The west side of Paterson

Totowa section

explain there is totowa the boro and totowa the neighborhood 

Totowa section not to be confused the town next door.

outline 

intro it is diverse-Bengalis, Peruvians, Domincans, and whites. now looks seedy 

Little Bangladesh

Bangladeshis have their own parade on Union Avenu

Peruvians 

Italians 

st michael festa hillcrest the plaza on union avenue

The Plaza on Union Avenue would play Italian movies, have Italian singers, and hold Italian dances on Saturdays. 
hhhhh

I love E an V because it is good, authentic, AND affordable Italian restaurant.  This is rarity even in NJ.

The best Italian food, possibly in the state. 

This is the Linguini Pattanesca.

If you are ever near the Falls, and you want to try Italian food the way your mom made it, look no further than the E and V Ristorante.

It’s a nice white tablecloth restaurant with pictures of the Italian countryside plastered throughout the walls.

When I went here, I was amazed at the quality of food I was getting and at a fraction of the price I would get in New York's Little Italy or some traditional landmark Italian restaurants down by the shore.  

I tried the Linguini Pattanesca!  This delicious dish which only cost 16 dollars but it was a big plate! I had to take it home with me and I was a heavy eater at the time so that is saying a lot!  

Try it with cheese, it tastes ten times better this way!

Many of the waiters are Peruvian, although the one I had was a waitress with an Italian accent.

 

Although I wish there had not been as much lighting in this photo, I still like the fact there is a photo of a Venetian canal in front of E an V Ristorante. 

Union Avenue "Little Bangladesh"

You will find many Bangladeshi stores and eateries along Union Avenue.  The Totowa section of Paterson (not to be confused with Totowa the boro) has the largest concentration of Bangladeshis in town. 

Over 20 percent of the neighborhood claims Bangladeshi ancestry, a percentage much higher than any municpality in the United States.

Bhangra music was being played from a car stereo. 

When I listened to a Bangladeshi youth listening to loud Bhangra music from his car, I knew I was in Totowa!

Paterson is home to the second largest Bangladeshi community in the United States after New York City.



Bangladeshis i want to do away with the "model minority" label because it often ignores the plights and histories of other groups.  Many of the top students in John F Kennedy High, the main high school for students who live in the western section of Paterson, are of Bangladeshi descent.

Bangladehi sweets! Man I love Bangladeshi sweets.  Bangladeshis use many of the sweets that Indians use like mango lassi and 

Zakir's Bakery Sweets and Restaurant

A Peruvian and a Bengali restaurant next to each other.

I love the Nazca sign as well by the way!

Peruvians also form a large contingency in the western section of Paterson.  Look out Peru Square lol!

El Gordo bakery. I have never been here but online reviews recommend this place. 

Somos Peru a Peruvian grocery store on Union Avenue. 

Gelotti Ice Cream

Probably best ice cream, hands down?  in all of New Jersey.

I am not a huge fan of ice cream but after I went to E and V Ristorante, I decided to head down to Gelotti Ice Cream, which I hear offers great gelati. For those who are not familiar with gelato, it is a great tasting soft ice cream, that originated in Italy.  You will find great gelati like this anywhere else in NJ.  After coming here, I never wanted to try ice cream from any other place since I am not a big ice cream fan so the ice cream that I eat has to be really great (yeah I know something only a spoiled millenial would say on Yelp)

Personal note Dominicans, Bangladeshis, Arab woman, and Peruvians come here. they don't interact with each other

Union Avenue, you see businesses of different ethnicities including Italian, Peruvian, Dominican, and Bangladeshi.

Still you see them cluster among their own. There is one Bangladeshi restaurant where you only see Bangladeshis.
only bangladeshis eat at bangladeshi restaurant.

Union Avenue was run down.

i dont want to live here.

i feel it got worse before this was a nice area. totowa

other info 

It was a family..the mom was like some girls hate girls don’t like competition the dad was talking about baseball the mom was saying there was a party and the young adult son was like were there any pastries. The father said "He wawwks at Palisades Pawwwk!"

Jamaica Hills is more Bangladehi than Totowa.