South orange is becoming undesirable...

[Midwesterns45]

Originally Posted by jdwnyc60

Is the area of South Kingsman Rd, between South Orange Ave and Sinclair Terrace a nice and safe part of town? Looking at a home on this street.

Yes it's a nice area with well kept homes and good neighbors BUT as you already probably know it's within walking distance of vailsburg, newark. A lot of drug related homicides on near by streets like Sanford Avenue, St.paul avenue, smith street and Monticello Avenue. Definitely gang activity as well. Just a couple weeks ago an undercover cop shot and killed a 16 year old boy on Poe avenue who tried to rob him. It gets rougher as you head east down South Orange Avenue. Despite the proximity to the crime, that area remains stably upper middle class with the exception of Holland Road in South Orange which is a little rough around the edges with smaller & more rent stabilized housing. The streets are only lit with the gaslights at night so it's hard to see who is outside and I would defiantly lock my doors and install a home security system. Just use common sense. It all depends on your taste. Are you willing to pay high taxes for an area thats somewhat safe with the conveniences of a lot of services and wonders like the midtown direct, an average school system, elegant homes, beautiful parks and an excellent/unique sense of community OR won't you feel like you're getting a bang for your buck once you move in?

[professedknight]

Originally Posted by Whoelsebutcharles

First of all comparing the Newark area to the New Brunswick area is silly. New Brunswick is not the ghetto. It is a college town that may have some problems and lower life elements, but it is not part of the third world. As a resident of North Brunswick, I can tell you this area is nothing like the inner-ring suburbs of Newark. Is my town diverse? Yes, of all ethnicities, not just black and white (% of blacks in SO is more than twice NB). Is it ghetto? No. Schools have an excellent rep and the town offers excellent access to the general region. Franklin has many more problems, my friend's uncle works for the township, and every time I read the local paper about crime in the area it's always either in Franklin or Piscataway. And mostly it is in Franklin. Never in North Brunswick though. Our police force is excellent too. Still, I am in and out of Franklin, Pway and New Brunswick all the time and have never had any problems.

I never thought of South Orange as a bad place. It (and Maplewood) has some absolutely beautiful areas, but let's face it. It is also located right next to Newark, Irvington and Orange and East Orange. I'd be way more worried living there then here. A better comparison to the Newark area I think is what is happening around Trenton. Many of those towns in Mercer County - esp the ones directly bordering Trenton - are turning for the worst. I have been wise enough to stay away from Irvington, but I was once in East Orange and have been in Newark along McCarter Hwy frequently. I have gotten lost in Trenton as well. And based on those experiences I can say Trenton and East Orange are two of the most disgusting places I have ever seen. Worse than Newark. I'd be most worried about living near those places. Especially Trenton, and everytime I look it's getting worse around there. Like I said that whole area is a time bomb waiting to explode.

You don't appear to be well informed on your own area in New Brunswick, as it is very much an urban ghetto with multiple housing projects and a long history of gang turf violence that certainly overshadows the suburban Franklin Township, which only has Parkside & the Grove to claim as ghetto areas and both border New Brunswick across route 27 with its own much more dangerous Class Place, Wright Place and Paul Robeson Village.

Driving on Route 21 does not give you an authority to speak on Newark, and it's laughable that you would cite East Orange as being worse.
It's not even close. Since your perspective is from the peripheral, then just look at the numbers. Look at the murder rate in Newark (higher than Chicago) and the number of shootings.

[liamnwk]

Originally Posted by UrbanQuest

with research and extrapolation I can in confidence tell you that the k-5 age group population in these towns offer a more comprehensive idea of what's going on demographically. It also more accurately points to what the future holds for said town.

2007 k-5 age demographic stats;

West Orange: 38% white

South Orange: 51% white

Maplewood: 55% white

2008 stats;

West Orange: 35% white

South Orange: 54% white

Maplewood: 58% white

2009 stats;

West Orange: 33% white

South Orange: 56% white

Maplewood: 60% white


I split Montclair into Montclair proper and Upper Montclair

2008 stats;

Montclair: 46% white

Upper Montclair: 85% white

2009 stats;

Montclair: 47% white

Upper Montclair: 86% white


Important note: West Orange has had a large influx of people of color with a healthy economic profile (as most of them now have). It's just to bad the middle class black youths and alot of others for that matter feel they must emulate their poorer counterparts who have to live a much different life which understandingly leads to their self-destructive behavior. Maybe they think their "keeping it real", but's that's such an old line now for heavens sake. You don't have to start listening to Dave Matthews, sporting popped collars or anything, but the ghetto in "ghetto fabulous" needs to be retired. Fabulous is just fine. I imagine the ratio of upper echelon blacks in particular is 60/40 with the former aspiring to "thug life" for their ode to adolescent rebellion. I do believe that trend is heading towards more healthy rebellious behavior. Drugs, alcohol and drag racing...lol

Exactly!!!!! I hung out at the south orange star bucks and the black kids kept saying "niggga" over and over... These were like urkel look alikes. Young teen black and white girls are screaming obnoxiousily and kept twerking in yoga pants. On a pervy side.. Nice but it gets annoying real fast

[Kthnry]

You resuscitated a thread that was last active in January 2011 because ... ?

[professedknight]

Originally Posted by Kthnry

You resuscitated a thread that was last active in January 2011 because ... ?

Because it's not just still relevant, it is increasingly so.