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GhostOfRobertTreat t1_j555hqt wrote

Whichever one people who ask questions like this are from.

97

dEn_of_asyD t1_j54cl6z wrote

Everyone's gonna say Camden, I'm actually going to say Atlantic City.

  1. First, Camden actually contributes worthwhile things. Its economy is pretty much "eds and meds". Atlantic City's economy is gambling and tourism, and not only are both very unproductive but it was only five years ago they were on the decline to the point of the city being bankrupt. While we're also talking about declines/progress, even now Campbell's (which is based in Camden) is bringing jobs from its acquisition from Snyder-Lance to Camden.

  2. Second, on crime Camden is by far most dangerous for violent crime. But AC has a higher rate of property crime per capita than Camden does. A big reason why AC is "safer" is just because Camden has twice the people (AC: 38k Camden:71k) in a smaller area (AC: 10.76 sq miles of land Camden: 8.92 sq miles of land). More interactions + more people --> more chances something goes shitty.

  3. Third, and most importantly, Camden is much safer than the people who have never been and don't live there will make it out to be. The problem with Camden is that you make one wrong turn and you're not safe anymore. The difference is night and day. Having needed to go to Camden to meet my freeholders, make trips to to Cooper University Hospital, attend jury duty, having gone to the aquarium and battleship NJ for school field trips, if you stay where you're supposed to Camden is fine. That's diametrically opposed to AC, where both you and the trouble are going to be in the same places.

I think most people are going to say Camden because of three reasons.

  1. Violent Crime. Which, honestly fair, though again AC isn't exactly a shining beacon of civil society.

  2. History of police corruption, which is a bit unfair considering they disbanded and replaced the former corrupt police department with a new one and that has seen dramatically improved results.

  3. Prejudice. People still associate AC with being a ritzy/glamorous hotspot. People associate Camden with drug use, violence, gangs, and negative stereotypes of people of color.

Only one of those is a decent reason, and it's a pretty simplistic reason that doesn't look towards the future and looks the other way on a lot of AC's bullshit.

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ceeyell t1_j54uqnj wrote

Atlantic City is the most depressing place I’ve ever been. The desolate parts and the casinos.

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sirzoop t1_j55gajt wrote

My first thought was Atlantic City too. So much wasted potential...

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AnNJgal t1_j55qo0r wrote

If only they could get their shit together...I find the area so depressing, like why would I want to go there for relaxation? lol

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sirzoop t1_j55w0qc wrote

The sad reality is that they need to gentrify the city. They had their chance over the last few decades but instead chose to launder money and bankrupt most of the revenue generating casinos.

With casinos opening literally in NYC times square and throughout other states, I don't ever see a real reason to go to AC anymore. Sad because I actually really like it there and the whole concept but it just doesn't work

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AnNJgal t1_j561ybn wrote

True. For the price of a room, dinner, gambling etc, I can almost fly to Vegas and spend just about the same amount of money.

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miked5122 t1_j58trvz wrote

I haven't been to Camden yet, but I don't remember AC being rough at all. Granted I visited about 8 years ago, so had it gone down hill recently? Or is this just a case of people not know what rough areas really are? I grew up in Detroit. Most of it was labeled rough from suburbanites and country dwellers. Truth is, it just wasn't as nice looking in a lot of places. Not maintaining a beautiful aesthetic, doesn't mean bad area.

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[deleted] t1_j569e6z wrote

[removed]

−5

Ok_Raisin_8796 t1_j56ndsh wrote

sorry, you’re still wrong. I have undeniable proof Camden is better 😎

Camden = big aquarium

Atlantic City = tiny sad aquarium

in all seriousness Camden has been improving in the past few years. Homicides have dropped to a 30 year low, and other violent and property crimes have been decreasing for years now, going against national trends.

Also the downtown and fairview are nice neighborhoods. The city’s got a long way to go, but it’s getting there.

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AshingtonDC t1_j5783ko wrote

this statement is completely ignorant of the history of Camden and cities like it as well as the hard earned progress made to bring it out of the depths of poverty. how shameful to speak in such a way without referencing any context. read a book sometime. most of the big cities in NJ are post-industrial and were fucked by redlining leading to generational poverty. Crime in Camden is down 74 percent from 50 years ago. Progress is slow but happening. I've visited Newark and Camden recently for work and concerts and had perfectly pleasant experiences.

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mcgeggy t1_j54to40 wrote

Lakewood.

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preppysurf t1_j57hmrw wrote

This is the correct answer. Rampant overdevelopment, worst drivers in the country, etc. A cesspool

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Ilovemytowm t1_j5c8j31 wrote

It is so damn sad that used to be such a beautiful beautiful town with so much greenery so many trees. It's disgusting with this state allows in regards to over-development and that goes for the warehouses and the way our constitution is written to allow developers to just destroy everything in their path. Lakewood just takes it up a notch.

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billyhicks t1_j5bxj7n wrote

This is the only correct answer. Emphatically.

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AshingtonDC t1_j579g9v wrote

it's Atlantic City. People passed out drunk spending their savings in shitty casinos. Crack heads roaming the streets.

Camden is an example of socioeconomic factors that ruined it. It's now on the incline. Atlantic City's slow and consistent decline is marked by mismanagement and legit crime syndicates that were allowed to take over. One is not like the other.

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AsBadAsAWetShit t1_j55zklv wrote

Just to be different, I’ll say Vineland. It’s located in a nothing part of the state, there’s loads of crime, and it contributes far less than AC or Camden does

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wryaant t1_j577fgs wrote

This is such a stupid fucking question.

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No_Neighborhood_3191 OP t1_j5w9ruc wrote

Why, lol?

1

wryaant t1_j5wfi1n wrote

Because ‘worst’ is a subjective term without any context or criteria. Instead what you got were replies from people shitting on town/cities that I’m sure in some cases we’re based on nothing more more than reputation. It was a pile-on, on the poorer more working class cities with large minority populations. Does that alone make those cities inherently the ‘worst’, because that’s what got the most up votes.
Not a fan of the pile on, I love my state too much and know it’s problems are nuanced and often caused by complex issues that have occurred over long periods of time, for a multitude of reasons, that if easily fixed would have been so by now.

1

bakerfaceman t1_j58ffth wrote

Probably Paramus. Just tons of traffic and malls. There's no actual downtown or anything resembling a cohesive identity besides shopping on rt17.

Yes, NJ's post industrial cities have their problems but they also have history and culture. Paramus is just a symbol of everything wrong with late stage capitalism.

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mediclawyer t1_j585c8k wrote

I really think that people who say Elizabeth have never been to Elizabeth.

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NeverTeachTheWu t1_j5bwm0f wrote

Why would anyone go to Elizabeth?!? It's not a nice city at all.

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No_Neighborhood_3191 OP t1_j5ffu96 wrote

I mean it got nice spanish restaurants my fam used to live there, wasn’t the worst experience. Orange was a lot worse.

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[deleted] t1_j53xyf0 wrote

[deleted]

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EternalNY1 t1_j567o2l wrote

>Get rid of the garbage, knock down the abandoned properties and at least just let it be grass. Do a minimal clean up.

This is what other cities did, like Detroit, and it worked out well for them.

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billyhicks t1_j5bxnoo wrote

Lakewood and it’s not even remotely close

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fieseldumes t1_j58ei73 wrote

In a snow storm? North Bergen, you haven’t lived til you’ve driven those crazy side street hills in a few inches of snow lol

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ManchuDemon t1_j54cyqg wrote

Morristown.

Lol jk it's definitely Camden.

1

levanter6 t1_j58o0dj wrote

elizabeth or union

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Ilovemytowm t1_j5c8ozg wrote

Edison. A treeless, overdeveloped warehouse heavy sad place.

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ZSS1983 t1_j5g4a8t wrote

Hoboken. I hate HATE going there.

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Nub_Shaft t1_j5mzao6 wrote

Phillipsburg. It's just as shitty as Easton PA, but slightly more depressing and way more podunk.

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No_Neighborhood_3191 OP t1_j5mzou3 wrote

Phillipsburg and Belvidere are so depressing lol. Very far from most malls.

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Nub_Shaft t1_j5n05kf wrote

Phillipsburg used to have a great mall. Last time I was there it was completely shut down except for the kohl's though.

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stickman07738 t1_j54p8k1 wrote

LOL, has anyone been to Trenton???

0

HeyItsPanda69 t1_j54vl2l wrote

Yeah, pretty often, and I've also been to Camden. Camden is far worse. I actually think AC is worse than Trenton. Even driving through the bad parts of Trenton I didn't really feel threatened. It just kinda looks bad but I've never been hassled

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WhatIsTickyTacky t1_j5523y1 wrote

Millburn/Short Hills.

0

Firsttimeredditor28 t1_j555pjg wrote

:(

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WhatIsTickyTacky t1_j56la4q wrote

For what it’s worth, I actually really like Millburn Deli and think there’s good sushi and Vietnamese in Millburn.

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Firsttimeredditor28 t1_j56r0zv wrote

Ya why don’t u like the town??

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WhatIsTickyTacky t1_j57bd28 wrote

Honestly? It was a low-value response to a low-value question. More a throwaway than anything. But it really did make some people terrifyingly angry.

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sirzoop t1_j55ggsu wrote

....what? That's one of the most ritzy

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WhatIsTickyTacky t1_j55hiwu wrote

You say “ritzy.” I say “worst.” 🤷‍♀️

−2

sirzoop t1_j55hs9u wrote

why? care to elaborate? or do you just hate someone from there?

0

WhatIsTickyTacky t1_j55j6i2 wrote

Take a look at the other comments. Almost to the one, the suggestions for “worst” are cities which are populated by predominantly Black and brown people. Nearly every time those cities come up on this sub, it’s in the context of how dAnGeRoUs and ScArY they are. That feels shitty to me. So, truly, Millburn/Short Hills takes my vote for worst. It’s small, trafficky, and adds very little to our state and its culture.

−8

meraki_05 t1_j57aor2 wrote

No shit, because the crime in those cities along with urban sprawl helps them make the top of the list. Just because "iT fEeLs sHiTtY" to you doesn't make it any less true. You think too much with your feelings and are quick to make this about "race" No surprise there🤡

0

[deleted] t1_j56cy5l wrote

[removed]

−4

WhatIsTickyTacky t1_j56g960 wrote

Harm reduction? Yes. I am in fact a huge fan of people struggling with addiction having access to medical care and safe places to use. I’d rather they not die. I didn’t realize compassion was considered bias and hatred but the internet teaches me new things every day!

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thethingfrombeyond t1_j56kigl wrote

JC

0

SHerrera718 t1_j56kxx6 wrote

Camden. I have dropped off couple of vehicles there (tow driver here) and I felt nothing but insecurity and fear. Luckily I got people that were watching me over but definitely the worst place in NJ

0

blumpkin_donuts t1_j57050r wrote

Camden, Elizabeth, Irvington, Salem, and Atlantic City take my top 5.

0

decayingskullz t1_j57xfi6 wrote

Camden by far. Probably one of the most dangerous cities in the country. Stay the fuck away

0

Glittering-Classic23 t1_j586xw8 wrote

Salem. Not sure how I ended up having to go to the MVC there, but it was literally the most depressing experience and if I had to spend more than my time at DMV there I would have killed myself

0

RivChk t1_j54eas3 wrote

Another vote for Camden

−1

Few-Restaurant7922 t1_j5547c3 wrote

Agree with Camden. Not sure how Irvington ranks but I had a bad experience driving there.

−1

WystanH t1_j55jcqd wrote

As a white guy, I've had some amusing experiences in Irvington, to be honest. I recall buying a bean pie off very confused Farrakhan devotee once. Was randomly hit me up for cash, because all white guys are rich. Once someone offered to help me get home; I must have been lost.

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sirzoop t1_j55g96u wrote

Atlantic City

−1

Juliekayxo t1_j54sfyj wrote

Paterson

−2

Jeff-Van-Gundy t1_j55ifht wrote

At least Paterson contributes some really good food. I'd put the food at Al-Basha over damn near any Arabic restaurants in NYC. Plus it has a lot of historical significance

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[deleted] t1_j56u8wj wrote

Paterson's history is off-the-charts cool. First industrialized city in the U.S. after harnessing the power of the Great Falls (second largest waterfall in the U.S.) with the planning of founder Alexander Hamilton. Became famous as "Silk City" and has a castle built by one of the first textile magnates in the country (Lambert's Castle). Also was the largest builder of Locomotives, and home to Samuel Colt, who built the first revolvers and manufactured them in Paterson. John Philip Holland built his first prototype submarines in Paterson, and sunk them in the Passaic River.

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ptowndavid t1_j56ytwu wrote

Hard disagree. Even with the corruption in the police and incompetence in the city government, it is still a pretty cool town.

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lol5600s t1_j578vz4 wrote

Paterson is at least seeing some growth, as opposed to Camden and Ocean City which have been in decline for decades

3

CryptographerInner31 t1_j58m0vh wrote

Paterson’s history is incredible, the people are very hard working & warm, for the most part. Anywhere you go in Paterson, someone is willing to help you out .

Granted it has some parts that are very sketchy , & there’s crime because it is a city ;but overall it’s a pretty interesting place.

1