Theurbanexplorer

Growing up with Aspergers, I had really interesting hobbies, like going to cities, writing papers on them, taking pictures of them. And then blogging them.  On one of my trips, I decided to go to Newark's North Ward for the annual Saint Gerard feast.  Even though I am a practicing Catholic, my faith was honestly not what brought me to this feast, rather my interest for cities. One of the reasons why I found the neighborhood of the North Ward in Newark was of its past and present ethnic makeup. 100 years ago, this was a very Italian neighborhood.  Today, however, it is mostly Hispanic. When Italians were arriving to the country, they were viewed with fear and resentment. Many found comfort in ethnic enclaves like the North Ward.   Keep in mind, Newark once had one of the largest Italian communities in the nation.  Today, Hispanics constitute the majority in areas like the North Ward but also entire cities like Elizabeth, ...

Cecilia Gonzalez, Program Coordinator of the Emerging Leaders Program,  the Jewish Renaissance Foundation -by Alfonso Faura Cecilia Gonzalez has been working for the Jewish Renaissance Foundation , otherwise known as JRF, for two years now. She was a former coworker of mine and I wanted to interview her.   As a Latino, I am proud of seeing other Latinos from Perth Amboy take on leadership roles like this. She leads a program where high school students are paid a stipend to volunteer their time and help give ideas on how to improve our city. Cecilia at her front desk. I asked her some questions about her students.  Something that really impressed her about her students was they thought of a walkability audit.  Included in this document were issues on how to fix issues pertaining to pedestrian and cycling safety, including ramps and improving sidewalks,  They also made sure that were complying with Americans with Disabilities Act re...

Explore the Perth Amboy Gateway Neighborhood - by Alfonso Faura The Gateway neighborhood is a very diverse neighborhood in Perth Amboy!  It was originally an Irish area, then later the Eastern Europeans settled here. Today, the neighborhood has a mix of cultures.  You can walk and grab Polish, Jamaican, Hungarian Mexican, Portuguese, Dominican, and Honduran food all within ten blocks from each other. Not many neighborhoods in the state of New Jersey can make this claim.  And this blog highlights many of these eateries. The Gateway neighborhood is located in the southern part of Perth Amboy. Its boundaries the NJ Transit RR to the east, Woodbridge Township to the west, New Brunswick Avenue to the north, and the Raritan River to its south. It is a working class section of Perth Amboy.  This mural represents strong, independent Latina women--like many in our neighborhood. Typical row houses in the Gateway.  ...