Submitted by Top_Ad5385 t3_122l1ps in newjersey
Did we all know it is such a bustling walkable heavily Latino area? Like dozens of neat and fresh-looking Spanish storefronts, businesses, restaurants, etc. It seems to have doubled in size since covid and gotten way more bustling. I guess I am out of the loop.
Immigration good.
Who would’ve thought?
But I was told they're stealing my women and jobs! /s
My wife’s an immigrant lol.
Immigrants: they get the job done!
Diversity is a wonderful thing.
Yeah it is so bustling! It was not like that before covid.
Same with Elizabeth. It is becoming really special
If only the traffic wasn't so bad. I always hate driving through Plainfield
Me too! It’s nice to see all the pedestrians though.
A lot of town downtowns are being revitalized by Latino communities, it's so great. I'm in Dover often to catch the train and I find it so difficult to choose a place to eat beforehand, there are so many fantastic restaurants and bakeries right near the station.
I used to work in Rockaway near the mall and very often I drove to Dover on my lunch break to get food. So many awesome places. I used to get a coffee and a guava pastry from a bakery. YUM.
Any reqs?
Rico Pan has killer empanadas
I love Monchy's for a sit-down meal, I dream about their tostones mixtos with pink sauce. They used to have one in my town but it closed over COVID.
Botony Village and downtown Clifton in general
Immigrants make us strong.
we're all immigrants!
The congressional redistricting committee knows. That's why they made the 7th district wrap around but not include Plainfield.
It's been years since I was there, a decade or more, and it was REALLY run-down at that point. Such a shame, because some of the older houses really had the potential to be beautiful.
When l was house shopping a couple years ago l was surprised to find some really beautiful, enormous houses in Plainfield. Lead me down a rabbit hole about NJ history. Google the Plainfield Rebellion if you’re interested. It’s also the birthplace of Parliament Funkadelic!
They renamed a stretch of road on west side as "Parliament-Funkadelic Way" last year
The houses here are often beautiful and affordable. I live in 100+ year old mansion-esque type of home in one of the historic districts. I would NEVER have been able to afford it in other towns in this state. I find my neighbors to be pleasant and unstuffy and I try to shop locally when possible. Come to Plainfield, you will be welcomed.
Yes, it’s been at least that time for me and run down is a good word. There were parts that did seem unsafe to me, as well. I used to go often for food, as I am Latina… but can find enough good places in Bound Brook, Middlesex, etc.
Just judging from my drive, it's not Rodeo Drive or anything but I wouldn't call it run-down, at least not Downtown Plainfield
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Did you visit the Plainfield Donut Shop?!
If OP didn't they are forever banned from the left lane.
I didn't know there was one!
Sorry your left lane privilege has been revoked. You have been banished to the specific slow lane where people don’t speed up after merging under the speed limit
OP, you have a quest. You must go to the Plainfield Donut Shop... and east one of their fresh donuts!
They make it themselves. You'll taste the freshness.
Shhhhh it’s too popular as it is!!
This is nice to hear! I worked for north Plainfield school district about 5 years ago and the board of older white individuals was really struggling with the shift to a Latino heavy population. My good friend was the supervisor is ELL programming and she had a really hard time her first few years getting the programs installed that the area needed to be more supportive of incoming Latin students. She has reported that with new board members it’s gotten much better and it’s nice to hear that Plainfield seems to be doing well too :)
it's been this way for a while now. it still has its rough edges, and honestly probably always will. but it's way, way, way improved over its nadir in the late 1990s.
Yeah I live in N. Plainfield and downtown Plainfield is usually busy, same with our downtown. It still has a little way to go but the energy is definitely there. Hoping to see some more diverse food options soon (we need more south east Asian spots in the area). Time will tell, especially if the pedestrian area and that huge new "bella" complex ever get started. Just hope it doesn't swing too far gentrified, love the feel of like Cranford, Union and Rahway rather than like Westfield or Summit.
Yes, I am really hoping for a Rahway/Cranford vibe in Plainfield. Many positive changes are happening here!
My grandma has lived in hunterdon county for 50 years now but grew up in Plainfield. We go back every few years and she seemed really surprised by all the different stores the first time we went ~10 years ago.
It is not your parent's or grandparent's Plainfield.
Park Avenue is bustling, as are the Xth Street shops going up towards 22.
I don't know if the designation is applied, but it is an urban enterprise zone; lots of shops and many different countries are represented.
Ohhh explain that to me. Is that why so many shops and restaurants opened? Is it some sort of tax break?
It is actually, and there are benefits for sales tax and such:
https://plainfieldnj.gov/departments/economic_development/starting_your_business/uez_(urban_enterprise_zone).php
The five UEZs are in: Bridgeton; Camden; Newark; Plainfield; Trenton.
State sales tax is exempted, among other benefits.
There are more than just those towns. Areas of Elizabeth, New Brunswick, Atlantic City and more are also UEZs
I don't care. Take it up with the state, I copied it from the site I linked
So is Asbury Park:
Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) | Asbury Park, NJ https://www.cityofasburypark.com/296/Urban-Enterprise-Zone-UEZ
"In 2020 census, 51% of all people living in Plainfield were of Hispanic origin.[11] This was up from 25% in 2000[63] and 40% in 2010.[21]"
Used to teach at Plainfield High school. It's a wonderful community, very vibrant! Highly recommend eating at comedor latino
I have to say the restaurants looked real good.
It’s been like that for awhile now, same with Somerset St.
Dee & Dee, Moshell’s, etc are all a thing of the past. I’ve been gone for a few years now and Plfd looks so different. I’m not sure if the plaza is even still open.
Drive down South Ave from Richmond to Terrill and look how different it is too. Same with Grant and S. 2nd. I remember that area being really run down especially around MoonFace. I look at home prices if I ever want to go back and it’s so unaffordable now.
Even looking at it live on Google Maps right now, mid-afternoon on a Sunday, downtown Plainfield is listed as "busy"
I feel like anyone who shits on Plainfield hasn’t spent enough time in any of them.
Yes. Theres lots of towns not in Essex and Hudson that are walkable but since they arent a major metro area, the people who campaign for walkable cities dont talk about them. These towns need a little love but could be great again. Asbury Park took 20 years to get to where it is
👏👏👏
Seems to be the same as Rahway’s downtown - they have some good Peruvian and Cuban restaurants (and a fun cigar bar) and seems like lots of people hanging about. They seem to be doing a great job
Yeah. I would say downtown Rahway has more of a bougie-but-diverse feel whereas Plainfield feels like what I imagine a bustling busy shopping area might be in Latin America. Plainfield feels more Latino-centric.
Both are cool!
Condos are coming though. Enjoy it while it lasts. Up to Netherwood station already and downtown area gonna be next.
Wait what are the condos gonna do
Help make the downtown more thriving by giving more clients for restaurants and shops. Some ppl are just haters
A) Make things look like ugly generic condos (See Garwood as an example) B) Drive up prices C) Drive out Hispanic population D) Gentrification
It'll be generic shit all over or just more condos and then more condos.
Garwood is almost entirely single family homes. They just built new apartments but that’s like one spot.
It's everywhere by the train station now and spilling further.
That’s like two parts of South Ave. Most of Garwood is in the suburban areas on either side of South and north ave. It’s a blip. And largely a good thing unless you’re a NIMBY which is just selfish and dumb. But yeah, the vast majority of Garwood isn’t even in the same area as those developments and is all single family homes or some multi families.
This is correct
That’s a big "it depends". In some towns there are so many condos/apt. buildings going up that the locals who are the backbone staff for many local businesses are being forced out of town as they can no longer afford a place in town due to the rising rents.
These same apartment buildings get huge tax breaks and incentives which can’t make up for the undue stress the extra population puts onto the municipal services, and educational services of the town. So… raise taxes on everybody in town.
Back to affordability, those apartment rental rates I mentioned; I can think of one building Where the rates were reasonable, say $1,500 or below for a one bedroom, the new building is $4,000 and above. I was in a local the other day and happened to strike up a conversation with the guy next to me, turns out he had just moved into one of these new buildings, he was the type of guy who almost immediately finds a way to let you know just who he is and what he does… turns out he’s shelling out $6K a month for a two bedroom, enjoy that buddy.
Meanwhile the people who used to be able to live in the previous building had to move, can’t find another place in town they can afford so they end up moving out of town and have to shell out transportation fees to get to work because they can’t afford to buy a car which they never needed nor wanted before.
they are big, ugly, new buildings which don’t fit into the landscape and stick out like sore thumbs.
But… that’s the story, it happens again and again, it happens here and there, it’s been going on for years, while it slowed for awhile, it’s picking up speed again.
The Queen City.
I drive through there a lot but have never walked around so I'm curious about the area because I've heard mixed things about Plainfield (and experienced shadiness there first hand, but that can happen anywhere).
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The NJ State Criterium championships (bike racing, i.e. dudes in spandex) were held in Plainfield a few years back. It was nice to go and see just how nice the downtown area has become. I’m rooting for it to continue to grow.
It’s the same old story: In the mid to late 19th Century all the papists were arriving from Europe to destroy the nation and the WASP way of life. Nationalist Politics of the Know Nothings created fear and intolerance, and the Irish and Italian immigrant were relegated to tenement slums and the worst jobs. They quickly assimilated to American life and through hard work and close family and neighborhood connection build businesses, sacrificed to get their kids educated and filled the local churches. Does this all sound familiar?
YES!!! I made a post about Plainfield a few weeks ago, and every was talking like it was really small, however when I visited for the first time a few months ago, it seemed really large and nice! However, there are definitely a lot of mentally ill there… a little more than some other NJ cities
Any good restaurant recommendations in Plainfield? I do Morris ave Elizabeth pan de bono runs all the time, would love to check out somewhere new.
Dunellen has entered the room!
Demographic is 46 percent of north Plainfield is now Spanish ,
“Spanish” - that is not a demographic
I mean, it's certainly a demographic, but not what OP was going for.
American-Guesser-225 t1_jdr0vw4 wrote
The influx of folks from Central and South America has revitalized the combined Plainfield/North Plainfield downtown area over the last few decades. There were a lot of vacant storefronts on Somerset St. in North Plainfield years ago. Not so anymore.