After several weeks of rain and Nor’easters and flooding, the weather has finally improved significantly this week. To celebrate the weather I took a stroll to downtown Trenton this morning and there were a surprising amount of people out and about. Skateboarders were making skating videos on Front Street, there were plenty of people in Mill Hill Park, and Cafe Ole had about ten people sitting inside sipping coffee talking to Anthony, the guy running the joint for the morning. I guzzled down two double espressos, which cost a total of one dollar!

CAFE OLE

Anthony seemed like a nice guy; he invited pretty every single patron back to T-Town next weekend for the Trenton Film Festival. Although I picked up a shift at the restaurant for a little extra cash, I plan on attending some of Saturday’s early-afternoon showings, and maybe the afterparty at Joe’s Mill Hill Saloon after I’m done with work. Sounds like a good opportunity to meet some more of the lively citizens of Trenton.

Now for the serious stuff.

This week’s recent revelations of malfeasances on the part of several school district employees only further highlights the necessity of a better school district to the proper functioning of any urban area like Trenton. People with children simply won’t move here until the district performs better and provides a safer environment for its students.

TRENTON HIGH SCHOOL

If families don’t move to Trenton it will remain extremely difficult to change the absurd demographic makeup of the city, with a lopsided amount of Mercer County’s poor living within a 7.7 square mile city. Concentrated poverty only hurts the city, discouraging investment and the availability of well-paying jobs.

So I bit the bullet.

I’m officially moving into one of Trenton’s nicer neighborhoods, the Mill Hill. Located just south of downtown, it’s a few blocks of beautiful, historic brick and wood row houses, with cobblestone streets and old fashioned street lights.

The neighbors I have seen all look like good people, a far cry from most people’s perceptions of who lives in Trenton. There is still something to be said for this city, which can only go up from here.

The neighborhood is within walking distance of many downtown establishments, like Joe’s Mill Hill Saloon.

There’s also other venues nearby, including restaurants, a coffee house or two, shops and some entertainment venues. And, as far as Trenton goes, there isn’t a great public safety issue.

I’m hoping to become a part of this community of daring souls who shun the bland, rich suburbs of New Jersey for a chance to be part of the rebirth of a formerly vibrant city. Trenton has all the infrastructure and housing stock to become great again.

It’s just a question of when the leaders come around to create the policy and enough like-minded people are around to put that policy into action.

(Mill Hill boundaries)