This article is about the city in New Jersey. For the Canadian province, see
New Brunswick.
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
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
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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
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
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
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
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
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
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]
- Jim Axelrod, chief White House
correspondent for CBS News, and reports for the CBS Evening News.[19]
- James Berardinelli (1967- ), film critic, born in NB.[20]
- James Bishop (1816-1895), represented New Jersey's 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1855-1857.[21]
- Gary Brokaw (1954-), former NBA basketball player.[22]
- Ronald "Bumblefoot" Thal (1969-), guitarist, musician, composer.[citation needed]
- Wheeler Winston Dixon (1950- ), film critic, filmmaker, and educator, born in
NB.
- Michael Douglas (1944- ), actor, born in NB.[23]
- Anthony Walton White Evans (1817–1886), engineer.[24]
- All involved in the Hall-Mills Murder case of the 1920s
- Augustus A. Hardenbergh (1830-1889), represented New Jersey's 7th congressional district from 1875 to 1879, and again from 1881
to 1883.[25]
- Mark Helias (1950-), jazz bassist/composer.[26]
- Adam Hyler (1735-1782), privateer during the
American Revolutionary War.[27]
- Jaheim (1979-), R&B singer.[28]
- Dwayne Jarrett (1986- ), wide receiver for the University of Southern California football team 2004 to 2006, current WR drafted by
the Carolina Panthers.[29]
- James P. Johnson (1891-1955), pianist, composer. One of the original
stride piano masters.[30]
- Robert Wood Johnson I (1845-1910), businessman
- Robert Wood Johnson II (1893-1968), businessman
- Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918), poet.[31]
- Littleton Kirkpatrick (1797-1859), represented New Jersey's 4th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1853 to 1855, and was mayor of New
Brunswick in 1841 and 1842.[32]
- Robert Pastorelli (1954-2004), actor known primarily for playing the role of the
house painter on Murphy Brown.[33]
- Franke Previte, composer
- Miles Ross (1827-1903), Mayor of New Brunswick, U.S. Representative and businessman
- George Sebastian Silzer (1870-1940) served as the 38th Governor of New Jersey. Served on the New Brunswick board of aldermen from 1892 to 1896.[34]
- James H. Simpson (1813-1883), U.S. Army surveyor of western frontier areas
- Larry Stark (1932- ), theater reviewer and creator of Theater Mirror
- Joe Theismann (1949- ), former NFL quarterback and current commentator on
ESPN Monday Night Football
- William Henry Vanderbilt (1821-1885), businessman
- John Van Dyke (1807-1878), represented New Jersey's 4th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1847 to 1851, and served as Mayor of
New Brunswick from 1846 to 1847.[35]
- Eric Young (1967-), Left fielder for the Texas Rangers.[36]
Sister cities
New Brunswick has four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):
References
- ^ a b
- ^ USGS GNIS: City
if New Brunswick, Geographic Names Information System, accessed
April 15, 2007.
- ^ 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."
- ^ 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."
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P.
Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 171.
- ^ Devco spends $1.6 billion since 1970s, The Daily
Targum, January 25, 2006.
- ^ Raids by Housing Inspectors Anger Jersey Neighborhood , The New York Times, March 12, 1988.
- ^ Students protest DevCo redevelopment, The Daily
Targum, September 15, 1999.
- ^ Tenants' place is uncertain, The Daily
Targum, November 9, 1999.
- ^ New
Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.
