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New Brunswick,

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New Brunswick is a diversified commercial and retail city located on the Raritan River in the mid-eastern portion of New Jersey. Headquarters to Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick is also notable for being the home of Rutgers University, the eighth oldest institution of higher education in the United States. The poet Alfred Joyce Kilmer, author of the widely quoted "Trees," was born in New Brunswick. It is the county seat of Middlesex County, which has appeared more than once among the top 10 on Money magazine's list of the best places to live in America.

The City in Brief

Founded: 1730 (formed by royal charter) (incorporated as a town, 1736; reincorporated, 1784, 1801, 1838, 1844, 1845, 1849, 1850, 1863)
Head Official: Mayor James M. Cahill (since 1991)
City Population
1980: 41,442
1990: 41,711
2000: 48,573
Percent change, 1990–2000: 16.6%
U.S. rank in 1980: 525th (State rank: 17th)
U.S. rank in 1990: 624th (State rank: 15th)
U.S. rank in 2000: Not reported
Metropolitan Area Population (Middlesex County)
1980: 595,893
1990: 671,780
2000: 750,162
Percent change, 1990–2000: 11.7%
U.S. rank in 1980: 1st (CMSA)
U.S. rank in 1990: 1st (CMSA)
U.S. rank in 2000: 1st (CMSA)
Area: 5.2 square miles (2000)
Elevation: 86 feet above sea level
Average Annual Temperature: 52.2° F
Average Annual Precipitation: 53.3 inches of rain; 27.2 inches of snow
Major Economic Sectors: Research, business, industry
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (April 2005; New Jersey)
Per Capita Income: $14,308 (1999)
2004 ACCRA Average Home Price: Not reported
2004 ACCRA Cost of Living Index: Not reported
2002 FBI Crime Index Total: Not reported
Major Colleges and Universities: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Daily Newspaper:Home News Tribune
 
 
Dictionary: New Brunswick

A city of central New Jersey on the Raritan River southwest of Newark. Settled in 1681, it served as headquarters for both the British and Continental armies during the American Revolution. Population: 50,200.

 

 
Columbia Encyclopedia: New Brunswick,
city (1990 pop. 41,711), seat of Middlesex co., central N.J., on the Raritan River; settled 1681, inc. as a city 1784. Originally developed as a commercial center (especially for collecting and shipping grain), New Brunswick manufactures pharmaceuticals, electrical and transportation equipment, and medical and surgical supplies. The city is the seat of Rutgers Univ. and New Brunswick Theological Seminary. Washington, retreating from New York, stayed one week in New Brunswick in 1776. Joyce Kilmer was born there. The former Camp Kilmer, an important base during World War II and the Korean War, is now part of the Rutgers campus.


 
Weather: New Brunswick, NJ
AccuWeather® Current Conditions for



M/SUNNY
Temperature: 85°F / 29°C
RealFeel Temperature™: 84°F / 28°C
Humidity: 33%
Winds: WNW 14 mph / 23 kmh
Pressure: 30.09"
Visibility: 10 mi. / 16 km

5-Day Forecast

Friday HI:  89°F / 31°C
LO: 63°F / 17°C
Saturday HI:  88°F / 31°C
LO: 67°F / 19°C
Sunday HI:  86°F / 30°C
LO: 69°F / 20°C
Monday HI:  87°F / 30°C
LO: 67°F / 19°C
Tuesday HI:  88°F / 31°C
LO: 65°F / 18°C
Last updated July 25, 2008 16:49 (EST)

 
Maps: New Brunswick

 
Wikipedia: New Brunswick, New Jersey
City of New Brunswick
Official seal of City of New Brunswick
Seal
Nickname: Hub City
The Healthcare City
Location of New Brunswick in Middlesex County
Location of New Brunswick in Middlesex County
Coordinates: 40°29′18″N 74°26′52″W / 40.48833, -74.44778
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Middlesex
Established December 30, 1730
Incorporated September 1, 1784
Government
 - Type Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council)
 - Mayor James Cahill
Area
 - City   sq mi (km²)
 - Land   sq mi ( km²)
 - Water   sq mi ( km²)
Elevation [2]   ft ( m)
Population (2006)[1]
 - City
 - Density /sq mi (/km²)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes 08901, 08902, 08903
Area code(s) 732
FIPS code 34-512102
GNIS feature ID 08787253
Website: www.cityofnewbrunswick.org

New Brunswick, also known as "the Healthcare City"[3] or "Hub City",[4] is a city and the county seat of the County of Middlesex, New Jersey, USA. It is 31 miles (50 km) southwest of New York City on the southern bank of the Raritan River about fifteen miles (24 km) from its mouth. As of the 2006 Federal Census, the population of New Brunswick is 50,172.

New Brunswick was formed by Royal Charter on December 30, 1730, within other townships in Middlesex County and Somerset County and was reformed by Royal Charter with the same boundaries on February 12, 1763, at which time it was divided into north and south wards. New Brunswick was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on September 1, 1784.[5]

New Brunswick is the county seat of Middlesex County6, hosting many of the county's government offices and facilities. It is also home to the largest campuses of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (known also as Rutgers University) and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). It is nicknamed Hub City and The Healthcare City, the former reflecting its status as a major urban center of Central Jersey, serviced by many railroads during the nineteenth century, and the latter due to the concentration of medical facilities (both UMDNJ's Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Saint Peter's University Hospital) as well as the corporate offices or production facilities of several large pharmaceutical companies (e.g., Johnson & Johnson, Bristol-Myers Squibb).

New Brunswick is noted for its rich ethnic heritage. At one time, one quarter of the Hungarian population in New Jersey resided in the city. Today, much of that Hungarian community continues to thrive.

History

Origins of the name

Originally inhabited by the Lenape Native Americans, the first white settlement at the site of New Brunswick was made in 1681. The settlement here was first called Prigmore's Swamp (1681-97), then Inian's Ferry (1691-1714). In 1714, the young village was given the name New Brunswick after the city of Braunschweig, in state of Lower Saxony, in Germany. Braunschweig was an influential and powerful city in the Hanseatic League, later in the Holy Roman Empire, and was an administrative seat for the Duchy (and later Principality) of Hanover. Shortly after the first settlement of New Brunswick in colonial New Jersey, George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and Elector of Hanover, of the House of Hanover (also known as the House of Brunswick), became King George I of Great Britain (1660-1727).

During the Colonial and Early American periods

Centrally located between New York City and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania along an early thoroughfare known as the King's Highway and situated along the Raritan River, New Brunswick became an important hub for Colonial travelers and traders. New Brunswick was incorporated as a town in 1736 and chartered as a city in 1784. It was occupied by the British in the winter of 1776-1777 during the Revolutionary War. In 1900, 20,006 people lived in New Brunswick; 23,388 in 1910, 32,779 in 1920 and 33,180 in 1940.

The Declaration of Independence (1776) received its third public reading in New Brunswick, after it was publicly read in Philadelphia following its promulgation by the Continental Congress.

Early nineteenth century drawing of Old Queen's
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Early nineteenth century drawing of Old Queen's

The Trustees of Queen's College (now Rutgers University), founded in 1766, voted to locate the young college in New Brunswick, selecting this city over Hackensack, in Bergen County, New Jersey. Classes began in 1771 with one instructor, one sophomore, Matthew Leydt, and several freshmen at a tavern called "The Sign of the Red Lion" on the corner of Albany and Neilson Streets (now the grounds of the Johnson & Johnson corporate headquarters). Classes were held through the American Revolution in various taverns and boarding houses, and at a building known as College Hall on George Street, until Old Queens was erected in 1808. It remains the oldest building on the Rutgers University campus. The Queen's College Grammar School (now Rutgers Preparatory School) was established also in 1766, and shared facilities with the College until 1830, when it located in a building (now known as Alexander Johnston Hall) across College Avenue from Old Queens. After Rutgers University became the state university of New Jersey in 1956, the Trustees of Rutgers divested it of the Rutgers Preparatory School, which relocated in 1957 to an estate purchased from the Colgate-Palmolive Company in Franklin Township in neighboring Somerset County.

The New Brunswick Theological Seminary, founded in 1784, moved to New Brunswick in 1810 sharing its quarters with the fledgling Queen's College (Queens would close from 1810 to 1825 due to financial problems, and reopen in 1825 under the name Rutgers College). The Seminary, due to overcrowding and differences over the mission of Rutgers College as a secular institution, moved to a seven acre (28,000 m²) tract of land less than one-half mile (800 m) west, which it still occupies although the land is now in the middle of Rutgers University's College Avenue campus.

Early commerce and industry


Hungarian community

New Brunswick began attracting a Hungarian immigrant population around the turn of the century. Hungarians were primarily attracted to the city by employment at Johnson & Johnson factories located in the city. Hungarians settled mainly in what today is the second ward.

The immigrant population grew until the end of the early century immigration boom. During the Cold War, the community was revitalized by the decision to house refugees from the failed 1956 Hungarian Revolution at Camp Kilmer, in nearby Edison. Even though the Hungarian population has been largely supplanted by newer immigrants, there continues to be a Hungarian Festival in the city held on Somerset Street on the first Saturday of June each year. Many Hungarian institutions set up by the community remain and active in the neighborhood, including: Magyar Reformed Church, St. Ladislaus Roman Catholic Church, St. Joseph Byzantine Catholic Church, Hungarian American Athletic Club, Aprokfalva Magyar Óvoda, Széchenyi Hungarian Community School & Kindergarten (Széchenyi Magyar Iskola és Óvoda), Teleki Pál Scout Home, Hungarian American Foundation, Vers Hangja, Hungarian Poetry Group, Bolyai Lecture Series on Arts and Sciences (Bolyai Kör), Hungarian Alumni Association (Magyar Öregdiák Szövetség - Bessenyei György Kör), Hungarian Radio Program, Hungarian Civic Association, Committee of Hungarian Churches and Organizations of New Brunswick, Csűrdöngölő Folk Dance Ensemble

Revitalization and redevelopment

Much of Downtown New Brunswick's built environment is a result of urban renewal projects.
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Much of Downtown New Brunswick's built environment is a result of urban renewal projects.

New Brunswick contains a number of important examples of urban renewal in the United States. In the mid to late 20th century, the downtown area became blighted as middle class residents moved to newer suburbs surrounding the city, an example of the phenomenon known as "white flight". Beginning in 1975, Rutgers University, Johnson & Johnson, and the local government collaborated through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to form the New Brunswick Development Company (DevCo), spending 1.6 billion dollars with the goal of revitalizing the city center and redeveloping neighborhoods considered to be blighted and dangerous[6] The Hiram Market area, a historic district which by the 1970s had become a mostly Puerto Rican and Dominican-American neighborhood, was demolished to build a Hyatt hotel, conference center, and upscale housing. [7] This process has been controversial, and continues to draw ire from both historic preservationists, those opposing gentrification[8], and those concerned with eminent domain abuses.[9]

New Brunswick's process of urban renewal continues, as new luxury housing is built throughout downtown in an attempt to attract commuters to major employment centers such as Newark and New York City to take up residence.

Geography

New Brunswick is located at 40°29′18″N, 74°26′52″W (40.488304, -74.447751)1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.9 km² (5.8 mi²), including 1.3 km² (0.5 mi²) covered by water.

New Brunswick is bordered by Piscataway, Highland Park, and Edison across the Raritan River to the north, and also by North Brunswick to the southwest, East Brunswick to the southeast, and Franklin Township in Somerset County.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1850
1860 12.3%
1870 33.8%
1880 14.0%
1890 8.4%
1900 7.5%
1910 16.9%
1920 40.2%
1930 5.4%
1940 -4.0%
1950 17.0%
1960 3.4%
1970 4.3%
1980 -1.1%
1990 0.6%
2000 16.5%
Est. 2006 [1] 3.3%
historical data sources: [10][11][12]

As of the census2 of 2000, there were 48,573 people, 13,057 households, and 7,207 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,585.9/km² (9,293.5/mi²). There were 13,893 housing units at an average density of 1,025.6/km² (2,658.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 48.79% White, 23.03% African American, 0.46% Native American, 5.32% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 18.08% from other races, and 4.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 39.01% of the population.

Corner of Somerset Street and Easton Avenue, looking southeast
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Corner of Somerset Street and Easton Avenue, looking southeast

There were 13,057 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.6% were married couples living together, 18.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.8% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.23 and the average family size was 3.69.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.1% under the age of 18, 34.0% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 11.3% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males. The presence of the university inflates the proportion of the 18-24 population.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,080, and the median income for a family was $38,222. Males had a median income of $25,657 versus $23,604 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,308. About 16.9% of families and 27.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.9% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

The City of New Brunswick is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government.

As the legislative body of New Brunswick's municipal government, the City Council is responsible for approving the annual budget, ordinances and resolutions, contracts, and appointments to boards and commissions. The City Council has five members elected at large to staggered four-year terms. The Council President, elected to a 2-year term by the Council, presides over all meetings.

Jim Cahill is the 62nd Mayor of New Brunswick. He was sworn in as Mayor on January 1, 1991.

The City Council is composed of President Robert Recine, Vice President Elizabeth Sheehan Garlatti, Jimmie L. Cook, Jr., Joseph V. Egan and Blanquita Valenti.[13]

All elected officials in New Brunswick are members of the Democratic Party, which has been the case since the 1970s.

Federal, state and county representation

Corner of George and Bayard, looking east
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Corner of George and Bayard, looking east

New Brunswick is in the Sixth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 17th Legislative District.[14]

New Jersey's Sixth Congressional District, covering portions of Middlesex County and Monmouth County, is represented by Frank Pallone (D). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 17th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Bob Smith (D, Piscataway) and in the Assembly by Upendra J. Chivukula (D, Somerset) and Joseph V. Egan (D, New Brunswick). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Middlesex County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. Middlesex County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director David B. Crabiel (Milltown), Freeholder Deputy Director Stephen J. "Pete" Dalina (Fords), Camille Fernicola (Piscataway), H. James Polos (Highland Park), John Pulomena (South Plainfield), Christopher D. Rafano (South River) and Blanquita B. Valenti (New Brunswick).

Education

Public Schools

The New Brunswick Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district include elementary schools (Lincoln, Lincoln Annex, Livingston, McKinleyl, A. Chester Redshaw, Paul Robeson, Paul Robeson Annex, Roosevelt, Lord Stirling and Woodrow Wilson), New Brunswick Middle School, as well as New Brunswick High School, New Brunswick Alternative School[1] and New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School for grades 9-12.

The community is also served by the Greater Brunswick Charter School.

Higher education

Looking east from the corner of Hamilton Street and College Ave
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Looking east from the corner of Hamilton Street and College Ave

Health Care

City Hall has promoted the nickname "The Health Care City" to reflect the importance of the healthcare industry to its economy.[15] The city is home to the world headquarters of Johnson & Johnson, along with several medical teaching and research institutions including Saint Peter's University Hospital, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University's School of Pharmacy, and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital.[16]

Transportation

New Brunswick's NJ Transit train station
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New Brunswick's NJ Transit train station

New Brunswick is served by Amtrak's Regional and Keystone Service trains along the Northeast Corridor. New Jersey Transit trains on the Northeast Corridor Line provide frequent service north to Pennsylvania Station, in Midtown Manhattan, and south to Trenton. Both Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains stop at the New Brunswick railway station. The Jersey Avenue station is also served by Northeast Corridor trains.

New Brunswick also lies at the crossroads of the New Jersey Turnpike, U.S. Route 1, Route 18 and Route 27.

Local bus service is provided by New Jersey Transit, with Rutgers University campus busing provided by Academy Bus.

Also noteworthy is New Brunswick's bicycle community, which includes a bicycle co-op and tool collective.

Culture

Theatre

Three neighboring professional venues, Crossroads Theatre designed by Parsons+Fernandez-Casteleiro Architects from New York, the George Street Playhouse, and the State Theater, comprise the heart of the local theatre scene. The State Theatre is also home to the American Repertory Ballet and the Princeton Ballet School. Rutgers University has a number of student companies that perform everything from cabaret acts to Shakespeare and musical productions.

Museums

New Brunswick is home to the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University, Albus Cavus, the Rutgers University Geology Museum and the New Jersey Agricultural Museum at Cook College.

Art

New Brunswick was an important centre for avant-garde art in the 50's-70's with several artists such as Allan Kaprow, George Segal, George Brecht, Robert Whitman, Robert Watts, Lucas Samaras, Geoffrey Hendricks and Roy Lichtenstein; some of which had taught at Rutgers University. This group of artists were sometimes referred to as the 'New Jersey School' or the 'New Brunswick School of Painting'. For more information, see Fluxus at Rutgers University.

Restaurants

New Brunswick has a diverse restaurant market including Nouvelle American, Italian, Indian, Ethiopian, Thai and Chinese cuisine. Popular upscale establishments include Stage Left, Old Man Rafferty's, The Frog and The Peach, Clydz, Makeda's, Verdigre, Catherine Lombardi, Delta's, Panico's, Nova Terra, The Old Bay, Hotoke, and Soho on George. While many of the downtown fast-food establishments close after about 6 to 8 pm, those on Easton Avenue are open well into the night. The main pubs are McCormick's Pub, Dolls Place, Tumulty's Pub, Olde Queens Tavern, Stuff Yer Face, Marita's Cantina and Harvest Moon Brewery. A vigorous local music scene is also present with live bands appearing at the Court Tavern, Old Bay, Nova Terra, Tumulty's, Harvest Moon Brewery and other locations.

Music

Looking north from the corner of New and George Street
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Looking north from the corner of New and George Street

In addition to live bands that play New Brunswick's bustling bar scene including such local acts as Hartwell[2], NewBru[3], Amber Blues[4], Copesetic[5] and Like Trains & Taxis[6], New Brunswick has also been a center for local punk rock and underground music; a scene that thrives on quasi-legal live shows in residential basements such as Hamilton Street and the former Handy Street. Many bands who developed their fan base through such shows have gone on to national and even international acclaim. Even the seminal 1990's indie rock band Pavement made their live debut at the Court Tavern on August 9, 1990. Early influential bands of the New Brunswick basement punk scene include The Bouncing Souls, Midtown, Lifetime, Thursday, Armor For Sleep, and Sticks & Stones. Many of these bands were either stridently socio-political in their messages or at least independently minded, bound together by the "Do It Yourself Punk ethic" nature of the scene. The Bouncing Souls' song "Party at 174" refers to the band's old house at 174 Commercial Avenue, and Lifetime's "Theme Song for a New Brunswick Basement Show" memorializes their humble beginnings. Although the New Brunswick Police Department deters residents from holding basement shows by issuing heavy noise violation tickets, basement shows still thrive in the city. These shows host not only local bands but bands from across the country and the world.

Popular culture

Points of interest

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of the City of New Brunswick include:

"#wp-_note-The_Baseball_Encyclopedia">[18]

Sister cities

New Brunswick has four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):

References

  1. ^ a b
  2. ^ USGS GNIS: City if New Brunswick, Geographic Names Information System, accessed April 15, 2007.
  3. ^ 7:30 a.m. -- Filling cracks in the HealthCare City, from the Home News Tribune, September 23, 1999. "With two major hospitals and a medical school, New Brunswick proclaims itself The HealthCare City."
  4. ^ A wet day in the Hub City, from the Home News Tribune, September 23, 1999: "A few days short of 60 years, on Wednesday, Sept. 16, a dreary, drizzly day just ahead of the deluge of Hurricane Floyd, the Home News Tribune sent 24 reporters, 9 photographers and one artist into the Hub City, as it is known, to take a peek into life in New Brunswick as it is in 1999."
  5. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 171.
  6. ^ Devco spends $1.6 billion since 1970s, The Daily Targum, January 25, 2006.
  7. ^ Raids by Housing Inspectors Anger Jersey Neighborhood , The New York Times, March 12, 1988.
  8. ^ Students protest DevCo redevelopment, The Daily Targum, September 15, 1999.
  9. ^ Tenants' place is uncertain, The Daily Targum, November 9, 1999.
  10. ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.