Walking Newark

So I recently was completing one of the parts of my Community Inquiry project, which took me into the heart of downtown Newark and centered me around Science Park High School and the surrounding ten block radius.  First off, why did I choose Science Park?  Honestly, it is because my ignorance about Newark was almost total.  What I knew about Newark was that there was a big airport somewhere near there, and that there is a stigma associated with it, as with most inner cities (I know this because whenever I mention to people the fact that I am going to be working in Newark as a teacher, I get one of two answers: “good luck,” or “oh, combat pay”).  So I just picked one of the names of the public schools that I could remember has been thrown around all semester.  With my memory the way it is, that limited it to Shabazz, Science Park, and Arts High, and I’ve never had an affinity for arts, and the prof knows Shabazz way too well.  So I mapped the area.  I have a feeling that I probably picked one of the nicest areas in Newark to deal with, because even I was impressed.  Most of the houses around the school were almost pristine single family units, there were higher education facilities everywhere I looked, the area was generally clean and neat, and there was really no major evidence of major neighborhood issues.  Perhaps I’m naive, and perhaps other areas more closely resemble areas that warrant combat pay for their educators, but honestly, Newark doesn’t seem that bad to me at the moment.  I can’t wait to start teaching.