Brutal New York City, New York.

[BigMattFromTexas]

This thread on SkyscraperCity made me REALLY open my eyes, it made me appreciate the life I live. My grandma lives in what everyone calls the ghetto, but that ain't ghetto compared to these pictures..
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=402544

I hope this opens yalls eyes too.
BigMatt

[Stephane Dumas]

It reminds me of another thread I saw at the Skyscraperpage forum, some pictures of Harlem before and after, taken in the 1980s and 2007 http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=149448

[yanksfan6129]

This thread on SkyscraperCity made me REALLY open my eyes, it made me appreciate the life I live. My grandma lives in what everyone calls the ghetto, but that ain't ghetto compared to these pictures..
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=402544

I hope this opens yalls eyes too.
BigMatt

You'd be hard-pressed to find a scene like that in New York these days.

[yanksfan6129]

Yeah, as Stephane's images show, they've done a lot to clean up NYC, especially Manhattan (as in those photos), but you can also see a dramatic change in the Bronx too. NYC is the safest big city in the USA now.

[BigMattFromTexas]

Yeah, it's amazing how well they cleaned it up. But I still wouldn't feel great walking down the streets of South Bronx or somewhere cause you can't wear any color! Cause they might think I'm reppin' a gang or somethin'. 
BigMatt

[Stephane Dumas]

I spotted some pictures dated from 2009 of Newark NJ at http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=169957 some sections of Newark was similar to NYC. 

If only Detroit could have a wave of gentrification even a small pocket....

[njroadhorse]

I spotted some pictures dated from 2009 of Newark NJ at http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=169957 some sections of Newark was similar to NYC. 

If only Detroit could have a wave of gentrification even a small pocket....

Newark has gotten a lot better since 1967 during their riots, but they still have so much work to do there. Even their downtown revitalization plans go to hell because no one wants to go downtown there.

[Alex]

Great sets of photos, really shows how bad things were back then.

Detroit and Baltimore are still loaded with disparaged areas. One could easily make a day of photographing urban decay in either city.

[TheStranger]

Newark has gotten a lot better since 1967 during their riots, but they still have so much work to do there. Even their downtown revitalization plans go to hell because no one wants to go downtown there.

This reminds me of when Barry Melrose, former NHL coach, ran his mouth off about the area near the Prudential Center...and got smacked down.

[njroadhorse]

Newark has gotten a lot better since 1967 during their riots, but they still have so much work to do there. Even their downtown revitalization plans go to hell because no one wants to go downtown there.

This reminds me of when Barry Melrose, former NHL coach, ran his mouth off about the area near the Prudential Center...and got smacked down.

Well he can, because Newark sucks!  I feel ashamed that New Jersey's crown jewel city is that.

[NJRoadfan]

The guy who took all those pictures really didn't venture out of downtown. The "not so good" parts are the West Ward (West Side, Vailsburg, etc.) and most of the South Ward (particularly Weequahic and Clinton Hill). Forest Hills and The Ironbound (basically everything east of the RR tracks) are much nicer neighborhoods. Irvington and East Orange get a lot of the spillover crime from the West Ward as well.

[Roadgeek Adam]

The guy who took all those pictures really didn't venture out of downtown. The "not so good" parts are the West Ward (West Side, Vailsburg, etc.) and most of the South Ward (particularly Weequahic and Clinton Hill). Forest Hills and The Ironbound (basically everything east of the RR tracks) are much nicer neighborhoods. Irvington and East Orange get a lot of the spillover crime from the West Ward as well.

That's because Booker seems to care little about Roseville and East Orange doesn't seem to care about Ampere. Its about as easy as that.

[Alps]

As someone who's driven (solo) through all parts of Essex County, I can tell you this - it's not the West Ward spoiling Irvington and East Orange, it's Irvington spoiling the West Ward and East Orange.  I don't know how Irvington got so bad and stayed so bad.  Vailsburg is no picnic, but I didn't feel as threatened there as in a couple of other Newark neighborhoods.  Nothing will ever compare to Camden.  Here's the difference between Detroit and Newark - Detroit's problems are largely confined within the city, while when I was growing up, Newark's problem spread out for a 10-15 mile radius in all directions.  Now the problem is centered on Irvington and maybe a 3-5 mile radius.  Towns like Montclair, West Orange, and Maplewood have successfully fought back in the last 15 years and pushed the bad elements back east again.  Orange is beginning to emerge as a working-class city with relatively few problems and a sense of community.  So what will it take to "save" Newark?  They're on the right path, but Irvington needs to get on its game.  I think it gets overlooked because it's not a big city like Camden or Newark, so not only does it not get the money, it doesn't get high-profile politics and politicians who want to make a difference.  The change has to focus there and bring it back up to the level of Orange, and then East Orange and West Newark will rise with it.

[agentsteel53]

Irvington really is shit.  When I went there in 2003, the pertinent exit off the NJ turnpike featured an automatic collection booth that required one to deposit a quarter.  We got there - and it was night so we couldn't quite see perfectly - and were baffled by how the machine was supposed to operate: there appeared to be no place into which one could deposit a quarter! 

we sat there for about 30 seconds before we finally realized the problem: the toll collection apparatus had been stolen.

[Scott5114]

What the hell would you do with a stolen toll basket, anyway?

[mightyace]

^^^

Maybe someone removed the toll basket hoping to get to the money.

[NJRoadfan]

Irvington needs to get on its game.  I think it gets overlooked because it's not a big city like Camden or Newark, so not only does it not get the money, it doesn't get high-profile politics and politicians who want to make a difference.  The change has to focus there and bring it back up to the level of Orange, and then East Orange and West Newark will rise with it.

A little background on this. Back in the 90s, Newark made a big push to clean up by basically knocking down all the projects in the West and Central Wards. The troublemakers spilled into Irvington and East Orange. Irvington isn't going un-noticed, the NJSP has had a task force there for at least 3 years now. The township is basically swamped with cops.... so all the trouble makers relocated and started overrunning Maplewood and the Vauxhall sections of Union. Honestly East Orange and Irvington should be annexed by Newark, there is no reason for them to exist.

Gentrification won't come easy to these areas, there are plenty of "desirable" locations literally minutes away that people can live in that have the same transportation connections and plenty of quality available housing. Taxes remain sky high in Irvington, Newark and East Orange and government corruption is a given. The housing isn't particularly cheap either, the market is mostly cornered by slum lords who pick up "investment properties" and have no vested interest in the neighborhood. The town doesn't care because a filled house is one thats paying property taxes.

[Stephane Dumas]

I dust-off this topic to mention this vintage video of the Bronx