Secaucus, New Jersey

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For other uses, see Secaucus (disambiguation)

Secaucus is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, USA. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 15,931.

Before the 1950s, Secaucus was home to a number of pig farms, rendering plants, and junk yards, which gave the town a reputation for being one of the most odorous in the New York metropolitan area. However, gentrification has helped to improve the town's image. In 1963, debris from the demolition of Pennsylvania Station was carted over and dumped in the Secaucus meadowlands.

Contents

[edit] Geography

Secaucus is located at 40°47′15″N, 74°3′42″W (40.787600, -74.061784)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 16.9 km² (6.5 mi²). 15.3 km² (5.9 mi²) of it is land and 1.6 km² (0.6 mi²) of it (9.66%) is water.

At the southern end of Secaucus is Snake Hill (sometimes known as Laurel Hill), an igneous rock intrusion jutting up some 150 feet from the Meadowlands below, near the New Jersey Turnpike.

Being partly surrounded by the Hackensack Meadowlands, Secaucus provides opportunities to observe the recovery of natural marshes in the post industrial, post agricultural age. Some marsh areas in the northeast part of town have been filled to provide a new commercial area, and some to build footpaths for nature walks.

[edit] Demographics

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 15,931 people, 6,214 households, and 3,945 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,044.3/km² (2,706.7/mi²). There were 6,385 housing units at an average density of 418.6/km² (1,084.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 78.54% White, 4.45% African American, 0.11% Native American, 11.80% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.79% from other races, and 2.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.26% of the population.

There were 6,214 households out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the town the population was spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $59,800, and the median income for a family was $72,568. Males had a median income of $49,937 versus $39,370 for females. The per capita income for the town was $31,684. About 3.9% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

The Mayor of the Town of Secaucus is Dennis Elwell. The Deputy Mayor is John Reilly. Other members of the Secaucus Town Council are John Bueckner, Fred Constantino, Michael Grecco, Richard Kane and Robert Kickey.[1]

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Secaucus is in the Ninth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 32nd Legislative District.[2]

New Jersey's Ninth Congressional District, covering the southern portion of Bergen County and sections of Hudson County and Passaic County, is represented by Steve Rothman (D, Fair Lawn). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Robert Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 32nd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Nicholas Sacco (D, North Bergen) and in the Assembly by Vincent Prieto (D, Secaucus) and Joan M. Quigley (D, Jersey City). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Hudson County's County Executive is Thomas A. DeGise. The executive, together with the Board of Chosen Freeholders in a legislative role, administer all county business. Hudson County's nine Freeholders (as of 2006) are: District 1: Doreen McAndrew DiDomenico; District 2: William O'Dea; District 3: Jeffrey Dublin; District 4: Eliu Rivera; District 5: Maurice Fitzgibbons; District 6: Tilo Rivas; District 7: Gerald Lange Jr.; District 8: Thomas Liggio; and District 9: Albert Cifelli.

[edit] Education

Students in pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade are educated by the Secaucus Board of Education. The schools in the district (with 2003-04 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) consist of two pre-K - 6 elementary schools — Clarendon Elementary School with 545 students and Huber Street Elementary School with 520 students — Secaucus Middle School with 291 students in grades 7 and 8, and Secaucus High School with 493 students in grades 9 - 12.

Immaculate Conception School is a Catholic private day school, serving grades Pre-K through 8th grade.

The Nicholas G. Hayek Watchmaking School is also located in Secaucus.

[edit] Sports

Secaucus is currently home to men's soccer team Secaucus FC. Founded in 2001 by some of the first generation of soccer players from the town, Secaucus FC now represents the town in the Garden State Soccer League, and several other tournaments and indoor leagues around the state. The team is the first ever men's soccer team to come out of Secaucus.

[edit] Transportation

Secaucus has exceptionally good road and rail transportation. The town is divided into four by the intersecting roads of NJ 3, which runs east and west, and the eastern spur of the New Jersey Turnpike, which runs north-south, with an interchange (16E/17) at NJ Route 3 and a new interchange 15X near the Secaucus Junction.

Because of this, there are many shipping warehouses and truck freight transfer stations located in Secaucus, both for shipping companies such as UPS and also for numerous retailers. For example, Barnes & Noble's "same day delivery" service to Manhattan is run out of a warehouse in Secaucus. The town also has a large rail yard run by Conrail/CSX/Norfolk Southern where loads are switched between trains or transferred to or from trucks.

Numerous bus lines serve Secaucus, several of which extend into New York City. There is a bus park-and-ride at the northeast corner of Secaucus.

Secaucus is also the site of New Jersey Transit's Secaucus Junction (also known as the Frank R. Lautenberg Station, and sometimes known as Secaucus Transfer Station or Allied Junction. Currently there is no track junction, although one is planned for the future). The transfer station links all of NJT's long-distance train lines except the Raritan Valley Line and the Atlantic City Line. Access to the station from the rest of Secaucus is limited (it is in the southeast corner of Secaucus), via County Avenue or via NJ Turnpike Interchange 15X.

In the first half of the 20th Century a trolley line ran through the then main business district of Secaucus, on Paterson Plank Road from Jersey City and across the Hackensack River to East Rutherford. The extent to which the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will resurrect this service is undecided.

The closest airport with scheduled passenger service is Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey.

[edit] Retail hub

There are several large retail areas in Secaucus.

Secaucus Plaza is the "downtown" area of Secaucus. It is just off of NJ-3. The Outlets are a collection of outlet shops selling discounted name-brand merchandise in southwest Secaucus.

Many factory retail outlets are scattered throughout the Harmon Cove industrial section, often located in warehouses or converted factories. Harmon Cove Outlet Center is the largest outlet mall, on Enterprise Avenue,.

The Mill Creek Mall (officially, the Mall at Mill Creek) is a moderate-level mall on NJ-3 on the west side of the Turnpike.

Wal-Mart and Sam's Club are located east of the NJ Turnpike, near NJ 3 and Interchange 16E.

[edit] Corporate residents

[edit] Notable residents

Notable current and former residents include:

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Town of Secaucus, accessed June 11, 2006
  2. ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 64, accessed August 30, 2006

[edit] External links

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Municipalities of Hudson County, New Jersey
(County Seat: Jersey City)
Cities Bayonne | Hoboken | Jersey City | Union City
Townships North Bergen | Weehawken
Towns Guttenberg | Harrison | Kearny | Secaucus | West New York
Borough East Newark
Communities Exchange Place | Greenville | Liberty State Park | Newport | Paulus Hook
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