Paterson

I have been living in Manhattan for the past 10 years. Like many, I thought that Paterson was the East Coast version of Detroit – a wasteland, until the day that I went out to visit a friend who bought property out there.

Paterson is the third largest city in the State of New Jersey. It is also only 12 miles West of NYC. Without a doubt, it suffers from the same maladies as many urban areas in this country.

That said, it also offers one of the most amazing natural wonders of the East Coast – The Great Falls. The Great Falls are second in size to Niagra and they are beautiful. National State Park status is currently pending for them. Millions of dollars have been earmarked for their restoration. There are also neighborhoods filled with beautiful mansions that were built during the Silk City’s Hay Day.

Unlike many other towns in the NYC area – you can find great deals on property here. A lot of folks from SOHO seem to be aware of this. As a result NYCers are moving out to this city in droves.

In addition, as a result of the city’s great diversity there is a wonderful selection of restaurants.

The last time I whent to visit this place was to visit my mom and my siblings. I grew up in Paterson hoping that some day I will be able to leave this city. Talk about run down. It took me a long time to figure out a way out. Deperate times called for desperate measures, and eventually I was able to leave the state rather than just the city. Property in New Jersey has risen dramatically. No wonder people end up not leaving this inner city.

Nothing much going on here. A bunch of masjids and halal shops but other than those nothing much.

Bad rep, sometimes deserved, sometimes not.

Once I locked myself out of my car here and a random guy came to my aid and broke into it for me. Paterson has a bad rep, but it’s more complicated than that; it has a rich history and it’s worth a detour at least. I like to get good Arabic or Turkish food or smoke some argela (hookah) in South Paterson.

good for scoring drugs… but not much else.

not a place you’d want to be caught late at night.