Ivy Hill
Encyclopedia
Ivy Hill is a diverse neighborhood in the West Ward of Newark, New Jersey
which is notable for having high crime
. While the Ivy Hill neighborhood is often considered as part of the Vailsburg area, it is actually a separate area.
until 1890 when the city of Newark
bought this land. In 1926, another 110 acre (0.4451546 km²) was annexed by Newark. In the 1960s, novelist Philip Roth
in his book American Pastoral, described a community as family-oriented and safe.
In 2007 there was a triple execution-style murdering of three college-bound students behind the Mount Vernon school which generated national attention. The murdered students became known as the Mount Vernon 3. They had been bound for Delaware State University
. The shooting happened in a parking lot behind the Mount Vernon School just across Manor Drive from Ivy Hill Park Apartments. It led to lawsuits against the school for inadequate security as well as protests from residents about lack of police presence, an underused police facility, and lack of surveillance cameras.
. In 2011, there are immigrants from over 40 countries represented, with 10,000 residents, with the sense of the complex being like a mini "United Nations". Some day-laborers live there. In a freak accident, several persons were injured by lightning
when they were outdoors in a small wooded area behind the apartments when a thunderstorm began. It is a privately-managed facility which spreads out for half a mile. Management policy is not to respond to questions from the media although some information is relayed by staff on condition of anonymity.
The apartment complex has had serious problems with crime, although there are conflicting reports whether the crime rate is improving or whether crime is continuing to fester. There was a report of residents who were "often afraid to approach their own apartments because of the gantlet of gang members lurking around the doorways of the buildings." Some buildings were plagued by "garbage and mischief". According to one newspaper account:
The complex management had trouble dealing with gang members who used the extensive complex as a hideout. Security guards for the complex, including off-duty Newark police officers, gave "little resistance" to gang activity, according to one report. Evictions did not seem to matter since gang members returned to the complex to menace residents.
The complex was described as "rough" with an "atmosphere of fear." Criminal gangs either lived or robbed
there, sometimes who slipped through apartment doors "cracked barely open by frightened residents." One gang did stickups in elevators and parking lots to extort cash from victims.
and artist Andre de Krayewski
, and boyhood home of artist, Robert Florczak
from 1953-1958. Teri Shields, mother of actress and model Brooke Shields
was born in the neighborhood.
bus lines, all of which meet at the Ivy Hill Loop "station" located at the southeast corner of Manor Drive and Mount Vernon Place. It is the second stop, after the South Orange Train Station
, on the number 107 bus to New York
. Service on the 107 begins at 4:45 AM on weekdays and the last bus to arrive from New York
arrives at 2:49 AM. The loop is the first stop on the number 37 bus to Newark Airport
, which begins at 4:04 AM on weekdays. The last bus to arrive from Newark Airport
arrives at 12:12 AM. The 1 or 361X connects Ivy Hill with Jersey City
and Newark Penn Station
. Number 1 buses run almost every half hour starting at 4:34AM. 361X express buses run during the morning rush at 7:16, 7:23, 7:30, 7:37, 7:44, 7:51, 8:00, 8:14, 8:24, 8:40.
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
which is notable for having high crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
. While the Ivy Hill neighborhood is often considered as part of the Vailsburg area, it is actually a separate area.
History
The Ivy Hill area had been part of the South Orange Township known as MaplewoodMaplewood, New Jersey
Maplewood is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 23,867.-History:...
until 1890 when the city of Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
bought this land. In 1926, another 110 acre (0.4451546 km²) was annexed by Newark. In the 1960s, novelist Philip Roth
Philip Roth
Philip Milton Roth is an American novelist. He gained fame with the 1959 novella Goodbye, Columbus, an irreverent and humorous portrait of Jewish-American life that earned him a National Book Award...
in his book American Pastoral, described a community as family-oriented and safe.
Schools
This neighborhood has up to three schools and an Annex which had been a Ukrainian School and which later became the Mount Vernon School for two years and then for one year Vailsburg middle School.Politics
The Ivy Hill Neighborhood Association was formed several decades ago and hosts forums for public debate. In 2010, concerns voiced by members included issues such as "increased police presence, job creation, failing schools, recreational facilities for children, control of the Newark watershed, and residency requirements for city employees." Many city workers do not live within the city limits, according to one report.Crime
The area has been plagued by high rates of crime in the past few decades, with numerous muggings and murders. There was a murder of a 26-year-old man in 2008 and a woman in 2011.In 2007 there was a triple execution-style murdering of three college-bound students behind the Mount Vernon school which generated national attention. The murdered students became known as the Mount Vernon 3. They had been bound for Delaware State University
Delaware State University
Delaware State University , is an American historically black, public university located in Dover, Delaware, and there are two satellite campuses located in Wilmington, Delaware, and Georgetown, Delaware...
. The shooting happened in a parking lot behind the Mount Vernon School just across Manor Drive from Ivy Hill Park Apartments. It led to lawsuits against the school for inadequate security as well as protests from residents about lack of police presence, an underused police facility, and lack of surveillance cameras.
Ivy Hill Apartments Complex
The Ivy Hill Park Apartment complex consists of ten fifteen-story buildings on Mount Vernon Place and Manor Drive. The construction of the apartment buildings had been initially frowned upon by many in the neighborhood. It was built in 1952. It became home to immigrants from many communities, including from Eastern EuropeEastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
. In 2011, there are immigrants from over 40 countries represented, with 10,000 residents, with the sense of the complex being like a mini "United Nations". Some day-laborers live there. In a freak accident, several persons were injured by lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
when they were outdoors in a small wooded area behind the apartments when a thunderstorm began. It is a privately-managed facility which spreads out for half a mile. Management policy is not to respond to questions from the media although some information is relayed by staff on condition of anonymity.
The apartment complex has had serious problems with crime, although there are conflicting reports whether the crime rate is improving or whether crime is continuing to fester. There was a report of residents who were "often afraid to approach their own apartments because of the gantlet of gang members lurking around the doorways of the buildings." Some buildings were plagued by "garbage and mischief". According to one newspaper account:
The complex management had trouble dealing with gang members who used the extensive complex as a hideout. Security guards for the complex, including off-duty Newark police officers, gave "little resistance" to gang activity, according to one report. Evictions did not seem to matter since gang members returned to the complex to menace residents.
The complex was described as "rough" with an "atmosphere of fear." Criminal gangs either lived or robbed
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
there, sometimes who slipped through apartment doors "cracked barely open by frightened residents." One gang did stickups in elevators and parking lots to extort cash from victims.
Notable residents
Ivy Hill is the home of artistic talent of such varying disciplines as rapper Rah DiggaRah Digga
Rah Digga is an American rapper. Well known as a long time member of the Flipmode Squad, a hip hop group led by Busta Rhymes, she parted ways amicably with the group in 2007. She has been called "one of rap's most prominent women MCs" by Allmusic and "one of hip-hop's most skilled female MCs" in...
and artist Andre de Krayewski
Andre de Krayewski
Andre de Krayewski is an artist and Polish expatriate currently residing in Newark, NJ. With a career that spans more than half a century, he continues to masterfully create paintings in his art-deco signature style and in pop art style. Andre de Krayewski is best known in his former country, for...
, and boyhood home of artist, Robert Florczak
Robert Florczak
Robert Florczak is an American artist and illustrator.Growing up in Bound Brook, New Jersey and a student at Bound Brook High School, Florczak was influenced by art teacher Jerry Meatyard...
from 1953-1958. Teri Shields, mother of actress and model Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
was born in the neighborhood.
Transportation
Ivy Hill is served by the Number 3 New Jersey TransitNew Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
bus lines, all of which meet at the Ivy Hill Loop "station" located at the southeast corner of Manor Drive and Mount Vernon Place. It is the second stop, after the South Orange Train Station
South Orange (NJT station)
South Orange is a New Jersey Transit station in South Orange, New Jersey along the Morris and Essex rail line. It is located in the business district of South Orange, near its town hall...
, on the number 107 bus to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Service on the 107 begins at 4:45 AM on weekdays and the last bus to arrive from New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
arrives at 2:49 AM. The loop is the first stop on the number 37 bus to Newark Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
, which begins at 4:04 AM on weekdays. The last bus to arrive from Newark Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
arrives at 12:12 AM. The 1 or 361X connects Ivy Hill with Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
and Newark Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (Newark)
Pennsylvania Station is a major transportation hub in Newark, New Jersey. Located at Raymond Plaza, between Market Street and Raymond Boulevard, Newark Penn Station is served by the Newark Light Rail, New Jersey Transit commuter rail, Amtrak long distance trains, the PATH rapid transit system, and...
. Number 1 buses run almost every half hour starting at 4:34AM. 361X express buses run during the morning rush at 7:16, 7:23, 7:30, 7:37, 7:44, 7:51, 8:00, 8:14, 8:24, 8:40.
External links
- 107 bus to New York City
- 37 bus to Newark airport
- 1 or 361X buses to Jersey CityJersey City, New JerseyJersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
and Newark Penn StationPennsylvania Station (Newark)Pennsylvania Station is a major transportation hub in Newark, New Jersey. Located at Raymond Plaza, between Market Street and Raymond Boulevard, Newark Penn Station is served by the Newark Light Rail, New Jersey Transit commuter rail, Amtrak long distance trains, the PATH rapid transit system, and...
.