FOOL ALERT! NO LEFT TURN INTO PARKING SPACES DOWNTOWN!

I agree with you, Galileo! I love Maplewood, but I believe it is not Mayberry any longer. Some things change for the better — other things not so much. 

That’s “progress” today. 

I do not like the cramming of apartments/condos on every patch of open ground. Yet that is “progress,” as well. You must recall our Mayor forever, Bob Grasmere, who fought long and hard at the state level for the electrification of the rail line and the “dream” of the Secaucus exchange and direct transport to NYC . Many folks thought him a tad off the rails at the time about that pipe dream!

Nostalgia for the past, I suppose, is normal for old timers. 

As you are aware, Maplewoodians watched as so many of our surrounding communities (East Orange, Irvington, Orange, Vailsburg for example) went under while Maplewood survived and prospered. Due in large measure to people, like you, who didn’t run for the hills.

BTW, my husband grew up in town, attending school from Seth Boyden thru CHS— a reason why we looked for our first home here.

I have to disagree with you on the construction of higher density housing units.  Whether one agrees or disagrees with the need for such types of housing, none of it was built on previously open space.  Each new building has replaced older commercial or residential sites that had fallen into disuse.  Personally, I'd rather see apartments in place of a vacant auto dealership for example. But obviously others disagree.

I'm also realizing what got under my skin about the idea of Maplewood being someplace that had to be "survived" in the 60s and 70s.  It was implicit in the original thought, but as you listed the events that had to be survived -- the Newark riots, decline of the business districts in Irvington and East Orange, the desegregation of SOMA schools, white flight -- it was more explicit.  Maybe you aren't aware or didn't intend it, but there's something of a racist undercurrent there.  All the events that Maplewoodians of the 60s and 70s had to survive involved a perceived incursion of scary dark skinned people.

mtierney said:

tom said:
The 60s, 70s and 80s were rough in a lot of places. Maplewood was really nothing special in that regard.

 I moved here in 1962. When did you? 

 Not relevant to my point.

mtierney said:
You must recall our Mayor forever, Bob Grasmere, who fought long and hard at the state level for the electrification of the rail line and the “dream” of the Secaucus exchange and direct transport to NYC . Many folks thought him a tad off the rails at the time about that pipe dream!

I certainly appreciate the work Grasmere did to support a transit link through our town.  But there were a lot of people who pushed this idea forward.  And maybe Maplewoodians couldn't grasp what he saw, but I can assure you a whole lot of people around the state knew it was a smart idea. I remember reading in the '80s about what they called the "Kearney Connection" which was going to join the M&E and Northeast Corridor lines.  It's why we moved to Maplewood just ahead of Midtown Direct.  I had known for years that Maplewood was going to be a convenient place from which to commute to the city.

Kearny Link Is Finished, Reducing Trip by Rail

S. Orange/ Maplewood schools were not segregated. Where did that ridiculous notion come from? 

mtierney said:

My four kids were in elementary school in the ‘70s. A time when the school district grappled with state mandates and the three Ds: Declining enrollment, Desegregation, and Deteriorating schools. 

I wasn't here back then, so I deferred to the expert on old-time Maplewood.

and fwiw, I believe that just looking at the percentages, SOMA elementary schools are considered segregated today.

bella said:
S. Orange/ Maplewood schools were not segregated. Where did that ridiculous notion come from? 

 The schools were “segregated” by the fact of their location — the state ordered the district to fix this  defacto segregation. Schools were closed, busing introduced to transfer students to other schools. It certainly seemed at the time  “ridiculous” to many families who purchased their homes in a particular school district a short walk away, only to find the kids getting on buses instead.

ml1 said:
I have to disagree with you on the construction of higher density housing units.  Whether one agrees or disagrees with the need for such types of housing, none of it was built on previously open space.  Each new building has replaced older commercial or residential sites that had fallen into disuse.  Personally, I'd rather see apartments in place of a vacant auto dealership for example. But obviously others disagree.
I'm also realizing what got under my skin about the idea of Maplewood being someplace that had to be "survived" in the 60s and 70s.  It was implicit in the original thought, but as you listed the events that had to be survived -- the Newark riots, decline of the business districts in Irvington and East Orange, the desegregation of SOMA schools, white flight -- it was more explicit.  Maybe you aren't aware or didn't intend it, but there's something of a racist undercurrent there.  All the events that Maplewoodians of the 60s and 70s had to survive involved a perceived incursion of scary dark skinned people.

 I must ask: why is there always the threat of pulling the race card in any discussion about change in the suburbs?

 Of course, the riots in Newark was the fuse — nothing subtle about it. The residents, who fled the scene of what was really ugly, abandoned Newark, East Orange and Orange, to start over.

 However, accepting and surviving the turmoil —and making a place the better for it —is huge,IMHO. Put your self back 50+ years ago, if you can, this huge social and cultural shift impacted people similar to a hurricane’s sudden arrival. Fearmongers stirred the pot and hate takes hold.

Of course, multiculturalism is a good thing. I do think a person has the right to question high density construction, however, without questioning his or her’s right to do so. Is this a sample of race-baiting as a way to quash a discussion?

mtierney said:

ml1 said:
I have to disagree with you on the construction of higher density housing units.  Whether one agrees or disagrees with the need for such types of housing, none of it was built on previously open space.  Each new building has replaced older commercial or residential sites that had fallen into disuse.  Personally, I'd rather see apartments in place of a vacant auto dealership for example. But obviously others disagree.
I'm also realizing what got under my skin about the idea of Maplewood being someplace that had to be "survived" in the 60s and 70s.  It was implicit in the original thought, but as you listed the events that had to be survived -- the Newark riots, decline of the business districts in Irvington and East Orange, the desegregation of SOMA schools, white flight -- it was more explicit.  Maybe you aren't aware or didn't intend it, but there's something of a racist undercurrent there.  All the events that Maplewoodians of the 60s and 70s had to survive involved a perceived incursion of scary dark skinned people.

 I must ask: why is there always the threat of pulling the race card in any discussion about change in the suburbs?

it's the elephant in the room

This thread really took a left turn from it's original subject.

mtierney said:

tom said:
The 60s, 70s and 80s were rough in a lot of places. Maplewood was really nothing special in that regard.

 I moved here in 1962. When did you? 

 56 years?  That's an awfully long time to have learned nothing.  

mtierney said:

bella said:
S. Orange/ Maplewood schools were not segregated. Where did that ridiculous notion come from? 

 The schools were “segregated” by the fact of their location — the state ordered the district to fix this  defacto segregation. Schools were closed, busing introduced to transfer students to other schools. It certainly seemed at the time  “ridiculous” to many families who purchased their homes in a particular school district a short walk away, only to find the kids getting on buses instead.

 We were talking about the 60-80’s, a time during which my immediate family members and I attended school at Seth Boyden, the school in the lowest socio-economic section of town. It wasn’t segregated in the traditional American sense of separation of race.

However this town has always had economic segregation.

Well said! 

How have the town demographics changed over the years?  Now, Maplewood is in the neighborhood of 35% African-American.  What was it in 1965, 70, 75?

When I attended Jefferson School there were not any African-American children. At what was then Maplewood Junior High there was only one but she was there less than a year. I would have to check my Columbia yearbook. I would say about 5. A black girl was voted the most popular student in our class.We all got on really well together and enjoyed our reunions.

Our next door neighbors for 11 years!

Dr.Crandall last comment is a kicker!

https://www.nj.com/expo/news/g66l-2019/01/f6c9b29f467432/look-inside-the-120yearold-map.html

For the next pet safety project, can you rant about the idlers who rather than park in the lot literally twenty feet away will clog up traffic in front of AB gambling on an angular spot opening up?

?

Did everyone receive this email today?

Maplewood Police Department Public Service Announcement

As a reminder…. Left hand turns into parking spaces on Maplewood Ave are prohibited as it creates a hazardous condition for both pedestrians and motorists. There are numerous signs clearly posted the length of Maplewood Avenue.

Please obey the rules of the road and drive safely.

Thank you,

Sgt. Scott Reeves

Maplewood Police Dept. Traffic Bureau  

EBennett said:
Did everyone receive this email today?

Maplewood Police Department Public Service Announcement

As a reminder…. Left hand turns into parking spaces on Maplewood Ave are prohibited as it creates a hazardous condition for both pedestrians and motorists. There are numerous signs clearly posted the length of Maplewood Avenue.
Please obey the rules of the road and drive safely.
Thank you,
Sgt. Scott Reeves
Maplewood Police Dept. Traffic Bureau  

I did.

The "No stopping or standing" probably gets violated more than the "no left turn." I'm not talking about waiting for someone to pull out of a space. Rather, letting passengers out of the car. Usually, this is by Bagel C.

Formerlyjerseyjack said:
The "No stopping or standing" probably gets violated more than the "no left turn." I'm not talking about waiting for someone to pull out of a space. Rather, letting passengers out of the car. Usually, this is by Bagel C.

It's very annoying to be waiting behind a car stopped on Maplewood Ave, and then an able-bodied young adult or teen gets out of the car.  Really?  These delicate flowers can't walk a half block from one of the parking lots?

And one time I watched as a guy abandoned his car in front of Jerry Rose.  The dude stopped the car, left the engine running, and got out of the car and walked away.  I drove around it, so I have no idea how long he left his car in the street running.  But it had to have been a few minutes because he wandered off someplace.

It's just amazing how many people act is if they are the last person left on earth.

ligeti said:
Downtown Maplewood Ave. Entitled dude thinks he’s going to turn LEFT into a parking space (directly next to a ‘NO LEFT TURN’ sign). He has his stupid blinkers on. I’m coming from the opposite direction and cheerily turn right into the parking space he assumed was his.  


Perpetrator: “HEY! That’s my space! I was here before you! I had my blinkers on!” 



Ligeti: “So you didn’t see the TWO NO LEFT TURN signs you just passed by? That’s poor attention skills. They’re very specific. You cannot turn left into these parking spaces.” 


Perpetrator: “Where are the signs? So what! You’re really OK with taking a space I was waiting for? Really?”


Ligeti: “Yup! All good!” I gave him a Ligeti thumbs up. 


Yuppie roared away in his silly, oversized SUV, shrieking with rage. I’m pretty sure he muttered hurtful adjectives at me, but as usual, Ligeti is immune to verbal or physical assaults of any kind. Comments?

 Yes!!! This is how you treat a savage! 

BTW, What is a Ligeti thumbs up? 

tjohn said:
How have the town demographics changed over the years?  Now, Maplewood is in the neighborhood of 35% African-American.  What was it in 1965, 70, 75?

 Ummmm.....that number is too high, and I am AA. Are you counting residents only? Many of the people of color seen in Maplewood WORK in Maplewood. 

that number is spot on from the U.S. Census -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maplewood,_New_Jersey#Census_2010

2018-2010 = 8.