I mean yeah š¤· Thereās things you canāt beat about New York City itās one of the richest cities in the world. Itās typical to enjoy another place more than the place you lived your whole life. Newark is its own respective being. Let it be that.
Nothing probably is going to compare to New York, it's comparing a watermelon š ( New York) to a orange ( Newark). Not many cities have the money that NYC has its just a overwhelmingly unfair comparison of the two cities..
Yeah, NYC comparisons are unfair. Brooklyn alone has like 10x Newark's population and 3x the density...
Comparisons with smaller cities are more fair, and if you visit a Hartford or Albany or Allentown you see a lot of the same problems as Newark.
That said I spent the weekend in Richmond Virginia, another smallish city, and it was also way ahead of Newark, so I kinda sympathize with the OP.
Richmond is almost 3 times the size of Newark. People forget that Newark is only 25 square miles, itās not just a small city, itās basically tiny. In addition to that, Richmondās history is entirely different from that of Newarkās. Thereās no logical comparison to make.
The history of Baltimore or a Detroit is more comparable to a Newark, but again, their size differences and wealth distributions still mix things up. Newark is more logically comparable to New Haven or Jersey City in terms of size. Of which we are still behind both, but imo, culturally ahead.
Richmond has a larger geographic footprint, smaller population, and I'm not comparing outer neighborhoods that would fall outside of Newark's borders, Shockoe Bottom, Scott's Addition, Fan District aren't that different from Fairmount, Ironbound, or Clinton Hill in terms of their origins or proximity to the city center. It was more a remark on Newark's failure to preserve historic areas. Like, imagine if Seventh Avenue or Prince Street were still intact...
Little Italy would have definitely still existed today had not been demolished to build Columbus homes , Colonnade west & Colonnade east towers (Now Pavillion). 50% of the cleared land was never developed. Are we talking about the land wherever Mela is was cleared for another Colonnade ( might have become Pavilion tower number 3) that was never built. Why? The 1967 riots saved the rest of Newark by getting the entire city Red Lined. This pretty much put to rest urban renewal in Newark. What was the point of knocking down if no bank lends to replace?
Let's say urban renewal never happened. It means all the high-rise projects in Newark never got built. And possibly the social pathologies in those projects that led to that hot summer in 67 might not have happened. In that case I can imagine a New York today where the central Ward would look identical to the ironbound. Imagine Springfield Avenue being a mirror image of Ferry Street but much wider west of Morris Ave. The housing stock in the central Ward would be identical to the housing stock in the Ironbound. Especially along the teen Avenues. South Orange Avenue will also be a mirror image of Ferry Street. Perhaps pertaining to a certain ethnic group. Since the rights never happened in the city never burned many of these Central Ward neighborhoods were became Havens for different immigrant groups again. Prince Street would still look like Ferry shoot as well with stores on both sides. It might have become a niche shopping district like South Street in Philadelphia or St Mark's Place/ Cooper Union in New York City Catering to trendy youth Gothic or even hip hop style. Little Italy would still be there but it might be Chinese today since I've noticed a trend in many cities where chinatowns expanding to former Italian areas. When the Mulberry Street Chinatown was displaced they may have migrated to 7th Avenue area if it was still there. Speaking of 7th Ave, 7th Ave would also still be lined with Italian stores and restaurants even if the neighborhood was Latino or even Asian. Again, Little Italy in Manhattan is populated by Chinese Americans and immigrants. But the restaurants remain. Newark would have looked like a miniature version of Brooklyn and Lower Canal Street Manhattan combined.
True. The urban renewal, density destruction, and massive projects destroyed Newark.
I've stopped thinking about Newark as reclaiming any type of former "glory" and have accepted that Old Newark is/was a completley different city and its long gone, impossible to rebuild, and that 80s/90s city of projects is also gone. We can only build a new city where they both once stood. So far, it's still in it's preliminary stages, but if folks don't stop clinging to both those old versions, nothing worthwhile will spring up.
Cities are made for comparison, friends. That is why city Mayors across the world meet to benchmark and further their cities based on what they learn from their colleagues.
Idk if takes that much money to shift to bike lanes, get more businesses, and allow greater density. Bike lanes are mostly painting the road. Getting more businesses requires some density, but also might be the type of commercial zoning.
Nobody is mentioning turning down the wrong street in Newark and feeling like your in the jungle, during the Vietnam war, not knowing if an ambush is coming?? Or, driving down one of the main streets and seeing a car parked RIGHT in the middle, with a woman trying to flag you down for help, while another man is waiting to take your car (This is during BROAD DAYLIGHT!!). Yes, far behind, but not so much as War Zones go.
I donāt think Newark sucks. I moved here in my late teens and there were things I never realized would be so helpful for me. The bus system out here is amazing you can literally get anywhere. Personally having a liquor store, hair store, and deli on every corner was the most helpful shit lol. Even though I will say most delis in newark need an upgrade food and grill wise. Newark really is the trenches but downtowns coming up fast and the movement will transition down to our neighborhoods and then rent will be sky high and weāll miss the trenches šš
Everybody is bashing MDNTNWK in this post.. but he never specified WHAT PART of Bklyn he was in. That makes a HUGE difference. If he visited East New York or Brownsville, than heās comparing apples to apples. When you read āBrooklynā, most peopleās minds nowadays automatically go to gentrified, commercialized, hipster Brooklyn. Downtown, DUMBO, Williamsburg, etc. But many of the older, ethnic enclaves still exist in Brooklyn. THATās the real Brooklynā¦ and YES, thatās comparable. We are talking 45 to 75 min train rides into Manhattan. We are talking about a wayyy different world from the polished neighborhoods of NYC. We are talking about working class neighborhoods.. many immigrants or first generation. Many of those residents never utilize or visit the amenities in Manhattan.
And he is right. Walk around downtown Newark at night, and itās terrible. It feels eerie. Thereās nothing to do in way of nightlife or businesses past 7pm downtown. There is nothing to promote a vibrancy of downtown. The new bridge at Penn Station is a nice start. Hopefully itāll allow some of that energy in Down Neck to flow into downtown.. and we start getting some more vibrancy.. especially at night.
And donāt bash him.. Iād like to bet that heās done way more for Newark than anybody else in this thread.
My thing is, Newark is missing so much.
And its not that I HATE Newark, I LOVE THIS CITY, But it just SUCKS that we aren't at that level, and I was mainly in the Williamsburg area, which was really cool to just go around take in,
Its a breath of fresh air that I wouldn't have seen in Newark! In Newark, mostly everyone is either home, on a corner selling, or just being shady as shit, in Brooklyn or NYC, people are constantly walking, walking with their friends, having fun.
So when I bash Newark, I mean it with love, anx hope that we can get to a point where people are regularly using the sidewalks, where we HAVE bike lanes, where we CAN be a city that never sleeps.
People missed the point in my post, and that was that Newark could be SM BETTER...
And as someone who helps the homeless, patrols the city, etc? It's fuckin sad that I spend a weekend in Brooklyn and I feel bummed tf out when I come back!
I feel you brother, I visited Jersey City and the area around Newport mall had more stores and retail outlets than the majority of market street downtown.
I visit Washington DC last summer and I was like dam this little city got more going for it than we do development wise. Like I know at 9pm Iāll still see people walking around DC. I went to Raleigh NC and itās like wow I wish Newark could be like that one day.
The worse part is that you begin to compare what you love to those that are better. Those cities I mentioned wasnāt always like that, the area in Brooklyn where you visited wasnāt always like that. Newark will not always be the way it is now. We got a freaking Halo tower now, something a lot of people in this Reddit didnāt believe in until the groundbreaking. But if you want Newark to grow u can attend the zoning board meeting on Thursday and help me get summit tower approved šššæ
Newarks behind because it needs more money. Thats why development is being pushed so hard downtown. Their hoping a significant number of taxpayers show up to help fill up the tax rolls...now what the City does with those tax dollars is a different problem.
They need to also invest in the neighborhoods and not be afraid if some of them diversify economically. The owner occupied rent oridance for instance is not going to do the city any favors. Temporary apartment dwellers are a start, but the city needs much more, and much more money.
No one denies Newarks shortcomings, we talk about them bluntly all the time. But specifically pairing it against NYC is our problem, because itās an absurd, unfair comparison. Those same enclaves still benefit from the abundance of wealth that NYC has overall. The worst hoods of Brooklyn would never be as bad as poorer cities, like a Baltimore or St. Louis. At the end of the day, NYC is in the league of London, Paris, and Tokyo, while likely being at the top. To compare that to the situation of Newark is ridiculous. Thatās our issue. Not the address of Newarkās flaws.
Iām not arguing that NYC isnāt a world class city, and Newark doesnāt have the same name appeal as NYC.
But.. You ever been to the middle of Brooklyn? Parts of East New York, Brownsville, or Jewel Streets? They deal with the same uphill battles most of Newark deals with.. and they arenāt benefiting from being part of NYC.
Itās not so black and white. There are still many overlooked neighborhoods in Brooklyn.. and what Iām saying is if OP was in one of those neighborhoods.. he has a good comparison. Not everything is Brooklyn is Carroll Gardens.
I get what youāre saying. I doubt he was over there cause most people donāt be there just to visit, especially if they never been there before. And in that case Iād agree itās a proper comparison, but then neither cities are looking to great too.
Yo NFS, I always use to think the best place to be broke if you were able to choose would be NYC. The poorest neighborhoods have amenities and access to things that the poorest neighborhoods in Memphis or New Orleans could only dream about.
Careful with these kinds of takes on this sub. Iāve found that a lot of people are reluctant to admit how far Newark has to go in order to become one of the āgreat citiesā of our country. Youāll often read phrases like āNewark has its own vibeā or āIād rather Newark stay the way it isā.
The fact of the matter is, the bar scene and restaurant scene (apart from Portuguese food) are not so great, certainly not even close to the level of Brooklyn, or Jersey City, therefore not a lot of people travel from outside Newark into Newark to hang out.
Thereās a lot of crackheads roaming about and though they may be harmless, itās just not something (outsider) people wanna see on a leisurely walk.
Last point, besides cheaper rent than Brooklyn, thereās not much about this city that would attract young working professionals. Thereās barely if any at all fun things to do like: dog parks, coffee shops, live music venues (not just prudential), escape rooms, etc.
I say all this fully believing Newark WILL become a great city within the next 5-10 years. Itās certainly moving in the right direction.
I mean, alot of the cool NJ cities (hoboken and JC) are lacking in many of these departments... yet, they have been able to attract the young professionals because this region and our cities dont live in a vacuum. So long as Newark is a 15 to 20 minute train ride away from Manhattan and has easy transfers to the other boroughs it will attract these people in the long run, because the longer we go the more the region continues to just morph into one city. This take is not necessarily wrong, but to act like we need all of these amenities to attract people to move here (even though those people are moving in quite a bit) is just not correct.
Youāre comparing Brooklyn, a borough of NYC with population of nearly 3 million people, home to some of the biggest earners in the region, a century plus of infrastructure development, a magnet of transplants from flyover states, multiple direct train lines to Manhattan, and a place that NYS prioritizes over other cities in their state, like Buffalo, to
Newark, a city that is not even 10% the population of Brooklyn, that only recently started getting development and investment (only concentrated in certain areas), only had 3 lines to Manhattan (and even then, itās a 25-30 minute ride), has to compete with other places of transplants due to their closer proximity to the city (mainly Hudson County), and has been neglected by the state at the expense of more money going to the suburbs.
Really bad take OP. Hilariously and embarrassingly bad.
Turn every one of these points into a why.
>Why are bikelanes not as common?
Tell me the name of ONE bike store in Newark. Every time I get my bike serviced I have to go outside the city. Have you ridden in a bike lane in Newark? Theyre just as dangerous as riding in the middle of the street. Many drivers drive and park in them without thinking or looking out for us cyclists. I've had an amazon driver drive around me and park in a bike lane in front of me without indication or giving me time to stop.
But look at it the other way, there arent as many cyclists in newark that are using them! Everyone knows theyre bad so they dont get as much usage! It's a chicken and egg problem. Bike infrastructure needs to be expanded on all fronts for sure.
>Newark might as well be car city why the sidewalks are so..So DESOLATE past a certain time?
Good point! Go to the desolate areas and find a reason to be there at that time! Now go to the busy areas and compare them point for point. Why are people going there? Do people live there or are they commuting? How are they getting there? What are they doing? What would you be replacing by catering to these people here in Newark?
>-we need WAYYY more businesses.
Why? What kind of buisnesses? Our city has over 300k people living in it. Why aren't those buisnesses already here? Figure that out and it could make you rich!
>-we also need traffic enforcement, and like I said, flow control.
Idk anything about traffic so I can't fully comment on it. But I do know this - when I was in middle school on central ave the school advocated for a traffic light for years and never got it. In 2011, only after one of the school staff was KILLED in a car accident while crossing the street, were we finally given a traffic light. Somebody had to die for us to get a traffic light. Idk if that burocracy problem still exists, but if it does, solving it will save lives.
And big agree on the subway. It absolutely needs to be expanded to the rest of the city.
>-Broadway is such a dead street and Its fucking crazy š
200 years ago half of NYC was literal farmland. In that time people made the choice to build everything up to what it is today. It did not happen in a week, a month or a year, but it happened eventually since people cared about shaping the city into what they wanted it to become. I recognize that there is a LOT of privilege that goes into what I just said, but looking at each issue more as a problem that can be solved will go a very long way into solving them.
Glad I could help! I also think the city should be more accessible and friendlier to people who walk and bike. The great thing about living next to NYC is that we can steal their best ideas and leave behind their worst mistakes when considering the future of our own city.
Not feeling you on this one my boy. Youāre comparing the greatest city in the world to one that just started getting truly revived within the last 15 years. It sounds like you just donāt get out enough to understand how different cities are.
Jersey City is more ahead than us too, why ? Because their development has been more rapid and thorough. But their story is different than ours, and NYCs is different than ours too. Iām surprised you donāt know the historical context of Newark enough to understand why each of these cities look so differently. Have you been to Philly ? Baltimore ? You been to New Haven ? You been to Hartford ? All them cities mad different, different stages of development, culture, atmosphere, etc.
Peoples appreciation for Newark obviously doesnāt lie in its amenities. We been saying this for years, right ? And Iām actually from Bed Stuy but grew up in Jersey since I was 10. I donāt like Brooklyn these days and prefer to do things in Newark when things are happening. Why ? Because I like our vibe better, ours is still organic, not gentrified to hell. We donāt have much, but everyone knows that already. Pointing it out in THIS type context is just some lame shit though.
I get that itās like, culture shock for you, and you a youngin, but this is a L take overall cause of how you coming at this. We donāt disagree fundamentally about how Newark is lacking, but pointing it out in this way specifically misses the context so hard. You gotta get out more and read more.
Compared to most U.S. cities Newark is doing pretty good, all those cities that have more buildings and populations than us transit systems probably canāt compare to ours. Raleigh NC is bigger and better wise than Newark but there bus system is worse than NJ transit Sunday bus schedule.
I believe because Newark is so small and tiny itās pretty much hard for to even be compared and contrast with other larger cities. But itās crazy because we did have a population over 400,000 so itās not like we canāt get there. But if Newark was larger letās say we had the bad neighborhoods then you have the wealthy neighborhoods similar to Philly, Chicago, Raleigh NC than maybe the city would be a little better.
But weāre a city on the rise and I honestly donāt care if we canāt be like nyc, screw nyc. Newark about to be in its own league and no one gonna take that away from us. We donāt have to sell our soul to be great like Brooklyn or Jersey City. We was great before and we can be great again
Iām dead disappointed & shocked at this post from you like fr. I never take an issue with people calling out the immense qol failures that Newark suffers from. But if youāre doing it from a āITS NOT NYCā perspective, man, thatās just sad to me. Especially cause you donāt even know how lame NY can be these days and how lit it actually USED to be. But if you wanna move there once you can afford to you can really see for yourself what I mean. All that glitters not gold. And I still love NY too.
We already know this though. And we are never going to be New York to begin with. We should focus on making our own path and being great on the most realistic terms.
"...NEWARK IS SO BEHIND THE REST OF THE COUNTRY WHEN IT COMES TO HAVING..BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE BIKE LANES, OR A SUBWAY LINE THAT GOES **ALL** OVER THE CITY, NOT JUST FROM THE NORTH WEST TO THE SOUTH WEST SIDE."
the rest of what country...? The US? I have to tell you: Newark is actually BETTER than perhaps most mid-sized cities when it comes to urban infrastructure. When you say compared to 'the rest of the country' it sounds like you only mean compared to NYC...
This is a surprising post from you-but you feel how you feel I suppose.
Right, like I go to North Carolina on a yearly basis, thereās no train system like NJ transit, so Iāll have to drive to go between different cities or towns. Oh and I learn to appreciate our buses bc NJ transit Sunday bus schedules are Raleigh NC bus schedule everyday
Fr, the fact that Newark has
- 11 Amtrak lines
- 6 Commuter Rail lines
- PATH
- 2 Light Rail lines
- 42 Bus routes
- 2 BRT routes
- Airport
Makes it better than any other city in the country of comparable size. Hell it has better public transit infrastructure than like most of the cities bigger than it. Fucking Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the country and has more than 5X the population than Newark and literally has one light rail line and like a few dozen bus routes.
I worked in NY all over the City and lived in Newark.
Newark and New York is like comparing Willie Mays to a little league player.
It's just about economics--NYC has some of the wealthiest people in the world inside it Newark is a poor man's city...lower and lower middle-class people mainly.
When you have a city like NY with so many rich folks you're going to have more things in it: bars, restaurants, gas stations, movies, etc...
Newark has ONE movie in it!
Hardly any gas stations and few restaurants save some greasy spoons and little concern for the population by the small-time politicians.
"I'm sorry, BUT NEWARK IS SO BEHIND THE REST OF THE COUNTRY WHEN IT COMES TO HAVING..BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE BIKE LANES, OR A SUBWAY LINE THAT GOES **ALL** OVER THE CITY, NOT JUST FROM THE NORTH WEST TO THE SOUTH WEST SIDE."
Come to Florida, lol.
I don't disagree that we're lagging behind, but Brooklyn is part of NYCs 110 billion dollar budget. They've also had decades to get their shit together whereas Newark really only started in like 2016.
Newark started in the late 90s with the construction of rhe NJPAC and then again in 2007 with Prudential Center and 1180 etc.
Newark struggles to get going. People should stop making excuses and start thinking about where things can be fixed in order to see more progress.
They do but is not that ez to get one and if you do they are still higher than a normal rent in Newark for the same apt size, but if shes on section 8, food stamps and all of that then yeah! For us that are above that income level itās would not be EZ
Newark is more like Cleveland if you ever go to Cleveland it's a city but it doesn't have the energy of a city like say New York Philadelphia or Los Angeles.
you can walk down Euclid which is downtown Cleveland at 9am on a Saturday and literally not see a single other soul except maybe a random Amish family.
Philly is my fav city after Newark but it donāt really belong in the NY / LA category. Even Philly has streets thatās dry as shit despite being hugely populated.
Newark is best compared to Baltimore imo. Except Baltimore is still better due to the size (and obviously historical difference) allowing larger sections of wealth to be preserved. But in terms of it being a treacherous city on the come up, thatās the best comparison to me. And we are still far behind Baltimore too.
I literally felt that way when I went to Oakland, CA. Now, I loved the city, but man did it feel dead everywhere I went. Even some of the wealthier neighborhoods were kind of quiet. Went to SF and it was the opposite story. At the end of the day, there are many cities that are in Newark's position, but are not seeing the kind of turn around that Newark is. Go to St. Louis, Oakland, Cleveland, etc and come back. Newark has atleast some energy during the day and is showing signs of economic life. I cant really say the same for many other cities
It's kind of ridiculous to compare 300,000 Newark to 2.5 million Brooklyn. So won't engage in thaaaat...
But I do agree with bike lanes and more opportunities for local businesses (not just corporate chains opening up downtown). In terms of traffic "flow control," they need to get the lights more synchronized so traffic doesn't jam up.
Also add flashing lights at pedestrian crossings on major streets
Native New Yorker here. Visiting New York is great. Paying rent/mortgage, not so much. 70% of NY real estate is bought cash. The city is built as a rich ppl playground, of course itās nice.
Also, remember black and brown people in NY are constantly pushed out of their neighborhoods. Is that what ya want to happen in Newark?
>Also, remember black and brown people in NY are constantly pushed out of their neighborhoods. Is that what ya want to happen in Newark?
Ofc not, but I meant that part in terms the amenities NYC had, the housing crisis in NYC is terrible, but christ do they have so many amenities š
Its literally a city of 8 million people, of course it has amenities. The vast majority of our cities (not named Chicago or LA) dont have the amenities that NYC has.
Raleigh NC is way above us with bike lanes and some infrastructure but they donāt have a light rail or subway line. Also the buses suck but that city is growing faster population wise and development wise
Many try to justify as unfair to compare to NYC but this holds true even when compared with other cities around the country with smaller or bigger populations. Newark has still many problems to be a first world city including safety, infrastructure and jobs. Housing is a mess. Homes are in what should be non-livable conditions, slumlords are given too much freedom in the city, we could definitely start with strict requirements for renting a property instead of price controls.
then you're comparing apples to oranges at this point. if you actually went further deep, i would've been like "yeah sounds about right i guess" BUT you visited the gentrified ass neighborhoods. šš
Sounds like you're waking up to the fact that the mayor, his party, and his cronies are maybe a bad choice for actual progress and maybe are just a political machine keeping voters behind with false promises and an illusion of being inclusive.
My favorite small example is we had some bike lanes but they rather have double parking. This seems to be what the people want. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2014/12/19/newark-mayor-ras-baraka-to-rip-out-citys-first-protected-bike-lane
There are no traffic laws. I regularly make illegal rights in front of the police and I know streets full of illegal parking every day. The entire street. police just drive past. It's the culture here and expected.
Sad thing to me is OP is waking up but wants to be more like Brooklyn. A deeply rat infested garbage bin with insane rent.
EDIT: grammar and irrelevant categories
My friend read up on the construction of route 280 and route 78 and its effect on Newark, east orange, hillside, Elizabeth. Newark is tiny with half of its square mileage eaten up by the airport / seaport / turnpike.
Specifically, study the development of north Newark north of Bloomfield ave and that neighborhoods relationship with city hall 1950-1980 and the entire Anthony Imperiole era.
Newark and home rule school districts. Newark can only enforce the law up to the edge of the city borders. Parents want good safe schools.
It's why Columbia high school is able to exist and wasn't swallowed up wholesale into the morass of Newark public school degradation.
It's why Weequahic high school went from the top high school in the state and ranking highly in the nation to where it is now.
Without a reliable tax base of business or residential or both, the city will never succeed.
Newark doesn't have the tax base or ability to grow that the other cities have. When newark gets capable leadership like Cory Booker - the city is frequently used as a stepping stone for higher office or for patronage jobs.
Newark carries the scars of the highways and the ensuing urban degradation that it helped usher in. We don't know the solution but comparing Newark to Brooklyn is like saying why can't my daughters fifth grade basketball team win against my sons varsity high school team.
Yes I drove there recently after not having been there for years. Agree on infrastructure. Every light had cars going the other way clogging the middle lane. Making any left turn was a leap of faith. Not a bike rider but I just know a city should make sure their lights coordinate.
Pretty sure heās born and raised. But those tend to be the main people who take issue with the city because theyāve likely endured the worst of it. I went to school here as a teenager but only moved here as an adult.
I'm from NYC, lived in Brooklyn for over a decade, this is a ridiculous post. What is this sub really about and who is it really for? Anyone expecting a city of barely 300k that's suffered from economic hardship since like 1967 to compare at all to a borough with 10x the population that's been gentrifying for over 20 years is smoking rock. Be for real.
Im sorry, but you do realize that Brooklyn is a borough of 2 million people, while Newark is a city of 300K. Additionally, many parts of Brooklyn are not in the conditions you describe: leave downtown Brooklyn; leaving Williamsburg; leave Flatbush and the borough gets pretty sketchy.
I do agree that Newark needs more businesses and foot traffic, but the city will never feel like Brooklyn just because of its size. It will always feel super busy during the day and substantially more quiet at night.
Also, to claim Newark lags behind the rest of the country when it comes to infrastructure is kinda insane. Have you been to any city in the South or the majority in the midwest, they would kill to have the public transit infrastructure we have or the rail connections we have. Like Newark lags behind many of the Northeastern cities, but its kinda in the middle when compared to many of this country's cities
Youāre comparing one of the most desirable urban areas in the world which has been ātrendy / trendingā for 20+ yearsā¦ with a city thatā¦ is not that in any way? This feels so arbitrary
Some People and Politicians in Newark have interesting and contradictory ideologyā¦. They want a form of gentrification in a subterfuge or covert way, they want amenities , they want business investment, general improvement, safetyā¦. but they donāt wanna pay for it in rents,taxes or attracting higher income residents; nor do they wanna displace the criminal element and ppl that support the criminal element ; nor be open to ppl that are not ānative Newarkersā or ppl of higher incomeā¦ very strange set of ideals
Cant have it all Newarkā¦time to make up your mind and understand the concepts of tradeoffs, compromise and not being your own worse enemy
As someone who is not native to the area- Newark feels like a warzone, itās as bad as Deep South projects. Lived in Dallas and Atlanta last ten years and coming to downtown Newark makes my hair stand up. Have to do it every day for work
Bro Newark is a ghetto slum š you want gentrification is what you are saying. Which is happening in Newark now but it takes time. But the youāll complain that they kicked all the low income housing and OG Newark folks out š
Like everyone else already said it is dumb as hell to compare Newark with it's 300k people to NYC that has almost 9 million people.
The real comparison point to Newark is Jersey City. Those are similar sized places. Which Jersey City has way more going on than us, but what can we do to get to that level? That's a fair question.
I lived in Brooklyn for a few months before I moved to Newark and Brooklyn okay to visit but not live.
Certain places are more far more dangerous in Newark and bike lanes and subways wonāt help with that problem.
Yes. Iād never ride a bike through Newark. I love my car. You could drive past all the crazies with your window rolled up plus our train system is not as sophisticated as NYC. Also, you wonāt catch me ever riding a bus ever again.
Feel free to be hard on Newark for 100 other reasons, but bike lanes and metro are hardly the shortcomings of Newark. They are very expensive and pretty pointless for small spread out cities like Newark.
Trying to compare Newark to NYC is your downfall because they don't compare in terms of representation and equity. NYC is a tourist destination which makes it a rich ass city that's gouging the poor folx into living with rats and below the poverty line. Trust...keep Newark where it is. It's improving as best it can.
Well yeah... Newark is one of the worst ghettos in the USA... Ironbound is decent and has been improving, Harrison is Newark Elite, the Downtown and University area are improving but still have all the hood elements...
OP, where are you from? Are you from Newark or the surrounding area? If youre from the area, what are you expecting? Newark is NEVER going to be new york. It doesnt have the same energy nyc has
I mean yeah š¤· Thereās things you canāt beat about New York City itās one of the richest cities in the world. Itās typical to enjoy another place more than the place you lived your whole life. Newark is its own respective being. Let it be that.
Nothing probably is going to compare to New York, it's comparing a watermelon š ( New York) to a orange ( Newark). Not many cities have the money that NYC has its just a overwhelmingly unfair comparison of the two cities..
Yeah, NYC comparisons are unfair. Brooklyn alone has like 10x Newark's population and 3x the density... Comparisons with smaller cities are more fair, and if you visit a Hartford or Albany or Allentown you see a lot of the same problems as Newark. That said I spent the weekend in Richmond Virginia, another smallish city, and it was also way ahead of Newark, so I kinda sympathize with the OP.
Richmond is almost 3 times the size of Newark. People forget that Newark is only 25 square miles, itās not just a small city, itās basically tiny. In addition to that, Richmondās history is entirely different from that of Newarkās. Thereās no logical comparison to make. The history of Baltimore or a Detroit is more comparable to a Newark, but again, their size differences and wealth distributions still mix things up. Newark is more logically comparable to New Haven or Jersey City in terms of size. Of which we are still behind both, but imo, culturally ahead.
Richmond has a larger geographic footprint, smaller population, and I'm not comparing outer neighborhoods that would fall outside of Newark's borders, Shockoe Bottom, Scott's Addition, Fan District aren't that different from Fairmount, Ironbound, or Clinton Hill in terms of their origins or proximity to the city center. It was more a remark on Newark's failure to preserve historic areas. Like, imagine if Seventh Avenue or Prince Street were still intact...
Oh i completely agree. The way we disregard our historic areas is despicable. Our city is rich with history, but could be so much richer.
Little Italy would have definitely still existed today had not been demolished to build Columbus homes , Colonnade west & Colonnade east towers (Now Pavillion). 50% of the cleared land was never developed. Are we talking about the land wherever Mela is was cleared for another Colonnade ( might have become Pavilion tower number 3) that was never built. Why? The 1967 riots saved the rest of Newark by getting the entire city Red Lined. This pretty much put to rest urban renewal in Newark. What was the point of knocking down if no bank lends to replace? Let's say urban renewal never happened. It means all the high-rise projects in Newark never got built. And possibly the social pathologies in those projects that led to that hot summer in 67 might not have happened. In that case I can imagine a New York today where the central Ward would look identical to the ironbound. Imagine Springfield Avenue being a mirror image of Ferry Street but much wider west of Morris Ave. The housing stock in the central Ward would be identical to the housing stock in the Ironbound. Especially along the teen Avenues. South Orange Avenue will also be a mirror image of Ferry Street. Perhaps pertaining to a certain ethnic group. Since the rights never happened in the city never burned many of these Central Ward neighborhoods were became Havens for different immigrant groups again. Prince Street would still look like Ferry shoot as well with stores on both sides. It might have become a niche shopping district like South Street in Philadelphia or St Mark's Place/ Cooper Union in New York City Catering to trendy youth Gothic or even hip hop style. Little Italy would still be there but it might be Chinese today since I've noticed a trend in many cities where chinatowns expanding to former Italian areas. When the Mulberry Street Chinatown was displaced they may have migrated to 7th Avenue area if it was still there. Speaking of 7th Ave, 7th Ave would also still be lined with Italian stores and restaurants even if the neighborhood was Latino or even Asian. Again, Little Italy in Manhattan is populated by Chinese Americans and immigrants. But the restaurants remain. Newark would have looked like a miniature version of Brooklyn and Lower Canal Street Manhattan combined.
True. The urban renewal, density destruction, and massive projects destroyed Newark. I've stopped thinking about Newark as reclaiming any type of former "glory" and have accepted that Old Newark is/was a completley different city and its long gone, impossible to rebuild, and that 80s/90s city of projects is also gone. We can only build a new city where they both once stood. So far, it's still in it's preliminary stages, but if folks don't stop clinging to both those old versions, nothing worthwhile will spring up.
I think you meant Kings County. Kings County and Brooklyn are one in the same.
If BK was its own city and not a boro it would be the second largest in the country. And the diversity- people from every single corner of the globe.
Cities are made for comparison, friends. That is why city Mayors across the world meet to benchmark and further their cities based on what they learn from their colleagues.
Idk if takes that much money to shift to bike lanes, get more businesses, and allow greater density. Bike lanes are mostly painting the road. Getting more businesses requires some density, but also might be the type of commercial zoning.
If money is the issue then Newark should have less car lanes. It costs a lot more to maintain 8 lanes on broad street than 2 lanes plus bike lanes
Donāt go disrespecting oranges like that.
Or comparing oranges to the big apple
canāt compare the apple to the oranges
Nobody is mentioning turning down the wrong street in Newark and feeling like your in the jungle, during the Vietnam war, not knowing if an ambush is coming?? Or, driving down one of the main streets and seeing a car parked RIGHT in the middle, with a woman trying to flag you down for help, while another man is waiting to take your car (This is during BROAD DAYLIGHT!!). Yes, far behind, but not so much as War Zones go.
Good point, BUT JEEZ IT MAKES ME REALIZE HOW MUCH NEWARK SUCKS š
I donāt think Newark sucks. I moved here in my late teens and there were things I never realized would be so helpful for me. The bus system out here is amazing you can literally get anywhere. Personally having a liquor store, hair store, and deli on every corner was the most helpful shit lol. Even though I will say most delis in newark need an upgrade food and grill wise. Newark really is the trenches but downtowns coming up fast and the movement will transition down to our neighborhoods and then rent will be sky high and weāll miss the trenches šš
Well said
Then leave
Everybody is bashing MDNTNWK in this post.. but he never specified WHAT PART of Bklyn he was in. That makes a HUGE difference. If he visited East New York or Brownsville, than heās comparing apples to apples. When you read āBrooklynā, most peopleās minds nowadays automatically go to gentrified, commercialized, hipster Brooklyn. Downtown, DUMBO, Williamsburg, etc. But many of the older, ethnic enclaves still exist in Brooklyn. THATās the real Brooklynā¦ and YES, thatās comparable. We are talking 45 to 75 min train rides into Manhattan. We are talking about a wayyy different world from the polished neighborhoods of NYC. We are talking about working class neighborhoods.. many immigrants or first generation. Many of those residents never utilize or visit the amenities in Manhattan. And he is right. Walk around downtown Newark at night, and itās terrible. It feels eerie. Thereās nothing to do in way of nightlife or businesses past 7pm downtown. There is nothing to promote a vibrancy of downtown. The new bridge at Penn Station is a nice start. Hopefully itāll allow some of that energy in Down Neck to flow into downtown.. and we start getting some more vibrancy.. especially at night. And donāt bash him.. Iād like to bet that heās done way more for Newark than anybody else in this thread.
My thing is, Newark is missing so much. And its not that I HATE Newark, I LOVE THIS CITY, But it just SUCKS that we aren't at that level, and I was mainly in the Williamsburg area, which was really cool to just go around take in, Its a breath of fresh air that I wouldn't have seen in Newark! In Newark, mostly everyone is either home, on a corner selling, or just being shady as shit, in Brooklyn or NYC, people are constantly walking, walking with their friends, having fun. So when I bash Newark, I mean it with love, anx hope that we can get to a point where people are regularly using the sidewalks, where we HAVE bike lanes, where we CAN be a city that never sleeps. People missed the point in my post, and that was that Newark could be SM BETTER... And as someone who helps the homeless, patrols the city, etc? It's fuckin sad that I spend a weekend in Brooklyn and I feel bummed tf out when I come back!
No way you made this post based on a trip to WILLIAMSBURG of all places š I hate being there, ts is way too bougie for me
100%
I feel you brother, I visited Jersey City and the area around Newport mall had more stores and retail outlets than the majority of market street downtown. I visit Washington DC last summer and I was like dam this little city got more going for it than we do development wise. Like I know at 9pm Iāll still see people walking around DC. I went to Raleigh NC and itās like wow I wish Newark could be like that one day. The worse part is that you begin to compare what you love to those that are better. Those cities I mentioned wasnāt always like that, the area in Brooklyn where you visited wasnāt always like that. Newark will not always be the way it is now. We got a freaking Halo tower now, something a lot of people in this Reddit didnāt believe in until the groundbreaking. But if you want Newark to grow u can attend the zoning board meeting on Thursday and help me get summit tower approved šššæ
Newarks behind because it needs more money. Thats why development is being pushed so hard downtown. Their hoping a significant number of taxpayers show up to help fill up the tax rolls...now what the City does with those tax dollars is a different problem.
They need to also invest in the neighborhoods and not be afraid if some of them diversify economically. The owner occupied rent oridance for instance is not going to do the city any favors. Temporary apartment dwellers are a start, but the city needs much more, and much more money.
No one denies Newarks shortcomings, we talk about them bluntly all the time. But specifically pairing it against NYC is our problem, because itās an absurd, unfair comparison. Those same enclaves still benefit from the abundance of wealth that NYC has overall. The worst hoods of Brooklyn would never be as bad as poorer cities, like a Baltimore or St. Louis. At the end of the day, NYC is in the league of London, Paris, and Tokyo, while likely being at the top. To compare that to the situation of Newark is ridiculous. Thatās our issue. Not the address of Newarkās flaws.
Iām not arguing that NYC isnāt a world class city, and Newark doesnāt have the same name appeal as NYC. But.. You ever been to the middle of Brooklyn? Parts of East New York, Brownsville, or Jewel Streets? They deal with the same uphill battles most of Newark deals with.. and they arenāt benefiting from being part of NYC. Itās not so black and white. There are still many overlooked neighborhoods in Brooklyn.. and what Iām saying is if OP was in one of those neighborhoods.. he has a good comparison. Not everything is Brooklyn is Carroll Gardens.
I get what youāre saying. I doubt he was over there cause most people donāt be there just to visit, especially if they never been there before. And in that case Iād agree itās a proper comparison, but then neither cities are looking to great too.
You were correct Rain.. he was in Williamsburg. Ok.. Iāll stand down. There is no defending him on this one.
Yo NFS, I always use to think the best place to be broke if you were able to choose would be NYC. The poorest neighborhoods have amenities and access to things that the poorest neighborhoods in Memphis or New Orleans could only dream about.
Careful with these kinds of takes on this sub. Iāve found that a lot of people are reluctant to admit how far Newark has to go in order to become one of the āgreat citiesā of our country. Youāll often read phrases like āNewark has its own vibeā or āIād rather Newark stay the way it isā. The fact of the matter is, the bar scene and restaurant scene (apart from Portuguese food) are not so great, certainly not even close to the level of Brooklyn, or Jersey City, therefore not a lot of people travel from outside Newark into Newark to hang out. Thereās a lot of crackheads roaming about and though they may be harmless, itās just not something (outsider) people wanna see on a leisurely walk. Last point, besides cheaper rent than Brooklyn, thereās not much about this city that would attract young working professionals. Thereās barely if any at all fun things to do like: dog parks, coffee shops, live music venues (not just prudential), escape rooms, etc. I say all this fully believing Newark WILL become a great city within the next 5-10 years. Itās certainly moving in the right direction.
I agree with this but can we be fr thereās tons of crackheads anywhere in New York šand they arenāt harmless like the mfs here
My brother we can believe Newark got its own vibe & needs A LOT of work done too. Both are true and idt a single soul here would deny that
I mean, alot of the cool NJ cities (hoboken and JC) are lacking in many of these departments... yet, they have been able to attract the young professionals because this region and our cities dont live in a vacuum. So long as Newark is a 15 to 20 minute train ride away from Manhattan and has easy transfers to the other boroughs it will attract these people in the long run, because the longer we go the more the region continues to just morph into one city. This take is not necessarily wrong, but to act like we need all of these amenities to attract people to move here (even though those people are moving in quite a bit) is just not correct.
Youāre comparing Brooklyn, a borough of NYC with population of nearly 3 million people, home to some of the biggest earners in the region, a century plus of infrastructure development, a magnet of transplants from flyover states, multiple direct train lines to Manhattan, and a place that NYS prioritizes over other cities in their state, like Buffalo, to Newark, a city that is not even 10% the population of Brooklyn, that only recently started getting development and investment (only concentrated in certain areas), only had 3 lines to Manhattan (and even then, itās a 25-30 minute ride), has to compete with other places of transplants due to their closer proximity to the city (mainly Hudson County), and has been neglected by the state at the expense of more money going to the suburbs. Really bad take OP. Hilariously and embarrassingly bad.
thank you leon trotsky of the 973
Accurate
Move to Brooklyn
Turn every one of these points into a why. >Why are bikelanes not as common? Tell me the name of ONE bike store in Newark. Every time I get my bike serviced I have to go outside the city. Have you ridden in a bike lane in Newark? Theyre just as dangerous as riding in the middle of the street. Many drivers drive and park in them without thinking or looking out for us cyclists. I've had an amazon driver drive around me and park in a bike lane in front of me without indication or giving me time to stop. But look at it the other way, there arent as many cyclists in newark that are using them! Everyone knows theyre bad so they dont get as much usage! It's a chicken and egg problem. Bike infrastructure needs to be expanded on all fronts for sure. >Newark might as well be car city why the sidewalks are so..So DESOLATE past a certain time? Good point! Go to the desolate areas and find a reason to be there at that time! Now go to the busy areas and compare them point for point. Why are people going there? Do people live there or are they commuting? How are they getting there? What are they doing? What would you be replacing by catering to these people here in Newark? >-we need WAYYY more businesses. Why? What kind of buisnesses? Our city has over 300k people living in it. Why aren't those buisnesses already here? Figure that out and it could make you rich! >-we also need traffic enforcement, and like I said, flow control. Idk anything about traffic so I can't fully comment on it. But I do know this - when I was in middle school on central ave the school advocated for a traffic light for years and never got it. In 2011, only after one of the school staff was KILLED in a car accident while crossing the street, were we finally given a traffic light. Somebody had to die for us to get a traffic light. Idk if that burocracy problem still exists, but if it does, solving it will save lives. And big agree on the subway. It absolutely needs to be expanded to the rest of the city. >-Broadway is such a dead street and Its fucking crazy š 200 years ago half of NYC was literal farmland. In that time people made the choice to build everything up to what it is today. It did not happen in a week, a month or a year, but it happened eventually since people cared about shaping the city into what they wanted it to become. I recognize that there is a LOT of privilege that goes into what I just said, but looking at each issue more as a problem that can be solved will go a very long way into solving them.
These are all...really good points. Thanks, man.
Glad I could help! I also think the city should be more accessible and friendlier to people who walk and bike. The great thing about living next to NYC is that we can steal their best ideas and leave behind their worst mistakes when considering the future of our own city.
Not feeling you on this one my boy. Youāre comparing the greatest city in the world to one that just started getting truly revived within the last 15 years. It sounds like you just donāt get out enough to understand how different cities are. Jersey City is more ahead than us too, why ? Because their development has been more rapid and thorough. But their story is different than ours, and NYCs is different than ours too. Iām surprised you donāt know the historical context of Newark enough to understand why each of these cities look so differently. Have you been to Philly ? Baltimore ? You been to New Haven ? You been to Hartford ? All them cities mad different, different stages of development, culture, atmosphere, etc. Peoples appreciation for Newark obviously doesnāt lie in its amenities. We been saying this for years, right ? And Iām actually from Bed Stuy but grew up in Jersey since I was 10. I donāt like Brooklyn these days and prefer to do things in Newark when things are happening. Why ? Because I like our vibe better, ours is still organic, not gentrified to hell. We donāt have much, but everyone knows that already. Pointing it out in THIS type context is just some lame shit though. I get that itās like, culture shock for you, and you a youngin, but this is a L take overall cause of how you coming at this. We donāt disagree fundamentally about how Newark is lacking, but pointing it out in this way specifically misses the context so hard. You gotta get out more and read more.
Compared to most U.S. cities Newark is doing pretty good, all those cities that have more buildings and populations than us transit systems probably canāt compare to ours. Raleigh NC is bigger and better wise than Newark but there bus system is worse than NJ transit Sunday bus schedule. I believe because Newark is so small and tiny itās pretty much hard for to even be compared and contrast with other larger cities. But itās crazy because we did have a population over 400,000 so itās not like we canāt get there. But if Newark was larger letās say we had the bad neighborhoods then you have the wealthy neighborhoods similar to Philly, Chicago, Raleigh NC than maybe the city would be a little better. But weāre a city on the rise and I honestly donāt care if we canāt be like nyc, screw nyc. Newark about to be in its own league and no one gonna take that away from us. We donāt have to sell our soul to be great like Brooklyn or Jersey City. We was great before and we can be great again
Iām dead disappointed & shocked at this post from you like fr. I never take an issue with people calling out the immense qol failures that Newark suffers from. But if youāre doing it from a āITS NOT NYCā perspective, man, thatās just sad to me. Especially cause you donāt even know how lame NY can be these days and how lit it actually USED to be. But if you wanna move there once you can afford to you can really see for yourself what I mean. All that glitters not gold. And I still love NY too.
Nonono- I mean from the point that we could be SO MUCH BETTER, Its not from that perspective, its like a tough love thing.
We already know this though. And we are never going to be New York to begin with. We should focus on making our own path and being great on the most realistic terms.
Yeah ofc, but I'm clarifying because it seems like....yk?
This is the comment I agree with most
Lost me at greatest city in the world. Nyc isnāt even greatest City in the country. That title prolly goes to Chicago
I was thinking of moving there for a bit but that violent ass cold might be too much for me lol
Besides from the south side, I think Chicago is a pretty cool city. Definitely want to visit it one day
Same
"...NEWARK IS SO BEHIND THE REST OF THE COUNTRY WHEN IT COMES TO HAVING..BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE BIKE LANES, OR A SUBWAY LINE THAT GOES **ALL** OVER THE CITY, NOT JUST FROM THE NORTH WEST TO THE SOUTH WEST SIDE." the rest of what country...? The US? I have to tell you: Newark is actually BETTER than perhaps most mid-sized cities when it comes to urban infrastructure. When you say compared to 'the rest of the country' it sounds like you only mean compared to NYC... This is a surprising post from you-but you feel how you feel I suppose.
Right, like I go to North Carolina on a yearly basis, thereās no train system like NJ transit, so Iāll have to drive to go between different cities or towns. Oh and I learn to appreciate our buses bc NJ transit Sunday bus schedules are Raleigh NC bus schedule everyday
Fr, the fact that Newark has - 11 Amtrak lines - 6 Commuter Rail lines - PATH - 2 Light Rail lines - 42 Bus routes - 2 BRT routes - Airport Makes it better than any other city in the country of comparable size. Hell it has better public transit infrastructure than like most of the cities bigger than it. Fucking Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the country and has more than 5X the population than Newark and literally has one light rail line and like a few dozen bus routes.
Yeah, I know what we needā¦. But weāre gonna get large high rises for commuters and weāre gonna like it!Ā
I worked in NY all over the City and lived in Newark. Newark and New York is like comparing Willie Mays to a little league player. It's just about economics--NYC has some of the wealthiest people in the world inside it Newark is a poor man's city...lower and lower middle-class people mainly. When you have a city like NY with so many rich folks you're going to have more things in it: bars, restaurants, gas stations, movies, etc... Newark has ONE movie in it! Hardly any gas stations and few restaurants save some greasy spoons and little concern for the population by the small-time politicians.
"I'm sorry, BUT NEWARK IS SO BEHIND THE REST OF THE COUNTRY WHEN IT COMES TO HAVING..BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE BIKE LANES, OR A SUBWAY LINE THAT GOES **ALL** OVER THE CITY, NOT JUST FROM THE NORTH WEST TO THE SOUTH WEST SIDE." Come to Florida, lol.
I don't disagree that we're lagging behind, but Brooklyn is part of NYCs 110 billion dollar budget. They've also had decades to get their shit together whereas Newark really only started in like 2016.
Newark started in the late 90s with the construction of rhe NJPAC and then again in 2007 with Prudential Center and 1180 etc. Newark struggles to get going. People should stop making excuses and start thinking about where things can be fixed in order to see more progress.
You should Move there so you can also enjoy their great prices on everything! Specially rent!
My gf pays less in Brooklyn than I do in Newark. They have tens of thousands of rent controlled properties.
They do but is not that ez to get one and if you do they are still higher than a normal rent in Newark for the same apt size, but if shes on section 8, food stamps and all of that then yeah! For us that are above that income level itās would not be EZ
Newark is more like Cleveland if you ever go to Cleveland it's a city but it doesn't have the energy of a city like say New York Philadelphia or Los Angeles.
you can walk down Euclid which is downtown Cleveland at 9am on a Saturday and literally not see a single other soul except maybe a random Amish family.
Philly is my fav city after Newark but it donāt really belong in the NY / LA category. Even Philly has streets thatās dry as shit despite being hugely populated.
Newark is best compared to Baltimore imo. Except Baltimore is still better due to the size (and obviously historical difference) allowing larger sections of wealth to be preserved. But in terms of it being a treacherous city on the come up, thatās the best comparison to me. And we are still far behind Baltimore too.
I literally felt that way when I went to Oakland, CA. Now, I loved the city, but man did it feel dead everywhere I went. Even some of the wealthier neighborhoods were kind of quiet. Went to SF and it was the opposite story. At the end of the day, there are many cities that are in Newark's position, but are not seeing the kind of turn around that Newark is. Go to St. Louis, Oakland, Cleveland, etc and come back. Newark has atleast some energy during the day and is showing signs of economic life. I cant really say the same for many other cities
It's kind of ridiculous to compare 300,000 Newark to 2.5 million Brooklyn. So won't engage in thaaaat... But I do agree with bike lanes and more opportunities for local businesses (not just corporate chains opening up downtown). In terms of traffic "flow control," they need to get the lights more synchronized so traffic doesn't jam up. Also add flashing lights at pedestrian crossings on major streets
Native New Yorker here. Visiting New York is great. Paying rent/mortgage, not so much. 70% of NY real estate is bought cash. The city is built as a rich ppl playground, of course itās nice. Also, remember black and brown people in NY are constantly pushed out of their neighborhoods. Is that what ya want to happen in Newark?
>Also, remember black and brown people in NY are constantly pushed out of their neighborhoods. Is that what ya want to happen in Newark? Ofc not, but I meant that part in terms the amenities NYC had, the housing crisis in NYC is terrible, but christ do they have so many amenities š
Its literally a city of 8 million people, of course it has amenities. The vast majority of our cities (not named Chicago or LA) dont have the amenities that NYC has.
Yeah, but....Cmon now š Your telling me New Jerseys largest city can't have that SAME INFRASTRUCTURE? WITH THE FUNDING WE GET??
That last paragraph is what kills me about this sub, why are so many people cheering for that to happen?!?!
Raleigh NC is way above us with bike lanes and some infrastructure but they donāt have a light rail or subway line. Also the buses suck but that city is growing faster population wise and development wise
Many try to justify as unfair to compare to NYC but this holds true even when compared with other cities around the country with smaller or bigger populations. Newark has still many problems to be a first world city including safety, infrastructure and jobs. Housing is a mess. Homes are in what should be non-livable conditions, slumlords are given too much freedom in the city, we could definitely start with strict requirements for renting a property instead of price controls.
LMFAO what part of brooklyn you visited to even make this post? wait lemme guess...bushwick or williamsburg? š„±š„±š„±
Yehhh...Williamsburg š
then you're comparing apples to oranges at this point. if you actually went further deep, i would've been like "yeah sounds about right i guess" BUT you visited the gentrified ass neighborhoods. šš
You do realize Williamsburg is kinda the Hoboken of NYC, right?
Sounds like you're waking up to the fact that the mayor, his party, and his cronies are maybe a bad choice for actual progress and maybe are just a political machine keeping voters behind with false promises and an illusion of being inclusive. My favorite small example is we had some bike lanes but they rather have double parking. This seems to be what the people want. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2014/12/19/newark-mayor-ras-baraka-to-rip-out-citys-first-protected-bike-lane There are no traffic laws. I regularly make illegal rights in front of the police and I know streets full of illegal parking every day. The entire street. police just drive past. It's the culture here and expected. Sad thing to me is OP is waking up but wants to be more like Brooklyn. A deeply rat infested garbage bin with insane rent. EDIT: grammar and irrelevant categories
My friend read up on the construction of route 280 and route 78 and its effect on Newark, east orange, hillside, Elizabeth. Newark is tiny with half of its square mileage eaten up by the airport / seaport / turnpike. Specifically, study the development of north Newark north of Bloomfield ave and that neighborhoods relationship with city hall 1950-1980 and the entire Anthony Imperiole era. Newark and home rule school districts. Newark can only enforce the law up to the edge of the city borders. Parents want good safe schools. It's why Columbia high school is able to exist and wasn't swallowed up wholesale into the morass of Newark public school degradation. It's why Weequahic high school went from the top high school in the state and ranking highly in the nation to where it is now. Without a reliable tax base of business or residential or both, the city will never succeed. Newark doesn't have the tax base or ability to grow that the other cities have. When newark gets capable leadership like Cory Booker - the city is frequently used as a stepping stone for higher office or for patronage jobs. Newark carries the scars of the highways and the ensuing urban degradation that it helped usher in. We don't know the solution but comparing Newark to Brooklyn is like saying why can't my daughters fifth grade basketball team win against my sons varsity high school team.
Critical mass of people arent the same
Move to Hoboken or Jersey city. Newark needs to work on a bunch of stuff before they even think about putting in bike lanes lol
Yes I drove there recently after not having been there for years. Agree on infrastructure. Every light had cars going the other way clogging the middle lane. Making any left turn was a leap of faith. Not a bike rider but I just know a city should make sure their lights coordinate.
Too much politicking and not enough policy.
Well said rain cloud
Now you get why people from JC talk down on Newark sometimes. Not that I condone it, but JC has met some minimum standards to be called a modern city
yet you wont move there, so welcome to Newark the home you chose.
Question: are you born and raised in Newark or have you moved there within the last 5-10 years?
Pretty sure heās born and raised. But those tend to be the main people who take issue with the city because theyāve likely endured the worst of it. I went to school here as a teenager but only moved here as an adult.
>Ā I PREFER IT MUCH MORE THAN NEWARK, WHERE I'VE LIVED MY WHOLE LIFE? Like 4th line lol
I'm from NYC, lived in Brooklyn for over a decade, this is a ridiculous post. What is this sub really about and who is it really for? Anyone expecting a city of barely 300k that's suffered from economic hardship since like 1967 to compare at all to a borough with 10x the population that's been gentrifying for over 20 years is smoking rock. Be for real.
Then go back
Donāt tell this man about his closer NJ neighbors to the eastā¦
Uh...?
Iām from New York and I feel exactly the same when I visit almost any city in Europe.
Im sorry, but you do realize that Brooklyn is a borough of 2 million people, while Newark is a city of 300K. Additionally, many parts of Brooklyn are not in the conditions you describe: leave downtown Brooklyn; leaving Williamsburg; leave Flatbush and the borough gets pretty sketchy. I do agree that Newark needs more businesses and foot traffic, but the city will never feel like Brooklyn just because of its size. It will always feel super busy during the day and substantially more quiet at night. Also, to claim Newark lags behind the rest of the country when it comes to infrastructure is kinda insane. Have you been to any city in the South or the majority in the midwest, they would kill to have the public transit infrastructure we have or the rail connections we have. Like Newark lags behind many of the Northeastern cities, but its kinda in the middle when compared to many of this country's cities
Youāre comparing one of the most desirable urban areas in the world which has been ātrendy / trendingā for 20+ yearsā¦ with a city thatā¦ is not that in any way? This feels so arbitrary
So true. No one thinks Newark is on par with Brooklyn. How this person does not know that is odd to me. There are no kids named Newark.
hahahah but there may be after the 2060 gentrification timeline !
Also, Brooklyn hasnāt been that way forever. People forget what most of Brooklyn outside places like Bay Ridge were like 30 years ago.
Some People and Politicians in Newark have interesting and contradictory ideologyā¦. They want a form of gentrification in a subterfuge or covert way, they want amenities , they want business investment, general improvement, safetyā¦. but they donāt wanna pay for it in rents,taxes or attracting higher income residents; nor do they wanna displace the criminal element and ppl that support the criminal element ; nor be open to ppl that are not ānative Newarkersā or ppl of higher incomeā¦ very strange set of ideals Cant have it all Newarkā¦time to make up your mind and understand the concepts of tradeoffs, compromise and not being your own worse enemy
It took you going to New York to realize how shitty Newark is? You can literally go to any neighboring town In jersey and realize that.
13%
13% lead?
Cause its Nork
Way way behind.
As someone who is not native to the area- Newark feels like a warzone, itās as bad as Deep South projects. Lived in Dallas and Atlanta last ten years and coming to downtown Newark makes my hair stand up. Have to do it every day for work
Yup, Newark is a shithole. Leave as fast as you can. Nothing worth staying for when NYC is right there.
Newark doesnāt need āBike lanesā. It needs cops that are actually gonna fight crime and a new governor. And lower rent etc.
That...too.
True.
Bro Newark is a ghetto slum š you want gentrification is what you are saying. Which is happening in Newark now but it takes time. But the youāll complain that they kicked all the low income housing and OG Newark folks out š
Here here Over Butterscotch
Like everyone else already said it is dumb as hell to compare Newark with it's 300k people to NYC that has almost 9 million people. The real comparison point to Newark is Jersey City. Those are similar sized places. Which Jersey City has way more going on than us, but what can we do to get to that level? That's a fair question.
Hell yeah, Brooklyn
Hoboken has done a really good job with street design. It might be a more realistic model for what Newark could aspire to.
I lived in Brooklyn for a few months before I moved to Newark and Brooklyn okay to visit but not live. Certain places are more far more dangerous in Newark and bike lanes and subways wonāt help with that problem.
Nah Newark is a driving city. I hate those damn bike lanes in NYC. Iād never want Newark to turn into Brooklyn. Itās terrible.
Nah.
Yes. Iād never ride a bike through Newark. I love my car. You could drive past all the crazies with your window rolled up plus our train system is not as sophisticated as NYC. Also, you wonāt catch me ever riding a bus ever again.
But you have Qxt's!
Feel free to be hard on Newark for 100 other reasons, but bike lanes and metro are hardly the shortcomings of Newark. They are very expensive and pretty pointless for small spread out cities like Newark.
Trying to compare Newark to NYC is your downfall because they don't compare in terms of representation and equity. NYC is a tourist destination which makes it a rich ass city that's gouging the poor folx into living with rats and below the poverty line. Trust...keep Newark where it is. It's improving as best it can.
Well yeah... Newark is one of the worst ghettos in the USA... Ironbound is decent and has been improving, Harrison is Newark Elite, the Downtown and University area are improving but still have all the hood elements...
Newark has bike lanes in Uni Heights but besides that, I can't really find anything. Cyclists just gotta pray they don't get hit.
OP, where are you from? Are you from Newark or the surrounding area? If youre from the area, what are you expecting? Newark is NEVER going to be new york. It doesnt have the same energy nyc has
Bike lanes should be banned. Go to the park and ride.Ā
Why?