Scotch Plains, New Jersey

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Map of Scotch Plains Township in Union County
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Map of Scotch Plains Township in Union County

Scotch Plains is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the township population was 22,732.

Contents

[edit] Geography

Scotch Plains is located at 40°38′18″N, 74°22′26″W (40.638252, -74.373914)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 23.5 km² (9.1 mi²). 23.5 km² (9.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.11% is water.

[edit] Demographics

According to the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 22,732 people, 8,349 households, and 6,295 families residing in the township . The population density was 966.6/km² (2,503.3/mi²). There were 8,479 housing units at an average density of 360.5/km² (933.7/mi²). The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.16.

The racial composition of the township :

The median income for a household in the township was $81,599, and the median income for a family was $96,238. The per capita income for the township was $39,913. Males had a median income of $63,648 versus $43,714 for females. About 2.0% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

The Mayor of Scotch Plains is Martin L. Marks. The Deputy Mayor is Nancy Malool, Carolyn Sorge. Council Members are Paulette Coronato, Nancy Malool, Frank Rossi and Carolyn Sorge[1].

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Scotch Plains is in the Seventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 22nd Legislative District[2].

New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District, covering portions of Hunterdon County, Middlesex County, Somerset County and Union County, is represented by Mike Ferguson (R). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Robert Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 22nd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Nicholas Scutari (D, Linden) and in the Assembly by Jerry Green (D, Plainfield) and Linda Stender (D, Scotch Plains). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Union County is governed by a nine-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. As of the January 2006 reorganization, Union County's Freeholders are: Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella, Freeholder Vice Chairman Bette Jane Kowalski, Angel G. Estrada, Chester Holmes, Adrian O. Mapp, Rick Proctor, Deborah P. Scanlon, Daniel P. Sullivan and Nancy Ward.

[edit] Education

All of the schools of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Regional School District are located in Scotch Plains. Schools in the district (with 2003-04 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are:

Elementary Schools

Middle Schools

High School

Students from School One, Evergreen and Brunner pool into Park Middle School, whereas students from Coles and McGinn pool into Terrill. School One is the only elementary school that teaches English as a second language.

The Union County Vocational Technical Schools includes the Union County Magnet High School, the Academy for Information Technology, the Union County Academy for Allied Health Sciences, and the Vocational-Technical School. The grouping of different schools is for vocational as well as gifted students, publicly funded by the combined taxes of Union County municipalities.

Union Catholic Regional High School (often abbreviated UC), a private Roman Catholic school, brings in students from the far reaches of Union County and even some parts of Essex and Middlesex counties. A large number of students come from the Woodbridge/Colonia area, where the school had erected a billboard advertisement, now removed.

Union County College has a facility in Scotch Plains.

[edit] Transportation

Scotch Plains is bisected by NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line, formerly the mainline of the Central Railroad of New Jersey. A passenger station is located in Fanwood. NJ Transit also provides bus service to New York City and New Jersey points.

Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 14 miles east of Scotch Plains.

[edit] Neighborhoods

The following neighborhoods exist in Scotch Plains
Sterling Chase

  • New development located off Martine Avenue by Union Catholic.
  • Erected in the early 1990's, it used to be a cow farm.
  • It has its own tennis courts for residents.

Berwyck Chase

  • Located behind Coles School, it was built by the same development company that built Stirling Chase to be a more affordable place to live than Stirling.
  • It has its own swimming pool and two tennis courts for residents.

Canturbury

  • A small and quiet neighborhood located north of Route 22 completely and inconvieniently isolated from the rest of Scotch Plains.

Goodman's Crossing

  • Complex of townhouses between Scotch Plains and Clark.
  • Robinson's Creek runs through it and has been tested by the EPA and confirmed to be toxic. [1]

Crestwood

  • Built in the 1940's, a development of several small homes on the border of Westfield, many of which have been knocked down with newer and larger homes rebuilt.

The Reserve

  • K. Hovnanian recently build townhomes ranging from 2,000-2,500 square feet in size, located behind US 22, originally selling for up to $500,000.

[edit] Points of interest

  • Hillside Cemetery is the burial site of Dudley Moore and Senator James Edgar Martine
  • Hell's Hole is a well-hidden underground tunnel that spans the width of Route 22. At the tunnel's northern terminus it meets up with a drainage pipe that travels west about half a mile where it ends at Bowcraft Amusement Park.
  • Bowcraft Amusement Park is an amusement park located in Scotch Plains on Route 22 East.
  • Cat's Eye is another underground tunnel that is located on the opposite side of Scotch Plains from Hell's Hole. There is no known end to this tunnel as it seems as though it flows indefinitely into Plainfield.
  • John's Meat Market is the site of Mr. T's upcoming reality TV show for TV Land[3].

[edit] Noted natives and residents

[edit] References

  1. ^ Township Officials, accessed September 5, 2006
  2. ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 63, accessed August 30, 2006
  3. ^ SP’s John’s Meat Market is Prime Location for New Reality TV Show, Westfield Leader, September 14, 2006

[edit] External links

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Municipalities of Union County, New Jersey
(County Seat: Elizabeth)
Cities Elizabeth | Linden | Plainfield | Rahway | Summit
Town Westfield
Townships Berkeley Heights | Clark | Cranford | Hillside | Scotch Plains | Springfield Township | Union Township | Winfield Township
Boroughs Fanwood | Garwood | Kenilworth | Mountainside | New Providence | Roselle | Roselle Park
State of New Jersey
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