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The area has one of the largest county park systems in the state, and the oldest in the nation - this includes: Branch Brook, Brookdale, South Mountain Reservation, Monte-Irving Orange Park, Weequahic, Verona Park, Eagle Rock reservation. Highways such as Route 280 runs through the area, Garden State Parkway - many of which have divided communities in the past - and a network of county roads that run throughout the municipalities. Boomfield Ave, Central Ave, Eagle Rock Ave. Hospitals includes East Orange Hospital, Mountainside Hospital, Glen Ridge Hospital, Newark Beth Israel Hospital, and Saint Barnabas Hospital in Livingston, Clara Mass Hospital, and University Hospital.
The Oranges-Maplewood area is a very diverse area with a large African American, Caribbean (Haitian), and people from the African diaspora in the area. It is a very socio-economically diverse group as well. It is one of the most densely packed counties in the state with a wide range of homeowners and renters. There's also a significant population of people over 55.
People work in a very wide variety of different jobs - ranging from blue collar to white collar jobs. There's significant representation across the scale - doctors, lawyers, healthcare. workers, civil service and governmental workers. South Orange Village, Maplewood town village. Downtown Montclair, are centers of shopping and dining and entertainment. People shop at the both the Livingston and Short Hills Malls. Also Central Ave and Main Street (MLK Blvd.) in East Orange used to be a major commercial centers but have been decimated in recent years. Irvington has a very robust Springfield Avenue shopping area, which runs straight up from Irvington into Maplewood. Bloomfield Ave.
Affordable housing, especially senior citizen housing, is a major concern for the community. We need more affordable assisted living programs so that people can stay in their homes. There's a need for more robust public transportation in the area. There is a need for jobs and training for people to obtain better jobs. Public safety is another concern, both police, and fire, and EMS. There's also a need for more universal preschool in the area, more school construction to bring schools into the modern era and bridge the digital divide and learning gap, and expanded recreational programs (particularly after-school programs to keep children safe).
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