# Newark, NJ - Least friendly city in the world
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 2, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171 "2013-08-02T17:11:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/1 "2013-08-02T17:11:20Z")
That’s right fuck youz. [Newark got a score of 13.4 out of 100](http://www.businessinsider.com/the-unfriendliest-cities-in-the-world-2013-8) and comes in behind garden spot Islamabad, Pakistan which got 17.9. When asked for comment Newark said 'Youz want friendly? We got your ‘friendly’ right here and grabbed its crotch.
> [@](#):
>
> Newark received an abysmal score of just 13.4 out of 100 for its friendliness. Many readers said that the only reason to go to Newark is for its “cheaper/less busy airport” and that there are "a lot of rude people there.”
---
### Author:  [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/2 "2013-08-02T17:33:53Z")
So what’s the difference between “Most Dangerous City” and “Least Friendly City”? I don’t understand how those can be two different cities.
---
### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/3 "2013-08-02T17:41:56Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#):
>
> So what’s the difference between “Most Dangerous City” and “Least Friendly City”? I don’t understand how those can be two different cities.
Killing you is one thing but you don’t have to be rude about it.
---
### Author:  [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2013, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/4 "2013-08-02T17:50:51Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#):
>
> So what’s the difference between “Most Dangerous City” and “Least Friendly City”? I don’t understand how those can be two different cities.
The rats won’t generally hurt you if you cooperate but they’re very rude.
---
### Author:  [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/5 "2013-08-02T17:51:17Z")
> [@Loach](#):
>
> Killing you is one thing but you don’t have to be rude about it.
You got a problem with that?
---
### Author:  [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2013, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/6 "2013-08-02T17:54:40Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#):
>
> You got a problem with that?
😃
---
### Author:  [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/7 "2013-08-02T17:56:30Z")
Yeah, but the people voting were Conde Nast Traveler readers. They invite rudeness just by being seen with a copy of the magazine.
---
### Author:  [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2013, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/8 "2013-08-02T18:06:55Z")
These polls are ridiculous. One thing they definitely got wrong is the “cheaper/less busy airport” part. EWR is definitely the most expensive airport in these parts.
---
### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2013, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/9 "2013-08-02T21:37:27Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#):
>
> These polls are ridiculous. One thing they definitely got wrong is the “cheaper/less busy airport” part. EWR is definitely the most expensive airport in these parts.
And I don’t think they were going out sightseeing in Newark. They probably never left the airport. Which is on par friendly-wise with most busy airports.
---
### Author:  [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/10 "2013-08-02T23:56:56Z")
> [@Loach](#):
>
> And I don’t think they were going out sightseeing in Newark. They probably never left the airport. Which is on par friendly-wise with most busy airports.
That is just an awful thing to say. There are some lovely buildings in downtown Newark, or at least used to be. I haven’t been there in decades. I really loved the [City Subway](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newark_Light_Rail) - yes they have a subway and [the old cars were just so cute you could kiss them.](http://members.tripod.com/~riid/newark/nwk23.jpg) It looks from the wiki entry that it still operates but I’m not sure.
---
### Author:  [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2013, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/11 "2013-08-03T10:37:23Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#):
>
> One thing they definitely got wrong is the “cheaper/less busy airport” part. EWR is definitely the most expensive airport in these parts.
Indeed. Newark is really more convenient for us than JFK, since if we’re flying into New York, chances are excellent that our final destination is Pennsylvania. But the cheapest flights are always to JFK, and at times the difference is startling.
Never been outside of the airport, but the parts of Newark you see from the airport, and from the plane during take-off and landing, are not pleasant. My brother-in-law once said that if he thought all of the US looked like that, he’d get on the next plane back home :eek:
---
### Author:  [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2013, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/12 "2013-08-03T11:16:43Z")
> [@Loach](#):
>
> And I don’t think they were going out sightseeing in Newark. They probably never left the airport. Which is on par friendly-wise with most busy airports.
I never left the airport when I flew through NJ, but the people there were notably more dickish than people in other airports. It took me a while to figure out what the hell everyone’s problem was, then I remembered where I was. Didn’t make me want to visit the rest of the city.
---
### Author:  [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2013, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/13 "2013-08-03T13:42:09Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#):
>
> So what’s the difference between “Most Dangerous City” and “Least Friendly City”? I don’t understand how those can be two different cities.
FWIW Newark isn’t even the most dangerous city in NJ (that would probably be Camden) let alone the world. Newark seemed to be on the verge of a Renaissance in the mid 2000s but then the economy imploded and it just kind of started treading water.
The Airport does suck though.
---
### Author:  [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2013, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/14 "2013-08-03T14:08:21Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#):
>
> So what’s the difference between “Most Dangerous City” and “Least Friendly City”? I don’t understand how those can be two different cities.
One gives you your latte with too few dollops of whipped cream and no ground cinnamon.
The other one, you don’t worry about your latte so much.
> [@robert\_columbia](#):
>
> You got a problem with that?
Go figure. 😛
> [@deltasigma](#):
>
> That is just an awful thing to say. There are some lovely buildings in downtown Newark, or at least used to be. I haven’t been there in decades. I really loved the [City Subway](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newark_Light_Rail) - yes they have a subway and [the old cars were just so cute you could kiss them.](http://members.tripod.com/~riid/newark/nwk23.jpg) It looks from the wiki entry that it still operates but I’m not sure.
Ferry street is still there. And it still has Rodizio.
---
### Author:  [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2013, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/15 "2013-08-03T14:19:44Z")
Newark, NJ is ALL that bad. I mean, there are certainly parts of it that are scary. I moved there from Atlanta–which isn’t exactly Mayberry–and I did experience some culture shock. I’d be riding my bike down S. Orange Ave and start feeling like I was in the middle of the music video for “The Message”. Those were slums like I’d never seen before. Since then, Corey Booker apparently has turned some things around.
But the whole city isn’t like that. And just like anywhere in the northeast, the people are friendly when you actually sit down and talk to them.
---
### Author:  [@pendgwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pendgwen)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2013, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/16 "2013-08-03T14:29:36Z")
Well, I must say that validates by opinion of the city. I worked there until a month ago.
---
### Author:  [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/17 "2013-08-03T15:25:27Z")
> [@monstro](#):
>
> But the whole city isn’t like that. And just like anywhere in the northeast, the people are friendly when you actually sit down and talk to them.
Then 'splain how AC also made the top ten? _Two_ cities, at opposite ends of NJ are top ten _in the world_???
“New Joisey & you, perfect together.” Fuggedaboudit!
---
### Author:  [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2013, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/18 "2013-08-03T15:36:12Z")
> [@Spiderman](#):
>
> Then 'splain how AC also made the top ten? _Two_ cities, at opposite ends of NJ are top ten _in the world_???
>
> “New Joisey & you, perfect together.” Fuggedaboudit!
Ha! [Thanks for pointing that out](http://www.cntraveler.com/daily-traveler/2013/07/travel-us-cities-charleston-newark-branson-friendly-unfriendly_slideshow_item15_16). Atlantic City would have scored better than 5th but they ARE in the hospitality business after all. 😃
---
### Author:  [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/19 "2013-08-03T15:50:51Z")
EWR is a cesspool as major airports go. I have flown in and out of there more times than I can count. I loathe the place.
Some interesting things about EWR
The rental car companies provide tail gunners if you will be driving into downtown Newark.
Coming out of the airport you are greeted with the lovely sight of Northern State Prison. It either a prison or a local high school, I’m not sure which.
I stayed one night at a hotel near the [del]prison[/del] local high school/ airport and I can tell you in all my travels this was the one time I was fearful in a hotel. The place gave me the creeps.
There is an ordinance in Newark that you are required to honk before you get to a pothole. This is to warn the drivers and cars that are already in it of your arrival. True story company dinner fifteen cars 6 destroyed tires and 3 cracked wheels was the carnage that evening.
To design the approach roads to EWR the architect dumped a bowl of spaghetti onto the glass of a photocopier and hit copy. It’s true you can look it up, or just drive in or out of the airport.
Everyone has their own vision of Hell. Mine would be to be a ticket agent at EWR during a winter blizzard.
Yeah Newark sucks.
---
### Author:  [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171/20 "2013-08-03T21:43:51Z")
Odd. The lead editorial in the NYTimes today endorsed the mayor for the Senate seat held by Lautenberg, saying that he had completely turned the city around since 2006. This was for the Democratic primary in 10 days and they very positive things to say about his three opponents, so it was not the best of a bad batch, but the best of a good batch.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newark-nj-least-friendly-city-in-the-world/665171.md?page=2)