i think from now on, whenever someone wants to talk about the heights being overridden with crime, they should mention the neighborhood or surrounding area that they live in, so we can get a good idea of what parts of the heights are good (there are many) and which arent (also many).

for example, i think my area of the heights is safe, i've never had any quality of life issues or anything like that - i live near kennedy and manhattan ave. if you walk around this area you'll see alot of new constructions going up (or well old houses being bought, torn down, and new ones going up); alot of the houses on stagg for example are under 5 yrs old. same with alot of the other side streets. so for me, alls quiet on the western front (of the heights).

edit - yes i know it's a cliche (at least on this board), but it really depends on what block you live on. i wouldnt compare my block to franklin and palisade, for example (although even this area of the heights is slowly getting better). the big problem with characterizing the heights is its size.. now, im no expert on the local DTJC neighborhoods, but i would say that "the heights" is much larger in size and area than say VVP or newport. what many people call the heights stretches from the city line with secaucus to observer highway, and from tonnelle in some parts all the way to the cliffs (at least, thats the general consensus i get for boundaries... could be way off though).

Got to love all this back and forth of the Heights. one makes it seem like you'll get stabbed in the neck if you walk to the corner store. the only thing that happens to me when i do that is a nice friendly how you doing to my local hotdog guy.

the heights is a big place people. like anywhere else, there's good parts and bad (which has been said to death on this board). sorry for those who lived here in the glory days. nothing stays the same, but in my short time of living up here i HAVE noticied a BIG change on my little street. Its not the whole heights, but its definately happening on my block. You can't lump the whole town into 1 doomsday prediction. You want to make a difference? step up, call the cops (they used to be on my speedial, but luckily haven't had to use it in about a year). go to neighborhood meetings. i went, signed a petition about the local drug dealer house, which a few months later was put up for sale. (hint: best way to get these fools out is for zoning violations, b/c the cops can't really do a damn thing unless some moron walks out to their patrol car and offers them coke)
you're responsible for your own neighborhood, b/c we all know what most politicians are worth.

i can't really speak about the other areas, just as some of you can't speak about my little area. stop lumping it all together, shit happens everywhere, doesn't mean its the wild west up the hill.

You notice in other wards you usually have members of the City Council say a couple a words about certain crimes. Usually Fulop comments, or Richardson comments, maybe even hold their own address about the issue.

In the heights case... Where the flying _____ is our councilman during any dam occasion?! I know he's at Jojo's drinking it up and hitting on younger females.

For those who know I'm talking about the Full-Time Chief of Staff to DeGise/JC Democratic Chairman/Local Drunk-Tard/Double Dipping/Machine Puppet/ The honorable yet worthless -- Bill Gaughan.

Smarten up Heights Residents, give Gaughan the boot.

I've lived in the Heights all my life. I think it's going through a serious period of change -- different from what downtown underwent because they were always different neighborhoods -- but a positive change nonetheless. When I was a kid, there were all tree-lined streets and a sense of community. Then there came a period where many families moved away and were replaced by people who didn't take care of their homes, etc. We lost a lot of lush trees for the sake of driveways. Nobody knew their neighbors anymore. Crime seemed to rise and police interest seemed to lower.

Lately I've seen so many people making home improvements and trying to create a sense of community. The police seem more diligent than they've been in years.

The Heights didn't fall apart overnight, and it won't be everything it can be overnight, either. I do believe that the rate of progress is very impressive. I look forward to what it will be in another 2 years.

I know the heights pretty well and it is really not any more or less dangerous than downtown, many places look pretty run down but it is not as rough as it looks. I know a bunch of people up there and there are some good blocks, some not so good but it can be a good place to live and is way closer to NYC than Bayonne and also is closer to hoboken. I will say there are definite signs of gentrification and I think the neighborhood will get nicer and nicer as time goes on.

CK - you act like this is the act of a roving band of murderers... i know you want everyone to know how much you dislike the hieghts now, but this is an isolated incident of domestic violence....

Can Kicker FYI domestic violence situations like this happen in the most affluent communities as well. You need to be more positive. keep reminding yourself the glass is half full

'KILLER' NABBED, NAPS
Bloody footprint, blood on clothes tie boyfriend to Heights slaying

Thursday, February 21, 2008
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A Jersey City man has been charged in the murder of his Heights girlfriend, whom police say he stabbed to death Monday.

William Davila, 36, of Delaware Avenue, was so drugged up when police found him Tuesday night that detectives had to let him sleep before talking to him, officials said.

Davila is charged with the murder of his girlfriend Ramona Pujols, 25, who was found stabbed multiple times in the neck on Tuesday in her apartment on Central Avenue just south of Paterson Plank Road, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said.

Investigators allege the professional dancer was killed by Davila on Monday during a jealous rage, DeFazio said.

At Davila's bail hearing yesterday afternoon he asked Superior Court Judge Kevin Callahan to have him placed in protective custody while being held at the Hudson County jail in Kearny, apparently fearing for his safety. Callahan set Davila's bail at $750,000 and said he would let the jail know about his request for protection.

Pujols' body was found Tuesday morning by her sister, who became worried after not hearing from her. The sister had the superintendent of the building let her into the locked apartment, where they found Pujols on the floor of the front bedroom, DeFazio said. The prosecutor said there were signs of a struggle in the room.

On Tuesday night, a tip led police to the Delaware Avenue apartment where Davila was arrested. When police arrived, another man jumped out of a window and ran away, DeFazio said. But police found Davila awake and took him to homicide headquarters at the foot of Duncan Avenue, where he fell asleep "for hours" in a holding cell, DeFazio said.

There was a bloody boot print found at the murder scene and it apparently matches the boots Davila was wearing when he was located, DeFazio said, adding investigators also found what appeared to be blood on his clothing.

Because of the suspected blood, homicide investigators secured his clothing and gave him white coveralls to make his 3 p.m. appearance in court, where his defense attorney entered a plea of not guilty.

BEDROOM SLAYING
Woman is found by sis; cops search for boyfriend

Wednesday, February 20, 2008
By PAUL KOEPP
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A 25-year-old woman was stabbed to death Monday night in the bedroom of her Central Avenue apartment in the Heights, and investigators are searching for her live-in boyfriend.

William Davila, 36, is wanted for questioning, but there is currently no warrant for his arrest in connection with the killing of Ramona Pujols, 25, according to Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio.

Her body was found near a bed yesterday morning by her sister, who was worried about not hearing from Pujols. The sister had the superintendent let her into the building, just south of Paterson Plank Road, DeFazio said.

Pujols had been stabbed numerous times in the neck, authorities said.

"Needless to say, we would like to talk with Mr. Davila about what happened," he said.

DeFazio said the couple had been known to fight. "I think unfortunately it was a domestic situation that clearly escalated to this tragic event," he said.

Elsa Ramirez, a neighbor, said she often took care of Pujols' dog at night in an apartment above Pujols' while she went to work in Newark. She last saw Pujols at 5 p.m. Monday, and didn't realize something was wrong when she didn't come to retrieve her dog at the usual 2 a.m. time.

"She never came or called. I figured she was tired and didn't want to pick up the dog," said Ramirez, adding that a friend told her he heard loud arguments in the apartment Monday night.

Other neighbors said that the couple, whom they knew as "Kathleen" and "Willy," fought a lot since moving in a couple months ago.

Millie Martinez said Pujols helped old people in the neighborhood, while Davila was a construction worker. Godwin Ononiwu, who owns Econo Computers on the ground floor of the building, said Davila installed a window for him a month ago and seemed like "a good guy."

Davila is 5-foot-10 and about 140 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes and a tattoo of three hearts on his chest, according to DeFazio. He previously lived on Third Street in Union City and has been known to frequent the Heights in Jersey City and Union City, DeFazio said.

Anyone with information should contact the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Unit at (201) 915-1345.

PAUL KOEPP can be reached at (201) 217-2400.

Quote:

Yr either living in denial, or must have lived in a place much worse than the heights, cause you sure don't have it right when it comes to where you live.

Don't sweat it, I grew up in the Heights and at a time when it trully was an awesome place to live and prior to your coming onto the scene, therefore you really need to get a grip of reality.

Yeah, were there problems, of course, but nowhere of this magnatude...

CK

yeah, as tragic as this domestic dispute killing is, it still doesnt change the fact that the heights are a great place to live.

sorry naysayers.

I didn't take your comments the wrong way at all! It is what it is, you know?

Thats very true Avantigroup. I dont know if that was directed towards me but I really didnt mean to sound like I was saying the heights is a dump, although looking back it might seem my comment was gearing towards that. Me personally I like the heights, I made that comment because for some reason I always feel like when people say the place is wonderful and not dangerous are nieve people that just moved in and are unware of what the area is like overall. I too am from close to where you said, about a half mile from duncan street, man have things taken a turn for the worse around there.

I guess what's nice to one person is a wreck to another. I grew up on the corner of Duncan Ave and Mallory, right across the street from Lincoln Park & the Duncan Projects. When we moved to Country Village (after my brother was born), it sure did seem nicer. Sure, the Heights isn't perfect, but this is Jersey City. This kind of stuff can happen anywhere. If I were to get a place in the Heights, I'd probably go to the Western Slope or Ogden Ave. I gotta tell you, I moved out of Jersey City for 12 years and it was a whole hell of a lot nicer than what I remembered.

I dont mean to knock anyone here but people acctually think the heights is a nice safe place? I read a post on here where somone said that some of the yuppies are moving there (hope not) for the cheap rent? I really wouldnt advise that , if y ou want cheap rent why not go to bayonne? Its not only the same distance to NYC but its a whole lot safer. Just an opinion I dont mean to ruffle any feathers.

To the poster last week who's in serious denial about how great it is to live in the Heights.

And you were saying ??????


CK

From the JJ:

STATE OF THE CITY TONIGHT
Healy looks back, ahead
Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy will give a "State of the City" address tonight at Franklin L. Williams Middle School, 222 Laidlaw Ave.

Healy is expected to talk about crime, development beyond the waterfront, and job creation for city residents. He also plans to lay out his development plans for Journal Square and the west side of the city, as well as a proposal for improving neighborhood parks.

Healy will propose adding 20 percent to Jersey City's open space, according to a press release.

The speech will start at 7 p.m. and is open to the public. Gov. Jon Corzine is scheduled to attend along with other state and local officials.

PAUL KOEPP

where and when is he speaking in the heights tonight?

This might well be a domestic case -- I'm not saying that it is but statistically it is more likely than not.

We will all find out soon.

========================

Woman found dead in Heights; homicide squad investigating

by Charles Hack
Tuesday February 19, 2008, 12:13 PM

The body of a woman was found at a home on Central Avenue in the Jersey City Heights about an hour ago, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio has confirmed.

The Jersey City Police Department asked the county homicide squad to respond, he said.

This is from the JJ online. A woman was found in her apartment near washington Park.

This is obviously a serious crime. There is plenty of violent crime in the Heights that doesn't get reported like muggings and assaults. There are lots of break-ins as well. We rarely hear about them. We also have a lot of Quality of Life crap going on daily that never seems to get addressed in any meaningful way.

So tonight Healy is going to talk in the Heights and continue to claim he is presiding over a safe city. It's a load of shite and I wish I could be there to ask him how he has done or plans to do anything about the shameful state of affairs of NJ second largest city. If someone goes please ask him about crime in the Heights if you are so inclined. Link below:


http://www.nj.com/hudsoncountynow/ind ... d_dead_in_heights_ho.html