford to live in the "hip" neighborhoods of Manhattan or Brooklyn come here since it is the next best thing if you can not afford to live there. They were so used to paying high prices in NY they didn't know much the apartments and Brownstones were really worth. Once home owners, land lords and developers realised this they took advantage.
I grew up in Downtown and the yuppies were there in the 90s also when it wasn't considered "safe" they never came out except to and from the Path or a cab. So they were not here because they felt safe they were here because they could not afford to live in NYC. So you can not tell me about the look and feel of Downtown or the Heights I was raised and still live in this city, you have only been here a few years.
Also 90% of the crime does not occur in the fringes of Downtown. That is misinformation you are trying to spread.
Even this crime map can show 90% of Downtown crime is not all from the projects. Just enter any Downtown landmark or address, set the results to 50 and pick the specific crimes like robbery, burglary, assault etc and see if 90% are in the projects. In reality probably 25% or less of the crime occurs there. Crime in Jersey City
That may be partially true for some people, but that view is outdated. Plenty of people live in Downtown JC for the cool vibe that it has. I, for one, am able to afford to live in any neighborhood in Manhattan or Brooklyn. I chose JC for several reasons - much of my clientele is in NJ, I require a vehicle for my business, and I enjoy the relative quiet of JC versus Manhattan. Plus I just like NJ more, as a state, since I was mostly raised in NJ. I moved to Downtown because from the moment I checked out the area, I enjoyed the vibe that I felt there. So, while some people live in JC because they cannot afford Manhattan, it is definitely not all people. This is not the JC of the 90's.
Regarding the rest of your post ... the crime maps are interesting, but for the most part the crime that occurs Downtown are petty crimes. Vandalism, auto break-ins, stuff like that. I know more about Jersey City and it's evolution over the years than you may think. I did not move here from Ohio. I grew up in NYC and North Jersey.
Even this crime map can show 90% of Downtown crime is not all from the projects. Just enter any Downtown landmark or address, set the results to 50 and pick the specific crimes like robbery, burglary, assault etc and see if 90% are in the projects. In reality probably 25% or less of the crime occurs there. Crime in Jersey City
Sorry, I'm calling BS on this. I think they're using some kind of smoothing that creates a distorted picture. Notice how the area around the edges is all dark Green (low crime), including, they would have you believe, the chunk of Bergen Lafayette that is nearest to Rt 78. They would also have you believe that Duncan avenue gets safer as you move towards the projects, and that the areas furthest from the city boundary are the most dangerous (including MLK, but excluding projects on Montgomery).
I would believe this if I saw the little crosses, but this picture by itself isn't very convincing.
FWIW, nj.com had a list of the top 10 crime spots. The two projects on Montgomery -- low rises and the tower, were two of them. The only one in "the real" downtown was Newport Mall (an obvious magnet for property crime)
Sorry, I'm calling BS on this. I think they're using some kind of smoothing that creates a distorted picture. Notice how the area around the edges is all dark Green (low crime), including, they would have you believe, the chunk of Bergen Lafayette that is nearest to Rt 78. They would also have you believe that Duncan avenue gets safer as you move towards the projects, and that the areas furthest from the city boundary are the most dangerous (including MLK, but excluding projects on Montgomery).
I would believe this if I saw the little crosses, but this picture by itself isn't very convincing.
FWIW, nj.com had a list of the top 10 crime spots. The two projects on Montgomery -- low rises and the tower, were two of them. The only one in "the real" downtown was Newport Mall (an obvious magnet for property crime)
I don't get why you think the map is BS, it shows concentrations of crime Duncan had 2 half empty buildings when this came out and the Eastern side of Lafayette doesn't have high crime the Western section of Lafayette does. Also this is from that same article you are referring to, it is part of a series.
I don't get why you think the map is BS, it shows concentrations of crime Duncan had 2 half empty buildings when this came out and the Eastern side of Lafayette doesn't have high crime the Western section of Lafayette does. Also this is from that same article you are referring to, it is part of a series.
Based on the appearance of the map, I think it was constructed using a method that biases it towards coming up with low numbers at the edges.
Basically, I think that they ran a Gaussian smoothing kernel over a pinpoint map of crimes, but that they didn't correct for boundary effects -- the fact that half of your Gaussian is hanging off the edge needs to be taken into account. The map looks exactly like what I would expect to see if they failed to do this.
A map that showed the original pinpoint locations would be more informative, if less aesthetically pleasing.
My son, young, single, professional, white(if that matters) and college grad lives in JC in the downtown area zip code 07302. He has a 2 year lease in an older building in a changing neighborhood (from the looks when I visit..changing for the better and Iam a suburban wimp). He likes the local bars (duh), walking to stores in his neighborhood, and easy access to NYC where many of his friends live and the city vibe in general. He has, however been rattled by the recent violence in other parts of the city..he grew up a suburban wimp but went to college in NY and loves city life now, warts and all. I worry about him, but he feels safe in his area of JC. Just a Mom's thoughts...unscientific.. no stats.
I had lived in downtown JC (Hamilton Park area - 07302) for the past 5 years before recently buying a house in the suburbs. I am a 30yr old male and I had found the area to be a bit creepy after dark to the point where I did not want to walk around alone at night. The main reason for this is the streets are basically deserted after 11pm. One night I saw a guy breaking into a car right in front of my apartment around 4am. Another time I saw a fight. If you have a car it is a nightmare getting in and out of downtown JC mainly because of the Holland Tunnel traffic. But on a positive note, the Path train is close by which makes for a very convenient commute into the city. I used to consider myself a "city guy" but I find I am much happier and relaxed in the suburbs and don't miss JC at all.
There are parts of Ft Greene that are actually safer than the area you are asking about. But the comparison would have to be block to block. The heights in the day time has people walking all over with mostly no problems. Ft Greene has areas that are still not great where I would not say the same but like most of the threads started here- this is not specific enough.
It would feel more genuine if it was more specific- as in what part of Ft Greene are you using for comparison?
Basically anyone that has lived in any of the 5 boroughs of NYC can live in JCH. It just depends, like I said on the neighborhood (area) you decide to live in.
Do ya research, I did. Sheesh, some people here make JCH seem like it's the pit of hell and it really isn't.
I've lived in the worse and the best of NYC and now I'm loving my new neighborhood and have no regrets of moving to JCH.
The only thing I have to get used to is that everything even the bodgeas (corner stores) close too dang early, lmaoooo.
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