Paterson is a city located in Passaic County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 149,222, making it New Jersey's third largest city. It is the county seat of Passaic County^GR6. Paterson is known as the Silk City for its dominant role in silk production during the latter 19th century.

Downtown Paterson, is the main commercial district and once a shopping mecca for northern New Jersey but has seen better days. After a devastating fire in 1902, the city rebuilt the downtown with massive Beaux-Arts-style buildings, many of which have retained their character. Stone gargoyles still peer down from the terra-cotta facades of century-old buildings in downtown Paterson. Elaborate carvings adorn stately institutions built in the Beaux-Arts tradition, evoking a more prosperous past. These buildings are usually four to seven stories tall. The view at street level, however, is much different - a mishmash of discount shops with neon signs that hum on the city's traffic-clogged streets. Many shopkeepers have also placed cheap tile and tasteless awnings over the once-elaborate facades partly because of the increase in taxes as stores come and go. Today, downtown Paterson is the most impoverished neighborhood in Paterson. Many historic buildings are in disrepair, or abandoned after years of neglect. However there are plans to revive the downtown. A project called the Center City project will replace a big parking lot which takes up a large part of the downtown into a commercial and entertainment center with office space. Downtown Paterson is an Urban Enterprise Zone where the sales tax is cut in half to 3%. City Hall, located in downtown Paterson, still remains beautiful and has some monuments. The Passaic County Courthouse Annex, formerly a post office, is also stunningly beautiful architecturally as it depicts the Haarlem Market in Holland. It was built in 1899.

Eastside, directly east of downtown, has seen an influx of middle-class Blacks and some gay men, as well as others who have taken advantage of the beautiful architecture that can be found in this neighborhood. While some houses are still shabby, many people are still moving in and restoring the homes. The tree shaded streets lined with manicured lawns are populated by large, stately homes. These domiciles were once home to the city�s industrial and political leaders. The jewel of the neighborhood is Eastside Park.

South Paterson is a vibrant enclave and home to thousands of Arab Americans. However, South Paterson isn�t solely Arab. Many Hispanics, Turks and Persians also call South Paterson home. Unlike the stretch of Main Street that runs through downtown Paterson, the stretch that runs past Montclair Avenue is hopping with activity when the sun goes down. People from the neighborhood as well as out-of-towners - people of Middle Eastern descent and others - flock to the shops, cafes and restaurants. People are investing in South Paterson and people from as far away as Philadelphia come here to do their shopping. In South Paterson, Arabic and Turkish are the languages of commerce in many stores. The neighborhood is characterized by halal meat markets that sell goat and lamb, shops that sell Turkish and Arabic newspapers, and shop signs in Arabic.

Hillcrest (along with Eastside) is the most attractive neighborhood in Paterson. Hillcrest is the richest neighborhood in the city and is on the outskirts by Totowa. It is a middle class neighborhood and is mainly White and Hispanic.

Twenty-First Avenue, once the domain of Italian business owners, is now unmistakably Hispanic. The strip crackles with entrepreneurship. Immigrants from countries as varied as Colombia, Peru, Italy, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Ecuador own and run real estate offices, travel agencies, money-wiring firms, pharmacies, beauty salons, bodegas, coffee shops, bakeries, fast-food eateries, and white-tablecloth restaurants that play soft background boleros. Awnings bear the colors of flags from the owners' homelands. Spanish is the main language. The two-way avenue however is filled with dilapidated buildings.

Wrigley Park is a section of the city that is mostly African-American. Known also as the "Fourth Ward", this district is mostly poor and crime ridden. Poverty, crime, open-air drug markets, vacant lots, and boarded-up windows are common in this area. However, there are new houses being built and crime has dropped in recent years. This neighborhood has a large Dominican population on and around Market St.

Northside, located north of Downtown, known also as "Down Da Hill", suffers from some of the social problems currently facing the Wrigley Park neighborhood. This section is known for its hills and having sweeping views of New York City. Crime and poverty are common in some parts of this district. Similar to Wrigley Park the city is building new houses and crime has fallen as well.

Riverside is a larger section of Paterson and, as its name states, this neighborhood is bound by the Passaic River to the north and east, separating the city from Hawthorne and Fair Lawn. River Street cuts through the heart of this district. This section is ethnically diverse with Hispanics living mostly north and along River Street. African-Americans and Caribbean blacks live south of River St. Also this district is industrial in some parts and middle class along the Fair Lawn border. Riverside is mostly a quiet working class neighborhood.

Lakeview, situated in the southern part of the city, is a middle class area. The neighborhood consists primarily of Hispanics and Blacks, although this neighborhood also has a sizable White and Asian population, including a significant Filipino presence. Interstate 80 runs north of this district. Lakeview is home to the Paterson Farmers Market, where people from all over Passaic County and North Jersey buy fresh produce.

The Great Falls Historic District is perhaps the most famous area of Paterson and is where the Great Falls is located. Old fashioned lamp posts dot the sidewalks. Old silk mills that were once abandoned and run-down have been turned to apartment buildings or retail space. Many young artists and some yuppies live in this section of Paterson. The Great Falls Historic District is planned to get a major redevelopment in a year. The Falls is now a state park and the Falls will be a focus point in the redevelopment in the city along with Center City in Downtown. The Paterson Museum, which exhibits how Paterson was like in its Golden Age, is located here.

The following towns border Paterson and are considered to be its suburbs: Prospect Park, Haledon, Totowa, West Paterson, Hawthorne, Clifton, and North Haledon in Passaic County; and Elmwood Park (formerly East Paterson) and Fair Lawn in Bergen County.

Paterson and its suburbs are sometimes known informally as Greater Paterson. The nearby township of Wayne is also considered to be a part of Greater Paterson. Two important Wayne institutions � William Paterson University and St. Joseph's Wayne Hospital � have their origins in 19th century Paterson before moving to suburban Wayne in the 20th century.

Paterson forms part of the Paterson-Clifton-Passaic Metropolitan Area, along with Passaic and Clifton.

Paterson is served by a number of highways: Interstate 80, New Jersey Route 4, New Jersey Route 19, and New Jersey Route 20.

The city is served by the New Jersey Transit Main Line commuter rail service. The line stops in Downtown Paterson.

Bus service to locations in Passaic, Bergen, Essex and Hudson counties is provided by NJ Transit, making the city a regional transit hub. The Broadway Bus Terminal, also downtown, is the terminus for NJ Transit bus lines to Newark and the Port Authority Bus Terminal and George Washington Bridge Bus Station in New York City. Service to Manhattan and shopping centers in Bergen County is also provided by independent bus carriers known as "dollar vans."

• City of Paterson, New Jersey (official site)
• Paterson Public Schools
• centercitypaterson.com
• patersononline.net
• Paterson: Great Ffalls State park. Masterplan design competition

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