| Author |
Message |
    
Mr. Reingold
Citizen
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 272
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 12:08 pm: |     |
sportsnut, maybe we're looking at different web pages. I followed the link you gave me and looked up Millburn, Montclair, Maplewood (wow, look at all those M's), Irvington, Union, Newark, and South Orange. I made a table out of it and put it at http://whatexit.org/~tommy/crime.html
Unless I'm reading the numbers wrong, Maplewood looks pretty good!
Tom Reingold
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sportsnut
Citizen
Username: Sportsnut
Post Number: 475
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 12:34 pm: | |
No, we are looking at the same pages.
Maplewood has nearly six times the number of robberies and aggravated assaults,nearly two and a half times as many stolen cars, nearly one and a half times as many burlgaries and almost half as many thefts as Millburn.
So while MW compares favorably to the other towns you cited, in comparison to Millburn I think we are slightly worse off.
Again, I'm not arguing that we live in a war zone. We feel very safe here walking the streets at night with our son, but give it a little time and I'm sure you'll see MW PD chasing someone up our street heading towards Maplecrest park before too long. In fact there was a mugging on our block last fall where a woman was accosted in her driveway at about 6 in the evening. They knocked her down and stole her purse, hopped in a car and headed towards guess where? |
Chief Bangs-head-on-desk
Citizen
Username: Java_drinker
Post Number: 238
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 1:38 pm: | |
Tom-
What I meant was that I'd rather have the Short Hills Mall in Maplewood than the schlock that calls it self Springfield Ave. Not that I'd rather live in Short Hills. Jeez, I could barley afford the housing costs here!!
-jd |
ml1
Citizen
Username: Ml1
Post Number: 1145
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 2:16 pm: | |
I doubt most people would want a mall in town. First and foremost, we don't have a counterpart to Rt. 24 running through the town. The 24/7 gridlock that a mall would bring to our main streets makes the idea moot. No one would be fool enough to build a mall where there are no access highways.
But that lack of highways running through our town is part of what makes it unique. If we had the capability of bringing in malls, or Wal-Marts, or Costcos, it would be a very different place to live.
That was really my original point. If residents wanted that, they would have chosen to live in Livingston, or East Hanover, or Paramus. |
growler
Citizen
Username: Growler
Post Number: 208
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 2:16 pm: | |
With an attitude like that, SA will never be good enough for you jd.
Think about it. If you spend you money on SA, better businesses will come. Spend it elsewhere (which it seems you want to do) and SA will not thrive. Be part of the community or don't. Your choice.
One question, what would you like to see on SA? |
Chief Bangs-head-on-desk
Citizen
Username: Java_drinker
Post Number: 239
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 2:45 pm: | |
Growler,
I commend your loyalty to the town and SA. And I do spend hard-earned funds there when it makes sense.
I would like to see pedestrian-accessible restaurants, cafes, interesting shops and boutiques like Washington Street in Hoboken or Millburn. Shady auto repair shops, boarded up storefronts and no accessible parking do not make it conducive to change.
It takes a lot of faith to open any of these types of business on SA because of the current clientele and surrounding establishments.
As to your point “With an attitude like that, SA will never be good enough for you jd” I respectfully disagree. I have only lived here for one year, so I’m seeing SA on the upswing and I think it can be great, but I’m also not holding my breath.
It took Hoboken more than a dozen years to go from a run down suburb of Jersey City to what some call the 6th borough of NYC. They did it by making themselves more accessible, aggressively wooing new businesses and knowing their citizens. Hoboken is a “younger set” town, but some of those lessons can be translated to SA quite well.
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growler
Citizen
Username: Growler
Post Number: 209
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 3:24 pm: | |
jd-thank you for the compliment and I commend you as well for spending money on SA.
It will take probably the same amount of time for SA as it did for Hoboken, hopefully less. You really can't compare the two though. Vic and the SAP are aggressively seeking and wooing new businesses. It just takes time which I don't think that everyone understands. Watch the changes. They are coming.
On another note...have you been to the farmers market this season? There is some great cheese makers there. And the bread is to die for! |
Chief Bangs-head-on-desk
Citizen
Username: Java_drinker
Post Number: 240
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 4:20 pm: | |
You just said the magic word... cheese
I'M ALL ABOUT CHEESE!!
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Nlanzieri
Citizen
Username: Nlanzieri
Post Number: 121
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 9:01 pm: | |
IMHO this thread has lead to some pretty good discussion. I like the positive atitudes towards SA since its at the end of my street. I would like to help turn it around even faster if I could. Ill go up there and help lay bumpout bricks if I have to. |
Arnomation
Citizen
Username: Arnomation
Post Number: 5
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 11:48 pm: | |
Greetings!!! I've been having a great time reading all these posts since I just moved to the bad side of town near Maplecrest :-) and I have to say that coming from where we were in Brooklyn, this is paradise. Maybe many of you have been here for a long time and are used to the 'gated community' feel and I want to assure you that the barbarians are not at the gate. Maplewood is awesome!!!!
And we're all about Springfield, it's our new Flatbush :-) we love the Texas Weenies, the Jerk Chicken from Island Spice and the Milkshakes from Jay's. You gotta have Home Depot and of course where would you be without Mr. Good Lube???
Glad to be here :-)
M
________________
Michael Arnold
arnomation@verizon.net |
DrFalomar
Citizen
Username: Drfalomar
Post Number: 1
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Friday, August 1, 2003 - 7:39 am: | |
I've been following these discussions for some time, especially those about what should be done with Springfield Avenue. Arnomation touches on something that hasn't been brought up yet, but that may be a significant contributor to the troubled status quo.
With the influx of refugees from New York City, is the town's average tolerance for crime, crummy stores, poor services, and high taxes being raised because the impressions of native Maplewoodians are being diluted? Will these newcomers not fight these problems as strongly as those who have lived here because they simply don't perceive them as that serious relative to the perniciousness of those problems in the neighborhoods they fled? |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 1657
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Friday, August 1, 2003 - 8:23 am: | |
Good point Dr.F... are they are being diluted?
My first impression would be no. Why would they move away from those neighborhoods to be here, if not but to have a better life for their family?
So, Arnomation, most of us agree that Maplewood is awesome!!!! Tell me what you would like to do about keeping it that way, or better yet, improving things on the Avenue?
BTW, welcome, and thank you, your input was valuable. We're glad to have you.  |
Arnomation
Citizen
Username: Arnomation
Post Number: 7
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Friday, August 1, 2003 - 8:39 am: | |
--Will these newcomers not fight these problems as strongly as those who have lived here because they simply don't perceive them as that serious--
I should hope not and we definitely won't. The neighborhood we came from was once beautiful (years before we got there) and I couldn't bear to see the same fate befall this town. I pick up litter wherever I see it, in the park, in town etc. because in the city there is just so much of it, that here the tiniest bit sticks out like an eyesore.
We came here to be part of this diverse, creative and friendly community which is something we never really felt in Brooklyn and I feel like people are moving here for all the right reasons and won't let it turn into a community that needs bars on their windows.
We're looking forward to being part of a great, safe, clean and friendly environment for our kids to grow up in and will be taking a pro-active role in keeping Maplewood the place everyone wants to live.
I do have one question though...How is it possible that $12K a year in taxes doesn't include garbage pick-up??? :-0
M
________________
Michael Arnold
arnomation@verizon.net |
Nlanzieri
Citizen
Username: Nlanzieri
Post Number: 134
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Friday, August 1, 2003 - 8:59 am: | |
Michael,
I must say your second post is sitting much better with me than your first.
Comparing Springfield Ave to Flatbush Ave? I did not understand where you were coming from with that reference. I though you were indicating the level of crime here is tolerable because its "better than Brooklyn."
Welcome to the neighborhood. 0 tolerance on all levels of crime. Keeping this town safe for our families and retaining property value is top priority.
Bring more business is key, keeping the town clean and kept up is of great importance.
Just ask AJC. He just pulled the soap box out from under my feet. |
Arnomation
Citizen
Username: Arnomation
Post Number: 8
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Friday, August 1, 2003 - 9:02 am: | |
--Tell me what you would like to do about keeping it that way, or better yet, improving things on the Avenue?--
Well, I mentioned the litter thing (which is a big pet peeve of mine that just makes me crazy) and having only been here a few weeks I've only read about the percieved issues yesterday which shattered my illusions of my new utopian town (just kidding) so I haven't yet formulated any plans other than just being out and about and meeting neighbors and people in town and becoming active not just locking my doors and hoping things will get better.
--BTW, welcome, and thank you, your input was valuable. We're glad to have you.--
Thanks :-) As far as Springfield, I haven't a clue how Avenues turn around. Every neighborhood I've ever lived in has turned around at some point. New shops open up, restaurants etc. and it slowly people start spending money there. Springfield seems to be a hodgepodge of car service places to restaurants etc. and I'm not sure yet what to suggest. I'll give it some thought though because it would be nice if it were more interesting but I wonder if people from Maplewood will have any interest since they have such a nice little town already (with a new Pub :-). What could they open on Springfield that the area doesn't already have that would make a difference???
M
________________
Michael Arnold
arnomation@verizon.net |
Arnomation
Citizen
Username: Arnomation
Post Number: 9
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Friday, August 1, 2003 - 9:15 am: | |
--Comparing Springfield Ave to Flatbush Ave?--
Sorry for the confusion :-) I was just comparing them on the level of business and crazy diversity of shops etc. I don't want to give the impression that I'd tolerate ANY crime.
What I was thinking about when I wrote that was that we liked the diversity (of people and cultures) that Flatbush had, not the litter and ne'er do wells that populate it. While I don't want my kids to grow up in a crime-ridden neighborhood, we don't want them to grow up in an isolated, elite private school setting either. We want them to grow up in the world where there are many different kinds of people. Some of them just so happen to be less well off than others but that doesn't necessarily mean they're bad people or that you should be afraid of them. I don't want my kids to be cynical and suspicious of everbody like I am :-)
M
________________
Michael Arnold
arnomation@verizon.net |
Arnomation
Citizen
Username: Arnomation
Post Number: 10
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Friday, August 1, 2003 - 9:18 am: | |
--Comparing Springfield Ave to Flatbush Ave?--
Sorry for the confusion :-) I was just comparing them on the level of business and crazy diversity of shops etc. I don't want to give the impression that I'd tolerate ANY crime. It's just that Maplewood is such a breath of fresh air and it's nice not to feel tense all the time walking through the neighborhood :-)
What I was thinking about when I wrote that was that we liked the diversity (of people and cultures) that Flatbush had, not the litter and ne'er do wells that populate it. While I don't want my kids to grow up in a crime-ridden neighborhood, we don't want them to grow up in an isolated, elite private school setting either. We want them to grow up in the world where there are many different kinds of people. Some of them just so happen to be less well off than others but that doesn't necessarily mean they're bad people or that you should be afraid of them. I don't want my kids to be cynical and suspicious of everbody like I am :-)
M
________________
Michael Arnold
arnomation@verizon.net |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 1658
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Friday, August 1, 2003 - 9:32 am: | |
Arnomation,
Why do we pay for our garbage pick-up??? I think the idea was they wouldn't have to raise our taxes that way. 
Actually, there have been lots of interesting ways used to avoid raising our taxes. In years past the TC has "borrowed" from the community pool fund, forced the library to use its own money from the "Friends of the Library Fund", and then there is always the temptation to run down the towns reserve funds...
I mention these things not so much to criticize, but because it's important not to make these mistakes again in the future. As our township committee continues to change, we need to remember that time has this unique way of erasing the past.
As for any new ideas for the Avenue, I'm sure you'll share them when the time comes...
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mangoshoes
Citizen
Username: Mangoshoes
Post Number: 33
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 5, 2003 - 2:14 pm: | |
Calling Hoboken a suburb is silly. In additon, it was Edward Albee who referred to Hoboken as the "6th Borough" in the 50's. That was the same time (56'), "On the Waterfront" won the Academy Award. That sure is a portrait of a suburban community if I ever saw one. And while it is true that Hoboken's gentrification was fueled and is fueled by "Yuppies," the combustion for the engine was arson. In the late 70's, throughout the 80's and the beginning of the 90's many people peole died in fires. While most of those fires were deemed supicious, only one person was ever accused of arson.
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Robert Little
Citizen
Username: Boblittle
Post Number: 33
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 5, 2003 - 6:21 pm: | |
I think "On the Waterfront" took place in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Palookaville may be in New Jersey, though.
Realistically, I don't think Springfield will be the sort of stretch where you park once and wander between stores. Instead, you'll park once, buy your tires or gallon of paint, then leave the area.
The Hoboken analogy overlooks one thing: it's near impossible to get a liquor license in Maplewood. I don't see Springfield Avenue dramatically improving without restaurants. And you're not going to attract Outback or Olive Garden, or even independent restaurants, without permitting liquor-by-the-drink.
Robert Little |
mooewe
Citizen
Username: Mooewe
Post Number: 153
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 5, 2003 - 8:23 pm: | |
http://us.imdb.com/LocationTree?USA
Click on "New Jersey", then "Hoboken" for a listing of films shot there. Scroll down to see "On the Waterfront" listed. |
mangoshoes
Citizen
Username: Mangoshoes
Post Number: 35
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, August 7, 2003 - 9:57 am: | |
A good friend's uncle was in the film (he played the "pigeon for a pigeon" kid). I can safely tell you that "On the Waterfront" was filmed in Hoboken. A lot of old-time neighbors palyed extras. When we were kids we used to act us scenes from the film at various locations where it was shot. We even made a short film about it.
One thing Mr. Little is right about is liquor. Without it, Hoboken's "thirving" scene would surely suffer.
Mooewe- Thanks for the film Web site...very cool. |
bklyntonj
Citizen
Username: Bklyntonj
Post Number: 64
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 7, 2003 - 10:08 am: | |
Ok, back to the subject at hand... Just curious, does anyone know where in Irvington the Maplewood youth was killed? Has anyone been arrested? Is there an investigation in process? |
newjerz
Citizen
Username: Newjerz
Post Number: 67
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 7, 2003 - 10:19 am: | |
From the July, 31 News Record Police Blotter:
"On July 26 at 5:45 p.m., Officer Peter Kuenzel while on patrol near Essex Avenue saw a parked, occupied car with damage to the driver's side door lock. A check of the vehicle's registration revealed that it was reported stolen from Elizabeth earlier in the day. The occupants exited the vehicle and began to walk away. Kuenzel apprehended one of them without incident, but the driver fled. Officer Janet Lareau with the assistance of South Orange police arrested the driver, Richard "Kelly" Pouncel, 18, of Maplewood. Pouncel was charged with receiving stolen property and resisting arrest and held for bail. The passenger, a 16-year-old Irvington boy was charged with receiving stolen property and released to his parents."
Who is the bad influence in this case? The older Maplewood resident or the younger Irvington resident? Maybe with all the worrying about Irvington, we're forgetting our own problems. |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 1688
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, August 7, 2003 - 10:28 am: | |
...their parents! |
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